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Ardersier International Folk Club in search for new talent for festival


By Staff Reporter

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Musicians John Ross (left) and George Livingstone get tuned up... Picture: Gary Anthony. Image No.043637.
Musicians John Ross (left) and George Livingstone get tuned up... Picture: Gary Anthony. Image No.043637.

A LOCAL folk club is embarking on its first ever festival later this year including a songwriting competition to be judged by leading professional musicians.

Ardersier Folk Club’s fame grew from humble beginnings so quickly one of its members began calling it Ardersier International Folk Club and the name has stuck.

Meeting in The Pace Café in the village, club founder John Ross said: “We started off with just a few of us gathering round the table at the café.

“Now we regularly get over a dozen at the sessions and some just come along to enjoy listening to the music.

“There’s even some poetry thrown in with story-telling as the instruments are put aside.

“Everyone is encouraged to do a party piece but there’s no pressure.”

Leading professional folk names including Archie Fisher, Ivan Drever, Saltfish Forty and Mean Mary and Frank James from the USA have all played at the club.

George Livingston, who is a member of the popular folk duo Corrallach, said he was “hooked” when he first attended the sessions.

“Last week we had visitors from Australia, France and South Korea and they just loved it,” he said.

“The professional musicians always want to return and that says a lot about the club’s ethos which really encourages new and rising talent to come along and show what they can do.”

Musicians John Ross (left) and George Livingstone get tuned up... Picture: Gary Anthony. Image No.043637.
Musicians John Ross (left) and George Livingstone get tuned up... Picture: Gary Anthony. Image No.043637.

The festival is set to run from September 12-14 with a programme of taster sessions, live performances and a ceilidh.

The songwriting competition will be judged by Bruce Macgregor and Anna Massie of the band Blazing Fiddles with five finalists getting

the opportunity to perform their song at a concert in the War Memorial Hall.

Entries should be submitted as MP3 files to info@ardersierfolkclub.org.uk

To view the festival programme see www.ardersierfolkclub.org.uk

Musicians John Ross (left) and George Livingstone get tuned up... Picture: Gary Anthony. Image No.043637.
Musicians John Ross (left) and George Livingstone get tuned up... Picture: Gary Anthony. Image No.043637.

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