York Band Takes Centre Stage At Europe’s Largest Winter Fringe Festival
The New York Brass Band – a highly praised seven-piece outfit from York – will be among the top performers at Europe’s largest winter fringe festival.
NYBB have been invited to play at Big Burns Supper (BBS) in Dumfries, one of Scotland’s first major events of 2015, on 30th January.
Big Burns Supper 2015 is a nine-day festival of contemporary and traditional culture and a huge public celebration of the birthday of Scotland’s national Bard, Robert Burns. BBS is also part of Scotland’s Winter Festivals (a programme of events managed by EventScotland on behalf of the Scottish Government) and attracts thousands of visitors from across the UK and overseas.
NYBB will appear at the main venue, The Spiegeltent which is a 1930s-style circular marquee lined with mirrors and stained glass, which can hold an audience of 500. Other acts playing there during the festival include Nina Nesbitt, Hue and Cry and the Undertones.
James Lancaster, founder of NYBB, said: “It’s great to be playing at one of the first big events of 2015, especially one that celebrates someone with the zest for life and music that Burns had. He was such an internationalist and a lover of music that came from ordinary people that I think he would have loved a New Orleans Mardi Gras jazz band like ours.”
BBS features 140 events which are taking place during BBS from 23-31 January. A highlight will be the Burns Night street carnival on 25 January which will feature bands, huge interactive puppets and hundreds of costumed performers. As 2015 is the UNESCO Year of Light one of the main features of the carnival will be lanterns made and carried by people from all across the region.
Graham Main, Big Burns Supper Festival Artistic Director, said: “Big Burns Supper is an amazingly colourful and fun festival – and we are really looking forward to welcoming the New York Brass Band as an important part of the mix. Lots of people travel from all over the north of England to be part of an event which brings some real cheer to the dreich days of January. In 2015 we hope to welcome yet more people from North Yorkshire for an event which has now grown into Europe’s largest winter fringe festival.”
The festival is made possible by support from many organisations including Creative Scotland, 8020 and Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Beacon Event Programme.
Once again BBS has teamed up with other local festivals and promoters to present eclectic club nights which include the Eden Opening Party.
The carnival is supported by the Robertson Trust, Holywood Trust and Awards for All. Year of Food and Drink Scotland will build on the momentum generated by Homecoming Scotland 2014 with a series of exciting events and activities celebrating Scotland’s outstanding natural larder.
Find full event listings for BBS 2015 at www.dgwgo.com/events
This year Big Burns Supper is proud to announce that it has teamed up with Barnardo’s Scotland as its first ever charity partner.
