22 acts, 4 live music concerts, 10 music workshops, 3 tune and song writing competitions, 2 instrument makers, 1 language workshop, 1 film screening – a superb line-up for this year’s event.
ORGANISERS of the Newton Stewart & Minnigaff Traditional Music Festival in Dumfries & Galloway say this year is set to be their biggest and most ambitious yet.
The festival takes place over the 8th & 9th July 2016 throughout Newton Stewart & Minnigaff with an additional concert added on the 7th July at Glentrool Village Hall designed to whet the appetites.
Nathon Jones, festival director, said “We have some of the best acts in traditional music performing and delivering workshops again this year including the fabulous Buille from Cork featuring the world famous brothers Niall & Caoimhín Vallely, accompanied by Sean Óg Graham and Martin O’Neil, The Rachel Newton Trio, BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year Mohsen Amini and his band and the wonderful Scots singer Jim Malcolm”
“We have a strong local connection with Macmath: The Silent Page featuring Aaron Jones, Claire Mann, Emily Smith, Jamie McClennan, Robyn Stapleton and Ali Burns, The Mermaids from Whithorn, Mona Stewart’s daughter Fay Norris, Darcy DaSilva, The Cracked Man, Late Bloomers, Alan McClure and the Paula Herries School of Highland Dancing all representing Dumfries & Galloway this year.”
“The support we’ve received from the Regional Arts Fund and The Holywood Trust has allowed us to greatly expand our programme of events and has enabled us to offer some exciting job skills and work experience opportunities for young people aged 16-25.”
“David Moses will deliver a photography workshop and mentor young photographers throughout the weekend who will act as our official festival photographers, Cree Studio are running film making workshops with participants joining this year’s festival film crew and our sound team will be running a workshop and shadowing participants at our live concert events giving them real-life skills and the chance to work alongside professionals.”
“Tickets are selling really well and we have already surpassed our projected weekend pass sales with bookings from Minnigaff, Kirkcowan, Port William, Wigtown and Whithorn as well as from Bournemouth, Glasgow, Cupar, Liverpool and Ayr so it really is an event that has wide appeal and that people from across the region also enjoy and benefit from.”
Tickets are on sale now at www.tradmusic.com or from the box office on 01671 404924.
