Take a bow, Grantown!
They’re tuning up at Grantown.
Next week sees one of the Strathspey capital’s big weekends, with a great line-up of musicians gathering for the annual Fiddler of Strathspey Festival.
And to get themselves in the mood the organisers have already staged a successful warm-up at the town’s Grant Arms Hotel.
As Grantown Society chairman Bill Sadler celebrated: “Last weekend we had a very special evening, as a prelude to the festival. The participants all enjoyed learning about ‘the Strathspey’ from Paul Anderson.
“They were totally engrossed in his explanation of how that style of music developed, who the great proponents were and what are its characteristics.
“All this was accompanied by Paul's highly skilled playing.
“And as a bonus, there was a song from Shona Donaldson.
“How appropriate to have such a presentation of Scotland's iconic music in Grantown - the capital of Strathspey and the very epicentre of its origins.
“How appropriate, too, that Grantown should be hosting the Fiddler of Strathspey Festival with a fantastic weekend lined up with a veritable treasure chest of talent and enthusiasm.
“Once again our endeavours are enhanced enormously by the presence of Paul Anderson and Shona Donaldson, both of them acclaimed leaders in their own fields.”
Looking ahead to next week - when the festival gets under way proper on Friday September 27, the town will feast on concerts, competitions, a treasure hunt, a ceilidh, workshops - for singing in Gaelic, Scots and English, or for drumming, the ‘moothie’, the fiddle of course and for waulking the cloth.
And it will not all be indoors, either.
This year will see the music reaching out into the fresh air too, with walks and even a picnic.
Mr Sadler told the Strathy that the programme now finalised would surely have something for everyone, all ages and all abilities.
“We look forward also to finding out who will be the 2024 junior and senior champion Fiddlers of Strathspey,” he said.
The organisers are delighted at the number of young players involved in the 2024 spectacular.
“That includes a group who were introduced to our traditional music at our first festivals.”
This year the range of music has been extended by the addition of a special pre-festival concert and supper next Thursday (September 26).
The night will feature hugely talented musicians including Dmytro Morykit on piano, Andre Harden on clarinet and the Braeriach quartet. The event takes place at the Speyside Hotel.
With an optional dinner at 7pm, the concert is due to begin at 8pm.
Friday’s concert is set for the British Legion clubrooms and will start at 8pm.
More on the festival can be found at the Strathy’s website - www.strathhspey-herald.co.uk which will be carrying programme details - but meantime all the organisers’ own details are available at www.fiddlerofstrathspey.co.uk
Tickets are now on sale at the Grantown Hub on the High Street.
Mr Sadler said: “Everyone will be welcome to turn all the hard work into a memorable weekend.”
