Strathspey celebrations marked again in the ‘capital’ of style
Grantown’s salute to the ‘Strathspey’ was a rousing success this year, with its “Fiddler of Strathspey Festival” programme well supported from start to finish.
Looking back over it, organiser Jo Fry told the Strathy said the concerts and most of the workshops staged at the YM Community Centre were very well attended and there are now a good few youngsters with musical skills they didn’t have before.
A treasure hunt along the High Street - to discover miniature musical instruments tucked away into the shop windows - rang throughout the four days of the annual event and proved tricky enough to engage locals and those just passing through the Strathspey capital.
The pre-festival recital had got things swinging immediately on day one at the Speyside Hotel, with Dmytro Morykit on piano, Andre Harden on clarinet and the Braeriach String Quartet.
The following day (27) the action shifted for the early session to Parklands’ award-winning Lynemore care home, with the residents richly entertained with traditional classics like I Belong to Glasgow and The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen.
The line up included The Reel Strathspeyers, a young group playing traditional ceilidh music, Andrew Harden on the clarinet, Musical Memories, singing and playing traditional songs, Paul Anderson playing the fiddle, and Leo and Aliyanah performing a piano duet. The performers were piped into Lynemore by Robbie Mackenzie of Feis Spe.
Parklands Care Homes sponsored this year’s festival and staff were delighted when organisers had offered to perform as part of the overall programme of events.
Sue Williams, activities coordinator at Lynemore, said: “We were over the moon when the festival organisers suggested holding a performance at Lynemore. The concert went very well, the residents all enjoyed it, and many sang along and were tapping their feet to the music. The music really was excellent, top class.”
Festival organiser Jo Fry added: “It really was an amazing concert, with a tremendous variety of top-quality performers.”
The evening saw a full-on festival concert at the British Legion clubrooms, with Paul Anderson, Shona Donaldson, the Feis Spe Junior Band and Monadh Ruadh setting the scene and Newtonmore’s Mod stars from the Badenoch Ladies Waulking Group doing their traditional stuff to great effect.
The line-up was completed by Reel Scotch and the Fiddlers of Strathspey.
The Saturday saw the annual competitions at the community centre and a range of workshops for fiddlers, singers, drumming for beginners and even waulking for those who wanted to brush up their Gaelic songs and Tweed.
The afternoon saw a highly enjoyable workshop concert in the YM theatre and a traditional ceilidh across the road at the Ben Mhor, with Reel Scotch and the Reel Strathspayers in great form.
The Sunday offered a bracing heritage walk with music in the morning and a picnic in the park - of course, with music provided again.
Friday set the seal on the 2024 celebrations with the annual post-festival concert in Grant House for residents and guests, with special sets from Chris Stepian and Willie Russel of Reel Scotch.
As Jo Fry explained, the whole thing was a tribute to the great Angus Cumming and the rich Strathspey tradition: “We provide a stage for all the musicians, both young and old, novices and masters, who want to honour the Strathspey in all its forms.”
The festival again succeeded in promoting traditional music right in the heartland of its creation.