FOLLOWING the sad news of her death from cancer in her native USA, Robert Livingston has paid tribute to Evi Westmore, the go-ahead Public Art Project Co-ordinator for Inverness. Both her presence and her work will be sadly missed, but her work on the project has ensured she will leave her mark on the city in enduring fashion, even in the relatively short time she was among us.

The cultural events that lie ahead in April include the Re-dedication of Culloden Battlefield with a programme of events to be staged at the site around the anniversary of the battle in mid-month, a major retrospective exhibition of the work of artist Stanley Cursiter in Orkney, a country and western festival in Caithness, and a Junior Fèis in Ullapool, so no shortage of variety there.

Our main interview this month is with the Lewis fiddle maestro Alasdair White, whose recent solo CD has been winning lots of praise. Best known as a member of the Battlefield Band, Alasdair chatted with freelance writer Rob Adams, the folk and jazz critic of The Herald.

The HITN Profile returns this month with the work of the Ross-shire-based puppet company Zenwing Puppets, while Ross & Cromarty is also the location for our ArtsFolk feature by Wendy Sanders. I’d like to claim that was clever co-ordination, but I only realised it was the case after the two pieces came in …

Georgina Coburn looks at the work of Shetland-based visual artist Paul Bloomer, while Susan Szymborski reports on a Dingwall-based initiative aimed at providing support for young musicians in Dingwall.

Following a week-long run at Perth Theatre in late March, Communicado Theatre Company are touring their production of novelist Robin Jenkins’ ‘Fergus Lamont’ this month. We look again at Brian Morton’s reminiscences of his former teacher and his work in our From the Archive feature, while Brian can be seen in the flesh at Strathpeffer Pavilion on 24 April, when he will be conduct a pre-concert interview with pianist Gwyilm Simcock prior to the Scottish Ensemble’s concert featuring a new commission by the pianist.

On the subject of young musicians, the collaboration between the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Highland Region Youth Orchestra in Aviemore proved to be a very successful one, both artistically and in terms of attracting a healthy attendance. It provided a reminder that Highland 2007 is providing a platform for events that would not otherwise be feasible, and we look forward to many more in the coming months.

Kenny Mathieson
Commissioning Editor, Northings

Kenny Mathieson lives and works in Boat of Garten, Strathspey. He studied American and English Literature at the University of East Anglia, graduating with a BA (First Class) in 1978, and a PhD in 1983. He has been a freelance writer on various arts-related subjects since 1982, and contributes to the Inverness Courier, The Scotsman, The Herald, The List, Times Educational Supplement Scotland, and other publications. He has contributed to numerous reference books, and has written books on jazz and Celtic music.