IT’S a given that there is music pulsating from every nook and cranny in Stromness for nearly four days at the Orkney Folk Festival, but this year the pace was frenetic with artists lining up for – and sometimes giving up trying for – a coveted seat at the sessions in the pubs.

Part of the reason for the chair shortage was the foul weather which prevented the normal jamming in the street, but with a record 30 ticketed concerts and many well-known unbooked names turning up just for the craic, there was high demand.

One visiting box player refused to leave the spot she had perched on for three days in the Ferry Inn when the ‘official’ session band Da Fustra from Shetland needed space for a drum kit.

Session A9

The festival has moved away from a completely casual session scene with a programme of bands leading sessions, joined by friends and itinerant festival goers. Thus we were treated to the rampaging jigs and reels of Session A9, with fiddles ranged against syncopated piano; wound-up wind power from the Box Club’s full-on accordion players and high energy Daimh for stunning banjo, two pipers, fiddle, bodhran, mandola and vocals, some songs in Gaelic.

Yes, just going to the sessions alone was exhausting, and at one point the chandelier in the foyer below the foot-tappers in the Stromness Hotel was bouncing alarmingly. A most memorable moment was during Session A9’s Ferry Inn spot when 11-year-old Magnus Westwell picked up his trumpet for a solo of It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Aint’t Got That Swing) , stunning the loud drinking crowd at the bar into silence when word got round it was ‘just a peedie boy’ playing. His older brother and sister Jack, 15, and Amy, 18, wowed the audience with their fiddle and harp arrangements in the Harray Hall.

The Opening Concert on Thursday night in Stromness Town Hall set a high standard that continued across the festival. Orkney’s own Kristan Harvey and Friends – BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2011 – received a huge welcome home, arranging some great quirky tunes with effortless playing and sublime vocals from Megan Henderson.

Kristan Harvey

More achingly beautiful vocals came from Emily Smith; her passion for collecting songs and composing resulting in evocative interpretations of a song penned by Robert Burns and more other long dead lyricists with her trademark contemporary voice twisting the sounds into something new and exciting.

At last Four Men and a Dog, part trad Irish and part any genre they like playing, made it to Orkney from Ireland with four all-too-short sets which left us all shouting for more. So much so that I went to all four gigs they appeared at – and they only play a few times a year. Lucky me.

Four Men and a Dog

Gerry O’Connor’s high energy and technically perfect banjo playing and Cathal Hayden’s scorching fiddle led the traditional Irish tunes, while Donal Murphy’s wizardry on the box showcased polkas he learned from his father at home in Limerick. O’Connor slowed down the pace and played his hauntingly beautiful fiddle tribute to his late father-in-law, the moving and eloquent Song for PJ.

Songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Kevin Doherty told us how he attempted to write a song inspired by James Joyce’s Ulysses but unfortunately it was six hours long. We got the four minute version of Bloomsday, and we could have managed a little bit longer.

Doherty’s slowed down version of Dylan’s Twist of Fate was a brief but enjoyable change of pace again from the band’s dazzling energy. Gino Lupari, the cuddly ultimate showman on bodhran and vocals, was a huge talent with his rendition of The Shape I’m In and his comic patter was appreciated. They were just blazing when they oh so sadly ran out of time.

There was time for raffles at the main events – Orkney’s popular pastime. Murphy told of how he had won the Stromness football club raffle in 2000 and when he got home to Ireland there was a cheque waiting for him.

Elsewhere I caught Habbadam, Danish fiddle, vocals, sax and guitar. Impressively the two lasses stepped off a plane at 7.30pm and were on stage at eight, regaling us with tales of what they had learned about Orkney in the car and weaving anecdotes into their set of Danish/Scandinavian folk tunes and songs.

Another festival highlight was the concert put together by Orkney fiddler Douglas Montgomery – Orkney Folk:The Gathering. So much so that a rare standing ovation thundered through Stromness Town Hall. Underpinning the gathering of Orkney folk was Montgomery with his Saltfishforty partner Brian Cromarty (guitar and mandola) and Orcadian-born folk superstar Kris Drever on double bass and guitar.

The aforementioned Kristan Harvey was in on the act, along with most of the members of The Chair, accordionist Billy Peace, songman and compere Billy Jolly, pianist Jennifer Austin, the Song Shop Trio adding lyrical harmonies and young fiddlers Shoramere with Diana Kelday.

The Chair

Stirring polkas gave way to the beautiful song with Orkney connections, The Bride’s Lament, Kris Drever’s Sweet Honey in the Rock and The Creelman which featured all of the musicians, including 16 fiddlers. The concert was filmed and recorded for a Scotland’s Islands-funded project to celebrate Orkney talent, including exports, to promote it further afield. A CD and visits by the house band to other festivals is planned.

There were loads more visiting acts and other Orkney folk, including Fiona Driver and Graham Simpson, Duncan McLean and the Driftwood Cowboys, Jo Philby, Stronsay Siver Darlings, Eric Linklater and David Delday and brothers James and Jack Watson playing in the hub of Stromness, and further afield across parishes and the isles.

An inter-tunety play-off between Orkney’s The Chair and Shetland’s Fullsceilidh Spelemannslag saw the Shelties settle an old score by winning after losing out at Shetland Folk festival last year, as the audience danced at the Academy Club.

Of course, the sun came out just as everyone was leaving.

© Catherine Turnbull, 2011

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Jeana Leslie and Siobhan Miller

IT CAN BE easy to forget, as a visiting audience member, the massive jigsaw of human resources and organisational logistics – slotted together entirely by volunteer effort – that underpins an event like the Orkney Folk Festival. This year’s programme comprised around 25 concerts over four days, featuring a total of over 40 acts – shipped and flown in from mainland Scotland, Shetland, Ireland, England, Canada and the US – staged in 12 venues across four different islands, running most days from noon until well after midnight.

Making that little lot happen requires a small army of sound crew, drivers, stewards, stagehands, box office staff, raffle-ticket sellers, compères and general helpers (not to mention the small matters of programming, booking and marketing beforehand), almost all recruited locally.

Further levels of concerted community effort become apparent when you consider what’s involved in catering for hordes of hungry and thirsty folkies round the clock in a small island town, an undertaking heroically shouldered between the three main hotels in the festival’s base of Stromness, plus a couple of cafés and a chip shop.

Then there’s the fact that the event’s primary audience is also local, a degree of home-grown support that once again saw almost every gig packed to capacity, and which relies in turn on island-wide, military-style planning regarding childcare and time off work.

Along with Orkney’s stunningly beautiful setting, it’s this sense of shared hedonistic purpose, the buoyant unanimity with which Stromness becomes a town en fête – as riotous jam-sessions ring out continually from every bar, alongside the wealth of programmed music – that lends the festival much of its uniquely convivial character. (Some of the sessions themselves spilled outside on Friday afternoon, the better to enjoy the mirror-like harbour views amid cloudless sunshine.)

It’s also things like the impromptu singaround that took place when a group of performers visited the Italian Chapel, delighting a busload of Antipodean tourists who chanced by at the same time. Or like the annual Orkney vs The Rest of the World football match on Sunday afternoon, a fiercely-fought, gloriously muddy farce that ended in a 10-9 victory for the home team, after a sudden-death finish and some outrageous cheating by the opposition.

Or the very bizarre but equally beautiful session that unfolded at the Festival Club late on Saturday night, beginning with a bodhran and a tuba (I kid you not), and subsequently joined by a dozen-strong international array of top singers and instrumentalists, making amazing new music together.

None of the above delights, of course, would be possible without the consistently discerning calibre and variety of the festival’s core programme. A succession of exceptional vocal performances encompassed many of the weekend’s highlights, among them being several mesmerising turns by Karine Polwart (who was man of the match at the football, incidentally), in trio format with her guitarist brother Stephen and Inge Thomson on accordion and percussion.

Deftly varying her set-list each time, she paid tribute to her host location with an arresting a capella rendition of ‘The Dreadful End of Marianna For Sorcery’, based on a George Mackay Brown story; delivered well-aimed digs at politicians and bankers with ‘Sorry’ and ‘House of Cards'; wrenched the heartstrings with ‘The Sun’s Coming Over the Hill’ and ‘We’re All Leaving’, and orchestrated a blissful four-part audience chorale in her reworking of an old seafaring hymn, ‘While the Billows Roll’.

Her singing’s intensely expressive blend of sweetness and piquancy, together with her poet’s wordcraft and haunting gift for melody, were further enriched by her accompanists’ radiant backing harmonies as well as artful instrumentation.

Kicking off Friday’s late-night gig at Stromness Academy, before a crowd primarily bent on bouncing around to local dancefloor heroes The Chair later on, might have seemed a short-straw slot for the traditional song duo of Jeana Leslie (also on fiddle and piano, and also from Orkney) and Siobhan Miller, but the former BBC Young Folk Award-winners soon had the room eating out of their hands.

Despite their youth, they’ve already developed by leaps and bounds during their short professional career to date, here aligning and intertwining their voices with uncanny attunement and immense technical sophistication, reinventing such classic fare as ‘Bedlam Boys’, ‘Auchindoon’ and ‘The Banks of Newfoundland’ with tremendous vitality and finesse.

Earlier on at the Town Hall, Ireland’s Karan Casey was in similarly sublime form, her lusciously honeyed yet nakedly emotive delivery giving the impression, as she does on such occasions, almost of channelling some higher power, especially in the spellbinding medley – beginning with the poignant rebel ballad ‘Dunlavin Green’, leading through an Irish Gaelic lament to ‘I Once Loved a Lass’ – which formed the centrepiece of her set.

There were also some splendid male voices in evidence, including the ruggedly muscular yet precision-honed three-part harmonies of Quebec’s Genticorum, in amongst the irrepressible joie de vivre of their instrumental playing. English duo John Spiers and Jon Boden likewise took no prisoners in their rousingly red-blooded treatment of traditional ballads, sea-shanties and Morris tunes, with Boden’s compellingly wayward lead vocal reminiscent at times of the Associates’ late lamented Billy Mackenzie. And from Stateside, old-timey one-man-band Bruce Molsky gave equally eloquent voice to the raw-boned, high-lonesome idioms of Appalachian music.

Also on the song front, a rainy Saturday afternoon offered the chance to drop in not only on an absorbing exhibition of drawings by St Ives Group artist Wilhemina Barns-Graham at the award-winning Pier Arts Centre, but to the festival open day held by the Big Orkney Song Project.

This is a lively ongoing initiative both to collect old Orkney songs and encourage the writing of new ones, be they based on existing stories and poems or wholly original, meanwhile promoting their performance via the vocal trio and choir that have evolved from the project, and which also featured in the festival programme.

Not that there were any shortcomings in the instrumental department – not with acts like Irish trio Buille, led by the extraordinary concertina playing of Niall Vallely, and the mighty Shetland seven-piece Fiddlers’ Bid on the bill.

Performing with his brother Caoimhín on piano and Highland guitarist Ross Martin, Vallely’s heavily improvised virtuosity took his instrument by turns deep into blues harmonica territory, up to transcendent heights of lyricism, and into the thick of fiery, funked-up dance tunes. Fiddlers’ Bid, meanwhile, playing their first gig together in some months, were palpably raring to go, mixing up the familiar full-throttle pyrotechnics with some excellent new material from their forthcoming fifth album.

Spicing up proceedings with an eclectic blend of musical flavours was the Jani Lang Band, fronted by an expat Hungarian fiddler, now based in Aberdeen, and also featuring Scotland’s Fraser Fifield on soprano sax alongside members from England, Ireland and Egypt. Ranging from crazily asymmetric, warp-speed gypsy workouts to a sinuous amalgam of Arabic and reggae styles, their high-octane set saw musicians and dancers alike working up a serious muck sweat.

Honourable mention must also go to local twin-sister act Jennifer and Hazel Wrigley, on fiddle and guitar/piano, whose Festival Club gig with their band The Reel included a fabulous extended duet showcasing both their rare musical telepathy and their mutual love of mischief.

All too soon, it was time to board the homeward ferry after another outstanding Orkney stramash – but consoled until next time by another panoply of magical memories.

© Sue Wilson, 2009

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• Orkney Folk Festival

Saltfishforty (photo - Louis de Carlo).

ORKNEY FOLK Festival generally likes to put it about a bit, in terms of staging concerts beyond its main hub of Stromness. With this year’s event being the 25th, however, and extra funding available from the Highland 2007 pot, the organisers went a whole lot of extra miles in taking the music to parts it doesn’t usually reach.

The eight-day Island Hop, starting the weekend before the festival itself, saw a crew of musicians setting sail in a converted fishing boat for a voyage around Orkney’s farther-flung airts, stopping off to perform on a different island each night.

I caught up with them on North Ronaldsay, Orkney’s topmost outpost, where difficult sea conditions had prevented the ship from landing, necessitating a last-minute rescue mission by a local charter pilot, who shuttled the artists over from Eday, the previous night’s destination, in his single-engine plane.

Besides saving them from a bad case of mal de mer, it also offered the chance to experience airport protocol, North Ronaldsay style, as I had when arriving at the farmland airstrip – where you seem to be speeding straight into the sea during landing or take-off – on the eight-seater Loganair flight from Kirkwall.

Informal was definitely the word, a welcome contrast indeed to all the slow-motion officialdom at Edinburgh, where I’d nearly missed the flight thanks to the latest tweaking of the security regulations.

While the performers arrived safely, however, the PA system remained stranded on the boat, being too heavy to fly in. The good folk of North Ronaldsay were thus treated to an entirely unplugged show, with a crowd of around 40 turning out for the occasion – a number representing fully two-thirds of the island’s population.

Thankfully, the primary school hall – prettily decked out by the local community association, who also provided supper at the interval – turned out to have a highly conducive acoustic.

A well-chosen mix of music included the sweetly aligned voices of Fridarey – whose home of Fair Isle is visible, on a clear day, from North Ronaldsay – in an adroit choice of songs traditional and modern, including several composed in Shetland’s richly expressive dialect.

With proceedings ably MC-ed by adoptive New Zealander Martin Curtis, who sang a few of his own songs in between some comically tall tales, it proved an impressively cosmopolitan line-up, including a bonus appearance by the tour’s Australian sound engineer, who took the opportunity of an enforced night off to tout his wares as an aspiring singer-songwriter.

Next up were Oban-based duo Wingin’ It, winners of a Danny Award at this year’s Celtic Connections Open Stage, uniting the guitar-picking talents of Adam Bulley – who doubles on mandolin – and Chas Mackenzie. Maintaining the night’s keynote of variety, they drew tunes from across the spectrum of jazz, folk and Americana, inventively arranged and played with terrific brio and flair.

The powerhouse partnership of accordionist Angus Lyon and fiddler Ruaridh Campbell has mostly been seen of late at the helm of a rocked-up four-piece band, following the acclaim heaped on their fusion-oriented 2006 album ‘18 Months Later’.

Stripped here of all props and safety-nets, they delivered a superb closing set, their formidable individual calibre and tight-knit mutual attunement highlighted all the more winningly by this close-up focus, as they comprehensively trashed any negative stereotypes of Scottish fiddle and accordion music.

Back in Stromness, the festival’s official opening concert kicked off the weekend in thoroughly classy style, from a fine opening fanfare by the town’s own pipe band to a typically rambunctious finale from Blazin’ Fiddles. The latter was both peppered with new material and tempered by quieter interludes, including a brilliant relay of contrasting strathspeys and a lovely version of the contemporary waltz ‘Lost in Fishponds’, by Bristol band the Famous Five.

Between times, the a capella quartet Stravaig alternately bewitched and regaled a sellout crowd with their exquisitely configured harmonies, deployed in a blend of folk and contemporary material, and lively banter.

Sweden’s Mattias Perez Trio, this year’s Scandinavian ambassadors to the festival, meanwhile staked their initial claim to discovery-of-the-weekend status, which they’d certainly earned by Sunday night.

With Perez himself on 12-string guitar, flanked by two female fiddlers, their supple, richly shimmering versions of Swedish and Norwegian dance-tunes were artfully embellished by an array of other flavours, from jazz to classical, and performed with vibrant ensemble synergy.

Friday night’s concert and ceilidh in Orphir, off to the east of Stromness, was one of the festival’s earliest sellouts, a bottom-line vote of confidence fully borne out on the night. Following an afternoon walk taking in a rare 12th century round church, and its neighbouring “Earl’s Bu”, or Viking drinking hall, plus splendid views over Scapa Flow – typical of the non-musical delights Orkney offers to festival visitors – it was time to settle in for a cracking night’s entertainment.

Highlights included top Ulster song exponent Len Graham, whose compellingly resonant voice – at once stern and warm, lyrical and implacable – was paired with the impish, mordant wit of Dublin storyteller Jack Lynch, and a rewarding solo set from Scots singer Rod Paterson, interspersing his trademark Burns material with everything from a pawky send-up of local evening papers to a 16th century Norwegian hymn, translated into Scots.

Home-grown Orkney acts are always a prominent feature of the festival programme, and here Shoot the Piper flew the home flag first, mixing lively sets of jigs and reels with potent original songs, later followed by the duo of Douglas Montgomery on fiddle, and Brian Cromarty on guitar, mandola and vocals, better known as Saltfishforty.

They demonstrated exactly why they’re fast making a name for themselves well beyond the islands, combining the grit and grain of classic Americana with the colour and vitality of Scottish and Orcadian tunes; Montgomery’s marvellously agile, full-toned fiddle with Cromarty’s driving muscular rhythms and gutsy singing.

Blazin’ Fiddles rounded off the show once again – at least, before the Occasionals’ eagerly awaited appearance to start the dancing – a performance chiefly memorable this time for Allan Henderson’s Saturday Night Fever-style dance moves during the final number.

With a total of over 50 acts performing at this year’s festival, a packed programme featured twelve scheduled performances on Saturday alone, from Kirkwall to the island of Longhope – and that’s even leaving aside the many pub sessions taking place, day and night, along Stromness’s main street.

Earning themselves a warm welcome back, at both concerts and sessions, were the Cork quintet North Cregg, who’ve undergone a substantial line-up reshuffle since their last visit in 2003. The captivating gusto and rhythmic bounce that fuel their freewheeling sets of jigs, reels, polkas and slides remains as distinctive as ever, though, complemented now by the smokily seductive singing of Claire Anne Lynch.

Tom McConville, Claire Mann and Aaron Jones are all well-kent faces around the UK folk scene, but their new trio formation won them plenty of fresh applause. Variously juggling two fiddles, flute, whistles, bouzouki and guitar between them, and with McConville and Jones in sterling form sharing lead-vocal duties – plus Mann singing harmonies – this was one trio with plenty up its sleeve, showcased in imaginative arrangements of everything from traditional ballads to Phil Ochs covers, interspersed with some strong instrumental sets.

A final honourable mention must most definitely go to local heroes Lazy Boy Chair, who comprehensively rocked the house in Saturday’s late-night slot at the Festival Club. Also among the winners of this year’s Danny Awards, their line-up includes the aforementioned Saltfishforty plus six others, in a line-up featuring twin fiddles, accordion, banjo, guitars, bass and drums.

Their sound is a wonderfully unclassifiable melting-pot of influences, from country-dance tunes to tricksy Balkan-style numbers, blues to reggae to funk, its raw anarchic energy underpinned by impressively tight delivery: a true party band with depth, heart and ample collective talent.

With the festival’s outgoing chairman, Johnny Mowat, having received the Services to Industry accolade at last year’s Scots Trad Music Awards, his successor Bob Gibbon (Lazy Boy Chair’s accordionist) faced a daunting challenge in filling his shoes – especially taking over in the 25th year.

After a near-clean slate of sellout shows, a general thumbs-up for the programme, a non-stop array of cracking sessions and a lively buzz on the street, boosted by aptly festive sunshine, his relief over a successful inaugural weekend (aka baptism of fire) must have been intense, even if he perhaps wasn’t quite joining in the chorus of “roll on next year” which was more or less everyone else’s verdict.

© Sue Wilson, 2007

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Lau at the 2006 Orkney Folk Festival. © Kenny Pirnie

A TALL SHIP had docked at the pier in Stromness, and the sun was shining, as the 24th Orkney Folk Festival got underway.

It was clear that this would be one heck of a weekend, and surely one of the finest, most successful festivals that the committee has ever produced. The opening concert was held in the Stromness Lecture Theatre, and with a line up including Old Blind Dogs and Lau, we were in for a show which would more than whet the tastebuds of the audience.

Old Blind Dogs are no strangers to Orkney, having played at the festival in the past, and Lau, although not previosuly here as a group, certainly have a tie with the islands, considering one of the trio is Orkney singer/songwriter Kris Drever.

We passed the Kirkwall City Pipe Band tuning up on the way into our seats in the balcony, and they gave us a couple of tunes to warm us up for what was to come.

Festival chairman Johnny Mowat introduced our compere, Bob Sharp, who is a regular visitor to the festival, and Bob subsequently introduced the Kirkwall City Pipe Band (juvenile section) as the opening act.

It was a very fitting way to start the proceedings, as the band played a grand set of tunes. Their young drummers were exceptional, performing a solo at one point — a highlight of the night for sure. It is easy to see why this band is among the best in Scotland.

There is a certain magic about Hadhirgaan, partly due to the excellent musicianship possessed by its young members, but also because of the amazing presence they have as a group on stage

They played music from all over the world, and I got the feeling they had a million stories to tell. By the end of their set, they had the audience singing and clapping, and got a great response.

The next act on the bill was one that everyone was waiting for. I had heard that Lau was one of the most exciting live bands on the scene at the moment, and that their performances were very special.

The trio comprises fiddling sensation Aidan O’Rourke, Orkney’s Kris Drever on guitar and voice, and Cambridge-bred, Edinburgh-based accordionist Martin Green. Could they live up to their fast-growing reputation? Oh yes.

This is a classic example of what can be done with traditional music, by breaking the mould and spicing it up a little. I think for some in the audience, it was too much of a break from the trad style, but for most, me included, it was a breath of fresh air, and a very exciting performance.

They chose to be seated, rather than to stand and perform, and I don’t think this was like any other seated performance I’d ever seen. Clearly out of enjoyment, and just through the joy of being part of this exciting new band, the lads moved uncontrollably to the infectious music they were creating.

They were great to watch, great to listen to, and the possibility that one might fall off their chair by accident only added to the excitement. A band full of talent and amazing energy, they received huge applause.

They were followed up by one of Scotland’s most respected acts, Old Blind Dogs, who were just the icing on the cake. They involved the audience right away, getting all to sing along and clap their hands.

To be honest, it would be hard not to with Old Blind Dogs. They have a killer rhythm section, and an amazing frontman, Jim Malcolm, whose stunning voice was backed up by the vocal talents of all the other band members. Jim is also an accomplished guitarist, and harmonica player, and at times he was making use of all three of his instruments.

A slow song, ‘The Battle of Waterloo’, was one of the most charming songs I heard throughout the whole weekend, showing off Jim’s beautiful voice, and Robbie Burns’ ‘A Man’s A Man For A’ That’ had the audience singing along too.

The band members, who stay true to Scotland’s roots, include some of the country’s most accomplished musicians, including bouzouki player Aaron Jones, Rory Campbell on pipes and whistles, Jonny Hardie on fiddle, mandolin and guitar, and Fraser Stone on drums. It was an excellent concert, and we were more than in the mood for the rest of the weekend.

This year’s Folk Festival Workshops were hosted by the Wrigley Sisters and their Centre of Music, as well as the Orkney Traditional Music Project’s Ceilidh Band, and there was something for everyone.

Members of Old Blind Dogs gave up their time to lead the workshops with Hazel Wrigley, which attracted reasonable numbers throughout the course of the Saturday.

Meanwhile, a brand new event was the talk of the town over the weekend, and it produced some of the most exciting performances.

The Open Stage Event was the brainchild of festival committee member, Graham Morris, who admitted at the end that it had been one of his better ideas. Graham said the open stage event at Celtic Connections was such a success the Orkney festival selected some of its acts from the finalists there, such as Heeriegoleerie and the White Hare Band.

With 22 acts signed up to have a go in Orkney, the talent on offer was tremendous.

A performance by singer/songwriter Frank Keenan was a hit with the audience in the Town Hall, and a Russian journalist, ‘Daria,’ who had been spotted following the various events impressed us all with a tune or two.

Father and son duo Jimmy and Callum Carlisle paid tribute to one of Kris Drever’s first bands, The Lapels, playing ‘A Place to Hide’.

Other performers included Sheila Cameron, and The Drivers, but the most amazing performance of the day came from a young man from Yorkshire, Sam Hurt, who was so nervous, that he visibly shook going on and off stage. Sam made a quick exit, but went on to win a prize at the end, and was subsequently invited to perform at the Rising Stars Concert later that night.

It was at this event that local up and coming stars got a chance to strutt their stuff, with the exception of young Sam who had more than earned his slot.

His two songs, ‘Tokyo’ and ‘Coming Round the Mountain’ were fantastically written, heartfelt, and beautifully sung. If this lad can get over his nerves, he will go places, following in the footsteps of Damien Rice, James Blunt and David Gray. It was exciting stuff.

The concert was opened by the Orkney Traditional Music Project’s Ceilidh Band who were absolutely fantastic. The band was started to encourage younger musicians to keep playing traditional dance music and, led by accordionist Ian Lowthian, was a real highlight of the show.

Led by local musician, Diane Kelday on guitar, the Shoramere fiddlers performed Stewart Shearer’s ‘Crossing Warness’, and went down a storm with the audience. Later on in the set they were joined by Orkney’s well-loved young group of all-stars, Hadhirgaan.

The fourth generation of “Hadhirgaaners” took to the stage, and performed ‘Orcadia’, ‘The Stronsay Weaver’ and ‘Trip to Herve’s’.

These teens are no strangers to the folk world, taking Glasgow and Edinburgh music fans by storm in the recent past. They have become as much a sought-after act as any gigging band, and performed several of their own tunes, or ones written by Hadhirgaaners of the past, including Catriona Price’s ‘Twa Daft Lasses’, and Jeana Leslie’s ‘Hot Salsa’.

There is a certain magic about Hadhirgaan, partly due to the excellent musicianship possessed by its young members, but also because of the amazing presence they have as a group on stage.

The Drivers appeared on stage after Hadhirgaan, and this brother/sister duo played with style. Fiona and Peter have a special spark in their playing, something that could possibly be unique to family members who play together. This kind of connection isn’t always present between musicians, but is usually natural to family groupings.

Last, but far from least, was a performance from Kris Drever, who played two of his own songs before inviting his fellow members of Lau onto the stage, as well as Orkney bodhran player Amy Leonard. Kris’ unique voice always stuns an audience, and it was easy to see why his career has started to take off.

By the end of the concert, the audience still wanted more, but it was time for the second of the two stomps.

The night before, I had seen Croft No. 5 in Orkney’s number one nightclub, Fusion. Sadly, numbers weren’t as high as they’ve been in the past, but the band stood out as a contemporary collaboration, making folk and trad as hip with the kids as any dance act in the modern music world.

Tipped to fuse trad with techno, it would surely be a bizarre combination, but I really enjoyed this band — primarily a drum and bass act who would be equally as comfortable at an all-night rave, as they were at this Folk Festival Stomp.

They were supported by local duo, Saltfishforty, who performed their usual set of blistering tunes, bound to warm any audience up for a good time. In fact the lads, Brian Cromarty and Douglas Montgomery, were just back from Cannes, and still on good form. By the end of their set, the dancefloor was full — not bad for two blokes with a fiddle and a guitar.

Needless to say getting up to do it all over again was not my idea of fun when I opened my eyes the next morning. Thankfully, several glasses of water and a cup of coffee later, I was ready for action, and before I knew it, it was time to stomp again.

The second Stomp was held in the Stromness Academy Dining Hall. The bands at this event were both local, and certainly stood out as an example of the talent that Orkney has produced. The Lone Star Swing Band, and Lazy Boy Chair were on the bill, and the stomp was a sell out on the night.

The Lone Star Swing Band includes Fiona Driver, Ian Tait, Dick Levens, Duncan MacLean, and stand-in drummer Graham Simpson. Kitted out in formal dress, their blend of blues and jazz music, tinged with a Scottish influence went down a storm with the audience, who were keen to dance right at the start.

The main act, Lazy Boy Chair, were right at home on the very stage where they debuted just a couple of years ago at the Orkney Folk Festival. Now headliners, they have since become one of the county’s finest live bands, guaranteeing a great night of music wherever they play.

Joined on stage at one point by all members of Lau, this was another superb performance, and I defy anyone who claims they were able to stand still.

Several other fantastic acts appeared at the festival — too many to rave about, but special mention must go to Danny award winners Heeriegoleerie — a young up and coming trio with bags of talent, and the White Hare Band, not to mention the Zamiskovci brothers all the way from Slovakia.

It really was a fantastic weekend, and I would imagine that there will be a bit of a splash next year at the 25th Orkney Folk Festival, as chairman Johnny Mowat plans to make it his last year on the committee. Next year’s anniversary festival will surely be a special one.

© Leah Seator, 2006

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• Orkney Folk Festival

THE WEATHER turned sour for the 23rd annual Orkney Folk Festival last weekend, but there was no way a bit of rain would put a damper on things. The craic was 90 as they say in Ireland, and while it was nearly impossible to see every single performer on the action packed programme, I tried my very best!

The festival, based mainly in Stromness, was a huge success, boasting acts such as The McCalmans, Fine Friday and a surprise collaboration between Duncan Chisholm and Phil Cunningham – as star studded as it gets on the Scottish folk scene.

Stromness itself is the perfect location for such a festival. A real slice of Scottish heritage, the winding cobbled streets make a perfect path for jigging from one event to the next. The pubs were lively with sessions day and night -– a perfect opportunity for both local and visiting musicians to join in.

Peatbog Faeries at the Orkney Folk Festival

The actual ticketed events, featuring the likes of the Peatbog Faeries, Duncan and Phil and the McCalmans were all sold out well in advance and getting in with a press pass was a fantastic privilege.

The first stomp of the festival was held in Fusion on Friday night, with the Peatbog Faeries, from Skye, as the main act. Supported by local band Lazy Boy Chair, the event got off to a great start.

When I arrived in Fusion, there was a full Strip the Willow in progress, and it was clear that this event would be a hit. Lazy Boy Chair were fantastic, and could easily have passed for the main act. They enjoyed a bit of banter with the audience, and jigged their way through an impressive set of great toe-tapping tunes.

The festival went out with a bang, as most of the visiting acts gathered on stage for an unforgettable session.

“This is our first time in Orkney, and it’s a disgrace really, since we’re only about three hours away,” they told the audience. They went on to entertain an equally enthusiastic crowd at the second stomp in Stromness Academy on Saturday night, supported by the Silver Penguins.

Peter Morrisson of the band told me: “We had a great time in Orkney despite the weather. We found the locals very friendly and totally up for the party. We even took time out to do some stone-seeing. It was great to get the opportunity to play up there and we hope to be back soon.”

The session continued all day Saturday, and music workshops were held in the afternoon with Patsy Reid from Breabach, Kris Drever from Fine Friday, and Colin Dewar from the Colin Dewar Dance Band.

The smaller islands got their fair share of entertainment over the weekend, as Phil and Duncan headed to Sanday on the Friday night, and Bolivian band Katari, Danish duo Haugaard and Hoirup, and local band Shoot the Piper made their way to Hoy.

On Sunday, the main event was the Farewell concert in the Stromness Town Hall, regarded by many as the best venue in the town for its amazing acoustics. The festival went out with a bang, as most of the visiting acts gathered on stage for an unforgettable session.

With so many acts appearing, the concert would not be a quick affair, and some were wise to bring a cushion to make the evening a more comfortable experience. Others, like myself, were left with a sore behind, but I reckon it was probably worth it.

The concert was compered by teacher, singer and musician Bob Sharp, who also led the performers at the festival club, fiddlers rally and other events. Festival chairman Johnny Mowat said a few words to the audience, who were still in fine fettle, following a mad weekend of wine and song.

“It’s good to see a full house here tonight. It seems that we have practically sold out all of the concerts that are being held this year, apart from the Singers’ Showcase for which there were tickets left,” he said. “Thanks to all the sponsors that supported the festival, from Orkney Island’s Council, right down to the patrons who bought tickets early. Thanks also to all the volunteers, and the ticket office staff – ticket sales have exceeded last year’s, and also to the raffle people.”

The concert kicked off with Breabach from Glasgow. Having also appeared at the Scottish Traditional Music Awards in Edinburgh last year, I had seen them before, and thoroughly enjoyed their set, particularly as one of the members, a young piper, launched into an Irish Dance which got the audience clapping.

They were followed by Roarin’ Forties, who sang four songs acappella (unaccompanied), based on the sea. Then came Sphagnum Moss from Fort William. I had seen this trio at a hilarious gig at the Festival Club on Saturday morning. The word was that none of them had been to bed the night before, and bolshy guitarist Sandra MacBeath, full of Dutch courage, gave audience members a row as they left to answer the call of nature, shouting: “That’s so rude! I’m singing a song and you’re leaving!”

As they came off stage, one poor unsuspecting man got a rude awakening having nodded off during the set. He received a hard slap in the face from Sandra, but only roused slightly before continuing to sleep. Sandra is a beautiful singer, but her co-musicians, Ally MacKenzie and Colin Melville, still managed to shine past this girl’s big personality.

At the farewell concert, she was quieter, but they played an excellent set. They were followed by two of the scene’s biggest names, Phil Cunningham and Duncan Chisholm. This was a surprising combination for some, as Phil is known usually to appear with Aly Bain. Aly couldn’t make it this year, but the new duo put on a great show.

They were joined on stage by Kris Drever, from Fine Friday, on guitar. It was an interesting trio, as Duncan is used to playing with Kris’s dad, Ivan. What followed were mini renditions of the theme song from Indiana Jones, and some Beatles tunes – all part of the banter.

After this set of tunes, Phil was presented with “the order of the boot” by Billy Jolly. The tongue-in-cheek award was a modest trainer on a shiny wooden platter – a bit of a dig from Aly, who according to Billy had “had his Phil”.

The floor was bouncing, and everyone was singing their hearts out.

“We’ve had a really good time. We got sent to Sanday on Friday night and I have nearly recovered. I’m a bit sad that this is the last gig. We’ll just stay here and keep playing gigs,” he joked. Flautist Nuala Kennedy added: “It’s been a real treat for us to come up to Kris’s homeland. It’s nice to be up here and play with some of the local musicians.”

The last band of the set, Daimh, were as special as those before. The banjo player donned a nun’s outfit, which amused the audience. Everyone clapped along to their set before having a small break. After the break, Beneche, from Glasgow, opened, and their set included ‘Shiver Me Timbers’ by Tom Waits, and some lively jigs and reels.

Then came the McCalmans, who never fail to please, and with space for only two songs, they still hit the spot. ‘The Women of Dundee’ was their first song, and the impeccable harmonies and mimicking of the sounds of a Dundee factory through percussion were a real treat. They finished with ‘Wrecked Again’, which got the audience singing along.

Next came Katari, from Bolivia, marching on to the stage in colourful ponchos playing drums and pan-pipes. They were great to watch, providing a total contrast to anything else that was played over the festival. Regis Lechatellier is a Breton accordion player now living in Scotland, and he was also great to watch. He is a beautiful player, and performed compelling tunes which added an extra spice to the programme.

Tarneybackle, from Perthshire, were next up, and played a set including ‘Come by the Hills’, and audience members joined in enthusiastically. Then came the last act of the night, Craobh Rua, all the way from Ireland, and they were superb. Young Orkney fiddler Jeana Leslie had requested that singer/guitarist Jim Rainey perform the song ‘The Shore ‘neath the Tide’, and so he did, with real elegance. Again the crowd joined in, and it was a special moment.

Then all of those musicians who hadn’t been shipped over to Stromness Academy for the other Farewell Concert got back on the stage, and did an unrehearsed, lively version of ‘The Wild Mountain Thyme’. The floor was bouncing, and everyone was singing their hearts out.

It was a perfect night, and the end of a perfect festival.

© Leah Seator, 2005

AS THE younger daughter of the Festival Director, Johnny Mowat, I have been lucky enough to gain an inside view of the festival over many years. This time, however, after months of nagging, I was finally allowed to help out on a more formal basis. This gave me a unique opportunity to experience a different side of the festival and understand what makes it, in Johnny’s words, one of the “leading folk festivals in Scotland”.

The opening concert at Stromness Academy got things underway on Thursday evening, with a host of acts, both local and visiting. The line up had to change slightly from the programme after a few problems cropped up. The three-piece Hardie, Campbell & Jones had become a two-piece on Monday, but by Wednesday it was a solo act! The committee were therefore forced to move fast, but thankfully the visiting act Lyra Celtica were happy to fill the spot.

Once the concert was in progress all acts proved to be a hit, with the final band, Session A9, going down a storm. This group became a highlight of the weekend, with an almost dream line-up of musicians: Charlie McKerron (from Capercaille) was joined on fiddle by another three outstanding fiddlers, Gordon Gunn, Kevin Henderson (standing in for Duncan Chisholm on this occasion) and Adam Sutherland. Local boy, Kris Drever, and Brian McAlpine provided excellent backing on the guitar and keyboard. This group played a mixture of tunes slow and fast, with some brilliant songwriting to boot.

Friday morning arrived all to soon for some, but it was fair to say the festival was most definitely in full swing. The morning’s events centred around the school workshops. These were held in the Stromness Community Centre, with bohran, whistle, singing, fiddle and even step-dance all playing a part. The commitment which the festival has given to the youth programme throughout the years must be praised. Without the encouragement the festival provides, younger talent might not be given the opportunity to flourish.

Friday evening saw a wide variety of events taking place all over the island, from concerts and ceilidhs to stomps. One of the unique aspects of the festival is the organisers’ desire to take artists to the people, rather than forcing local people to make long journeys into the towns. Unfortunately I was unable to leave Stromness itself: there seemed no time to eat, never mind attend a full length concert! Yet reports from the artists and the public claimed they all went well. There were even a few surprises, like the group Calasaig returning after the Finstown concert on a motorbike, sidecar and trailer.

Friday night also saw a new kind of crowd at the Kirkwall nightclub, Fusion. Here the band Shooglenifty wowed folk with their fantastic take on traditional music. All reports concluded that the night was fantastic, with many a foot stomping, a few drams and even some barefoot dancing!

North Cregg

There were many events in Stromness also that evening. The Irish Showcase was a perfect start to the night. The trio,Fleming, Kelly and DeMarco opened the concert with an impressive display of talent. Diarmaid Fleming had been well-known in the Orkney folk scene when he used to live here. On his return, he brought with him the outstanding banjo player, Brian Kelly, and the fiddler Tony DeMarco from New York, who became the only non-Irishman on stage! It is hard to believe that Tony and Brian had only just met, never mind not played together before. They produced a number of tunes which were both beautiful and enthralling.

They were followed by guitarist and singer Tommy O’Sullivan, accompanied by the fiddler Chris Stout, who was also playing in the Finlay McDonald Band. Tommy’s beautiful voice carried you away from the hustle and bustle of the festival, with Chris demonstrating why he’s one of the most respected young fiddlers in Scotland. The show was completed by North Cregg. With their wide assortment of instruments they produced some fast moving tunes that got everybody in the mood for dancing. Needless to say their CD sold out before I even got to the front of the queue.

“It was a slightly strange sight with over two hundred arms raised, bums out and feet stomping. Even the sound crew were giving it a go.”

A highlight of the afternoon, however, was an impromptu appearance by the Zamble African Song and Dance Company. With drums, percussion and some fancy footwork, this group were a delightful sight to see in the street. It gave an excellent taster of what was to come at their Ivory Coast Concert later that night in Stromness Academy.

Each year the festival tries to invite an international group – previous years had seen acts from Cuba, Chile, New Zealand and Africa. The Zamble African Dance Company seemed to be another hit. An often difficult task in Orkney was overcome when Gaspard Zamble managed to get the crowd singing and dancing with the group. It was a slightly strange sight with over two hundred arms raised, bums out and feet stomping. Even the sound crew were giving it a go. The only downside to the concert was that it had to end, lets hope another exciting act is booked for next year’s festival.

Afterwards my ears led me onwards to the Stromness Academy Dining Room, where the Finlay McDonald Band were getting in full swing for the Stomp. Finlay provided the ladies with something more than just a pretty face – dazzling the crowds with his pipes and whistle. The backing from Quee MacArthur (bass), Kevin MacKenzie (guitar) and Fergus MacKenzie (drums) was outstanding. Once again Chris Stout showed off his fiddling talents, adding that they needed space to “rock this place”! Which they succeeded in doing. If it hadn’t been for the steady supply of gin and tonics, I would never have survived the endless dancing.

“Maybe it’s time more of those who enjoy the festival weekend became involved in organising it and helped to make next year’s the BEST folk festival in Scotland.”

A sobering note was struck, however, at the beginning of the show. Once again Johnny Mowat thanked the numerous organisations whose funding is essential to the survival of the festival, including McEwens, who funded the informal sessions. Praise was also given to the committee members and helpers whose involvement in it is crucial. But Johnny pointed out that some things needed to change if there was to be another festival. He stressed that more local people need to give back to the festival, either through volunteering over the weekend or by becoming committee members.

Twenty-two years of commitment to the Festival is surely taking its toll. When asked if he’d enjoyed it this year, Johnny sadly commented that he rarely gets the opportunity to see a band long enough to really take pleasure in their music. Maybe it’s time more of those who enjoy the festival weekend became involved in organising it and helped to make next year’s the BEST folk festival in Scotland . After all, and after a few days to recover, I know I’ll be part of it again next year! (Now where’s that banjo, those dark glasses…)

© Linsay Mowat, 2004