Arran Folk Festival

Adding to the torrent of good music on offer this month, the Arran Folk Festival begins on Friday 6th June at mid-day, with an Open Session, at the Douglas Hotel, Brodick. What could be easier? Off the ferry and into the Douglas. Free admission but you buy your own beer.

That same Friday evening, the opening concert is at 7:30pm in Brodick Hall. It features the Lorne MacDougall Band, followed by Arran’s own Gillian Frame with Findlay Napier and ending with the the Mary Ann Kennedy Trio. Tickets £17.00.

Saturday 7th June sees another Open Session, Douglas Hotel from 12 – 5pm, but Gillian Frame has generously offered to run a workshop called “A Really Big Sing” from 2.00- 3.30pm. This is a fantastic chance to improve your skills in putting a song over. Gillian, a singer and fiddler from Arran, best known for her work with Back of the Moon and then with Findlay Napier and The Bar Room Mountaineers. She helped to found the Hidden Lane Choir – a women’s choir singing everything from contemporary pop to traditional material, so she is a very experienced and likeable tutor. This workshop will be great fun, covering really singable songs for all ability levels. It will be Brodick Church Hall (note change of venue) and costs a mere £5.00.

The concert that evening, at Brodick Hall, 7.30, Tickets £17.00, will feature The Tim Edey Band then Scott MacDonald, ending with the extremely popular Jenn Butterworth and Laura-Beth Salter.

The survivors of all that are welcome to stagger into the Douglas on Sunday 8th June for a final 12 – 5pm session, again free. Those who are still game for it are welcomed to an Open Mic Night at the Douglas, beginning at 8:00pm. No charge for that, either.