Kirriemuir music festival hailed a success

John Dixon, Tarves and George Davidson in the winning way.

MUSIC lovers gathered in Kirriemuir over the weekend for the annual Festival of Music and Song. The three-day event, which is in its 29th year, saw a variety of groups and musicians perform, including Crieff-based singer and storyteller Margaret Bennett, traditional Scots singer Jock Duncan and Angus Folk and the Forfar Instrumental Band.

The event also saw musicians from throughout Scotland compete in a number of competitions.

Festival spokeswoman Helen Gardiner said: “It was a tremendous festival with a lot of people attending the various events. We were also very pleased with the competition results.

“There were lots of different things on at the same time so there was a lot for people to do.

“The Chorus Cup, which isn’t the best singer or the best song but the one that everyone gets involved in, proved very popular with visitors.

“We also had a band playing in the square on Saturday afternoon, which was super as you could hear music around the town.

“There were a lot of things on this weekend with the countryside fair at Glamis and the Dundee Flower and Food Festival but we still managed to attract a lot of people to the event, which was very pleasing.”

RESULTS:

Men’s singing – John Dickson, Tarves. Women’s singing – Sarah Simpson, Aberdeen. Bothy ballad singing – John Dickson, Tarves.

Novice singing – Sarah Simpson, Aberdeen.Local singing – Edith Garrow, Arbroath. Open accordion – Keith Rennie, Brechin. Junior accordion – Alex Stewart, Stanley. Open fiddle – Anne Nichol, North Hatton of Aboyne. Junior fiddle – George Davidson, Ellon. Pairs instrumental – Heather and Eilidh Anderson, Tarland. Melodion – Ian Russell, Aberdeen. Concertina – Belinda MacLaren, Lennoxtown. Mouth organ – Murray Douglas, Kemnay. Tin whistle – Manuel Balaguer, Cortes, Alyth. Jew’s harp – Manuel Balaguer, Cortes, Alyth. Diddling – Ian Russell, Aberdeen. Oral whistling – Pat Newman, Cortachy. Senior story telling – Pat Newman, Cortachy. Doric verse (eight to 11 years) – Charisse Hawson, Dundee. Doric verse (11 to 16 years) – Kendra Coutts, Brechin. Senior Doric verse – Gary Stewart, Keith. Chorus cup – Joyce Cunningham, Castle Douglas, and Graham White, Aberdeen. Overall winner – John Dickson, Tarves.

Published: 06/09/2010 Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1904223#ixzz0ylsopNOV