all invited to join knockengorroch's the hairth!!!
PAST RELEASES The Hairth 2007 World Ceilidh 2007
|
Drive some miles up a windy road, along a bumpy farm track, over a wooden bridge and follow the river until you come to Knockengorroch, and The Hairth Festival. The three day camping event takes place from 14-16 September and will feature an array of roots music, prioritising music of the people, from all genres. A bill topper this year is innovative hip hop legends the Herbaliser, with a full twelve piece band. This urban conscious sound is balanced up by the traditional Irish band Altan, triumphant in their poignant and energetic reels and ballads. The Bo-Airigh stage will also ring out to roots music from further a-field including the Dhoad Gypsies from Rajastan and Baka Beyond, whose music was born from central African peoples, the pygmy Baka tribe. The stage is named after 'Bo' - the cattle that were sacred to the people who used to populate the area, and Knockengorroch’s own highland cows will be found hanging out on the hillside just over the fence from the tents, looking on at all the activity. With music comes dance - the showcase: ‘Dance Trail’, with dance from around the world, and workshops all weekend. Early birds can also try yoga and tai chi which take place in the Tallyn workshop marquee. Tallyn means 'pool of inspiration', which Knockengorroch aims to provide. Festival Director Liz Holmes said ’There’s lots to do at the festival, in fact it’ll be hard to get it all in! As well as music and dance, visitors can browse some of the food stalls, a raspberry cranachan porridge perhaps? or pick up a hand carved didgeridoo at one of the stalls. Camping is provided in the ticket price so with a bedroom just across the field there’s plenty of time to shop!’ The Shieling was a place where shepherds would shelter, and the so-named Sheiling Dance tent goes until late, featuring live performances during the day and live dance sets and DJs until late. Foreign Beggars, featuring the famous beat boxer Shlomo, who appears on Bjork’s latest album, will play the Sheiling out on Friday night. Liz Holmes added ‘For people who like to play music as well as watch it, the festival’s Fraoch Cabaret Stage offers a renegade open mic during the day for undiscovered talent. More music can also be made in the Celtic longhouse. This is a re-creation of a dwelling from when people lived in the valley in the past. It has a turf roof, and dry stone dyke type walls with mud filling. There’s a fire down one end and its warm and cosy inside. The acoustic sessions tent sits adjacent to it, and the Wierdigans cafe in-between. This is the earthy, rustic side of the festival’ Site Director Simon Holmes continued ‘The Hairth is Scots for ‘hearth’ and this is a family festival where we invite all to Knockengorroch’s hearth. Coming at the end of the summer festivals season, we’d like young and old to join us in dancing the summer out in style’ Following on from the popularity of Knockengorroch’s last festival in May, the World Ceilidh, The Hairth is likely to sell out. Visitors are advised to book their tickets early. Family and advance price tickets are available. Tickets are available now on the Knockengorroch website, Ticket Scotland, Ticketweb and the Booth. Details of various local ticket outlets in Galloway will also be announced on the Knockengorroch website. Editor’s notes:
|