MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards: Girvan Traditional Folk Festival

Congratulations to Girvan Traditional Folk Festival who have been nominated in Event of the Year sponsored by VisitScotland in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2014. Vote now!

We asked Graham Charlton of Girvan Traditional Folk Festival the following questions.

Tell us about yourself

The festival dates back to 40 continuous years from when bobby robb and friends founded the festival in girvan. Bobby also started the Girvan folk club and each organisation continues today. Over those many years and to the present time, the festival has maintained the promotion of new talent alongside established artists. While the main stages are at the heart of the festival there continues a thriving and significant session scene across the town alongside workshops, children’s entertainment and competitions. Many a well-known singer or group today were part of the Girvan experience. The Girvan festival was at the heart of the folk revival in Scotland, a time when traditional music and song was re-establishing a genuine place in Scottish culture. A voluntary committee manage the festival as a non-profit organisation maintaining strong local links in the Girvan community. The festival is recognised as providing a major economic boost to the area drawing repeated and new visitors every year.

Why are you involved in Scottish music?

We organise a traditional music festival because we love the music and wish for others to enjoy it as well – a kind of circular process of feedback and continuous development. We try to respond to feedback and people keep on coming. The Girvan traditional folk festival remains at the heart of Scottish culture, an annual celebration of music and song which promotes the development of young talent while nurturing established performers. After 40 years, we continue to develop new ideas and strive to involve the community in the festival.

Any particular career highlights?
2014 marked the 40th Anniversary of the Girvan Folk Festival and included the return of Altan to the Girvan stage – one of their early festival appearances. But then getting to 40 was itself a wonderful journey with highlights every year from established performers to opportunities for emerging musicians and singers. The Festival started in 1974, a time when folk music in Scotland was increasingly exploring its own roots. The music of Ireland had a big influence in the early years of the folk revival in Scotland but by the mid seventies bands like the Boys of the Lough, Ossian and Battlefield Band were ready to take Scottish folk music to an international audience. Girvan’s geographic position helped it become a meeting point for musicians. Many artists from Ireland made their debut Scottish appearance at Girvan among them Mary Black, the early incarnations of Altan, Niamh Parsons, Arcady, Deanta and Dervish. Girvan had particularly strong links with folk musicians in Glasgow and the West of Scotland through groups like Kentigern, Setanta and the early line ups of The Battlefield Band. The World Premier of The Singing Kettle as a stage show was at Girvan.

What are your plans for the future?
To mark Girvan’s 40th anniversary we presented an exhibition at The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall during the Celtic Connections festival in January 2014, an exhibition which remains there at November 2014. The core of the photographic exhibition catches many people at an interesting stage of their musical journeys. They had been around long enough to have established their identity but with long roads ahead of them. For many people this period is seen as a golden age. It was a time of creativity in all areas of music but was a particularly key period for folk music in Scotland. This exhibition is on ongoing project and has been, and will be, be displayed at various festivals. An archive CD and souvenir programme were also produced to mark Girvan’s 40 years featuring many of the guests who graced Girvan’s stage over those years. For the future, the festival will continue to encourage new talent while showcasing established artistes, maintain a variety of traditions such as children’s entertainment, school and community outreach along with a thriving session scene. Responding to feedback remains a priority and this is developing through the festival website and community contact. We expect festival number 41 to be up there with numbers 40, 39, 38,……….. 3, 2, 1……

Buy a ticket for the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 13th December in Inverness Leisure, start time 7pm. You’ll have a great time!