FESTIVAL PREVIEW
FESTIVAL MU
SONG AND DANCE
Norman Chalmers introduces Folk music on the Festival.
The image of a folk musician has migrated from the finger-in-the-ear revivalist to urban singer/songwriter and beyond. The term ‘roots music‘ is used currently to describe anything with a folk content. from any culture and allows all sorts of music not in a tradition. So here‘s a look at the Festival from a rootsy point of view.
From the 7th to 29th there are formal concerts and informal sessions every night in the Acoustic Music Centre. the performers including many of the best musicians/singcrs/entertaine rs from Scotland and the Centre expanding its activities this year to include an Irish production of Playboy ofthe Western World and various comedy/revues. The full list ofperformances is in the Fringe Programme or from the Acoustic Music Centre. Chambers Street Student Union. 16Chambers Street.
The major concerts of the Festival are in the Queen‘s Hall or the Assembly Rooms and line up quite a collection ofsongwriting guitarists. Voted Britain‘s No 1 folk artist. Richard Thompson has four solo shows at the Assembly Rooms as has Texas Campfire Tapes Michelle Shocked. Scotland‘s red troubadour Dick Gaughan and black American soul/blues man Ted Hawkins have a concert apiece at the Queen‘s Hall.
Scotland‘s Ossian are in concert with harp. pipes. fiddle and song at St Johns. West End. and the Easy Club‘s swing folk is waiting at Platform 1.Rut|and Street. From Bulgaria comes the startlingly beautiful vocal harmony and instrumental virtuosity of Balkana. South America is represented by Rumillajta. St Johns Church. West End; and Paja Brava who play in the afternoon for the duration of the festival at the Festival Club, Chambers Street.
The Venue. Calton Road, is the heavier end of rootsy rock. with an Afro/Caribbean week including Sambatucada. Brazilian dance music; Somo Somo‘s music from Zaire and Orchestre Jazira‘s highlife. The same venue promotes Not A Folk Week. affronting it with the Blubbery Hellbellies. the fattest band around; Deaf Heights brand ofcajun rock; Mike Heron‘s new band; We Free Kings‘ primitive high energy skiffle/folk and more'from Rumillatja.
SIG
HARP Moqu‘Au
Composer Ronald Stevenson taught his young daughter by-what else- encouraging herto make up pieces at the keyboard. and a book of these early compositions is soon to be published. Savourna has not stopped making or writing music and at the Assembly Rooms will present Harp Nouveau. based round her compositions for the small harp. ‘I think it's undervalued outside traditional music and hope to surprise people with its potential — electrified and in a jazz/rock sort of band.’ Ateacher and performeron the clarsach or Scottish harp for many years and married to top harpmaker Mark Norris, Savouma is heading south to Bristol shortly on a Scottish Arts Council grant. to study and work in studio with Edward Williams. a leader inthe field of instrument/electronic composition. eagerto expand the possible range of sounds generated by the harp. ‘I love listening to good traditional music. but hardly play it myself now. I much preferto play inthe band.‘ Enjoying it with this exceptional young harpist are Dave Haswell, percussion and Wildcats Neil Hay and Rab Handleigh, bass and keyboards.
FOLK CELLAR
The Acoustic Music Centre is a folk festival within the Fringe. running lorthe duration in the Chambers Street Student Union, with
Canongate Musi?
49 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh Off the High Street, (Royal Mile) Tel: 031 557 3090
SCOTLAND’S FOLK 8t TRADITIONAL SPECIALISTS
SALE NOW ON! RECORDS TAPES INSTRUMENTS BOOKS
Information on all Festival Folk Events
Open Ham—5.30pm Mon—Sat
TICKET OFFERS
FREELOAD
ON THE FESTIVAL
All offers are strictly subject to availability and the individual managements’ decisions are final. You must take the whole magazine with you to claim. Only one ticket oiferavailable for each voucher; first come first served.
Free ticket lorthe Opening Gala — Alan Parker's ANGEL HEART on Sat 8 Aug (8.30pm) at the Playhouse.
41151: UQGJH ll ' ERINIAT ONAL ' M FESTIVAL 8°23 AUG 8‘?
A Free ticket to see Robert Smith's THE
Angel Heart LOVE CHILD on Mon 17 Aug in Filmhouse Cinema 1 at 8.30pm. The Love Child Exchange this voucher at Filmhouse
Box Office: Film Festival runs 8—23 Aug; full programme from Filmhouse. Up to 25 tickets available for each film.
/ .
7‘ A pair of Free tickets to 3 \ Compagnie de Divas M '4 I- I , DONNA GIOVANNI performance on Sat 8 Aug (3.45pm). Show runs until Thurs 13 Aug.
A pair of Free tickets to see CIRCUS 02 on Sat 15 Aug (6.30pm). Show runs until 29 Aug.
A pair of Free tickets to see Chorus Theatre from India in CHAKRAVYUA on Sun 9 Aug (3.45pm). Show runs until 23 Aug.
- \ ASSIE
Exchange this voucher for ONE of the ticket offers at the Assembly Rooms Box Office. See Assembly programme for full details of other performances. Up to 5 pairs available for each show.
A pair of Free tickets to see HuIlTruck's HAPPY JACK on Fri 7 at3.-.5pm in the Assembly Rooms. Exchange this voucher at Assembly Box Office OR on Fri 7 Aug at George Square Theatre TEECHERS (10pm) or BOUNCERS (midnight). Exchange this voucher for one ticket at George Square Box Office (venue 37). Shows run until 29 Aug. Up to fifteen pairs available.
A Free ticket to one of the following shows: HOT L BALTIMORE (7.30pm); STAGE DOOR (7.30pm); COME BACK TO THE FIVE AND DIME, JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN (10pm); UNIVERSITY
(10pm). Shows run on different days 10—29 Aug at Royal Scots Club (venue 57). Exchange this voucher at Royal Scots Club. Up to 5 free tickets available for each show.
The List 7 — 20 August 33