the Land, the Light, the Locals

Hello again from the beautiful Scottish Borders as I extend yet another invitation for you to come and join us as we celebrate Hogmanay in our own traditional style. This will be the 14th annual festival, and this year there will be one or two innovations to our programme that I’m sure you’ll enjoy, without tampering too much with our tried and tested formula. Financial constraints have also led us to make some changes, but we are very pleased to be able to set the price for the full festival ticket at £55 for everyone – incredible value for money!

Pictures from this years events are now available here

The festival begins as always on Thursday 29th December, and I’m delighted to announce that our main guests are the fantastic KARINE POLWART TRIO. Karine is one of the top singer/songwriters on the U.K. and international folk scene today, and as she moved to the area some years ago it’s great that she has agreed to support our local festival. She will be taking the stage at the Auld Cross Keys in DENHOLM, as our main events move back into the village where they started – more on that later.

The next day the focus switches to BONCHESTER BRIDGE for our first traditional music session, where everyone will be given a warm welcome and encouraged to join in or simply soak up the unique atmosphere of a typical Border gathering. Later that evening the ever-popular HAWICK SINGS concert will be held in the town’s Burns Club, where visitors and locals alike are entertained by an amazing wealth and diversity of talent all drawn from Hawick and its surrounding area.

On Saturday the traditional session will be held once more at the Royal Hotel in JEDBURGH, where no doubt Les Sneddon and the irrepressible Wattie Robson will be to the fore. But this is Auld Year’s Night, as we call it in the Borders, so later it’s time for our showcase event, the HOGMANAY CEILIDH. The fabulous JOCK THOMSON BAND will help you see the Auld Year out and the New Year in as we dance through the Bells in DENHOLM VILLAGE HALL.

As always there will be a NEW YEAR’S DAY WALK to help blow away the cobwebs, followed by our traditional HERDS’ SUPPER in ASHKIRK Village Hall, hosted by JOHN NICHOL and HILARY BELL. For those still standing the evening session will be held in the Fox and Hounds, Denholm.

Monday 2nd is our last day, and the farewell session takes place again at the DENHOLM MEET. Our closing event is our survivors’ concert with local favourites REAL TIME performing in the George and Abbotsford Hotel, MELROSE… Phew!!

It promises to be another brilliant festival, so I hope you can join us in our beautiful Scottish Border country and find out for yourselves why we sing about it so much.

Images from previous events are still available

2010-11
2009-10
2008-09
2007-08
2006-07