News Archive
24/3/2006
During a unique music day, over 70 young musicians from Highland primary and secondary schools gathered together to play en-mass in celebration of the Cello. Beginners, intermediate and advanced players from Thurso, Wick, Skye, Fort William, Ullapool, Tain, Fortrose and The Black Isle, Dingwall, Dornoch, Drumnadrochit and Inverness met up form the first time at Ness Bank Church Hall in Inverness.
Caithness bands look as if they are taking the web by storm as another local band Crimson Tide ratchet up a gear with their own marketing via their new look web site Crimson Tide Following hard on the heels of Estrella who launched a few days ago the local "Battle of the Bands" In Caithness is now heading ever upwards. The line up of talent in Caithness bands has always been strong and currently their is a huge range of musical ability and variety around.
23/3/2006
Following three highly successful previous tours in Caithness community venues, Wick born accordionist, pianist and composer James Ross is back with more live music for Wick and Thurso audiences. As part of the charitable scheme, founded by the late Yehudi Menuhin in 1977, James will present eleven performances between Monday 27 and Friday 31 March.
Just a few of the pupils who recently sat their ballet exams in Thurso.
It is the way of musical talent across the globe that most people who are successful need to move on to find success. The guys in Estrella whose roots are deep in Caithness have moved with success pulling them away.
14/3/2006
The Royal Scottish Acadamy Of Music and Drama (RSAMD) have announed they are to pilot new exams for fiddle, accordion and Scottish harp to take place on 20 September 2006. The exams will be in Grades 1 through 5, to be run on the same day in four Scottish cities.
Well Folkies, the monthly concert is once more nearly upon us! Jim Hunter & Jim Michie will be appearing at The Pentland Hotel, 17th of March.... Anyone who was there the last time the two Jims visited 2 years ago will tell you what a fine night of entertainment was served up, and I'm sure it'll be more of the same on the 17th.
On Sunday the 9th of April 2006, Skinandi's in Thurso will be host to six of the best bands in Caithness. New music promotions company, Rot'nRoll are staging a Benefit Concert to aid the quality of life for a quality family living with cancer.
Lewis novelist and poet Kevin MacNeil, internationally acclaimed for his writing, has joined forces with the local professional theatre company theatreHEBRIDES to produce an original new play, The Callanish Stoned. "I had a great deal of fun writing The Callanish Stoned," said Kevin MacNeil, whose recent novel The Stornoway Way was hailed as a classic of contemporary Scottish literature.
Thursday 16th March at 7.30pm in Mackay's Hotel, Wick Just which uncharted waters is the Pictish naval commander steering his vessel into now? Well, seeing is believing - isn't it? In his autobiography, Time Bends, playwright Arthur Miller describes the vivid impression left on his six year-old mind when he saw his first 'movie', an open-air affair screened against a sheet in a make-shift theatre on the roof of the apartment block his Jewish family shared in Harlem, New York, around 1920. Miller is fascinated by the story flickering in front of him - and totally bewildered when the 'people' disappear: Now the light went out - the whole thing had lasted only ten minutes or so - and I asked my father where these people were'.
MUSIC - LINK - MEDIA FREE ARE YOU INTERESTED IN MUSIC & MEDIA? DO YOU WANT SOMEWHERE TO HANG OUT? Manage a band Make a CD PA Rigging Join A band Design a CD Cover Design Posters Sound Engineering Write your own songs If you are in S3 onwards come along any time between 6pm & 10pm on a Thursday night Beginning Thurdsay 9th March 2006 Wick Youth Club Lower Dunbar Street, Wick Also Liquid Blue playing live! .
Your are invited to come to� "Teaching Artists' Day" This event is free to attend! Wednesday 22nd March 2006 At: La Tortilla Asesina, Castle St,Inverness Time: 11.00am to 3.00pm - Coffees, Tapas Lunch and Refreshments provided. As a celebration of the end of Artsplay Phase 2, I would like to ask artists, musicians, drama workers and dancers who teach, workshop and are active in the community to come along to the day to discuss various issues that have arisen during the course of ArtsPlay and are relevant to everyone working in the community.
5/3/2006
A unique collaboration in poetry & music between two sons of Caithness Gordon Gunn & George Gunn with Brian MacAlpine on keyboard will perform this new work - a 'love poem for the planet' - for the first time. Also John Aberdein reads from 'Amande's Bed' - 2005 Saltire Society/Royal Mail Scottish First Book of the Year Award 'It refuses fake heroism.
28/2/2006
Finding funding for a film is difficult unless you have practical experience. It's even harder to get practical experience without any funding! Enter Grass Roots Media, film's answer to the Arctic Monkeys, a new production company dedicated to showcasing and promoting young talent from the ground up.
Update on Brodie McHaggis. He is quickly capturing the hearts and minds of those who have followed him through his first adventure and they are asking when they can read his next adventure.
A great new opportunity for young people to take part in music and film workshops over the next two years will soon be available in a new project Music Link Media. This well funded project will have five part time staff led by Douglas Cowie a well known local musician.
The ensemble Configure8 are well known for their concerts allover the UK. The talented group consists of 8 musicians and five of them (Strings) will be appearing in Thurso at the High School as part of the Thurso Live Music Association season of music.
A completely unique, never-to-be-repeated event: ten inspiring directors, ten surprising locations, ten brand new pieces of simultaneous site-responsive theatre created across the country to mark the launch of the National Theatre of Scotland. In Aberdeen, Caithness, Dumfries, Dundee, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness Shetland and Stornoway With 10 directors - Graham Eatough, Scott Graham, Stewart Laing, Matthew Lenton, Kenny Miller, Anthony Neilson, Alison Peebles, Gill Robertson, John Tiffany and Wils Wilson.
24th February, LYRA CELTICA. (Now a four piece band) PENTLAND HOTEL, THURSO.
15/2/2006
This week is now confirmed as an opportunity for local arts organisations and individuals to showcase their talent and ideas. If you would like to organise an event as part of this new annual Arts Festival in Caithness get in touch with Christine Russell at Caithness Arts.