MEDIA RELEASE
Thursday 5 February
Scottish stars to play in the Park
Some of the biggest names in Scottish music including Julie Fowlis and Capercaillie are to perform at a unique event in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park this summer. The concerts are part of the Scottish Festival and Highland Games at The Gathering 2009 which takes place on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July.
Leading band Capercaillie will be playing on Sunday, the second day of the festival in the park. Capercaillie have sold over a million albums, and performed in more than 30 countries. Vocalist and co-founder Karen Matheson is considered to be one of the finest Gaelic singers in the world and has been described by Sir Sean Connery as having "a throat that is surely touched by God". Capercaillie wrote the music for, and appeared in, the Hollywood movie "Rob Roy".
Co-founder and band member Donald Shaw said: “Scotland has such a rich musical heritage, so it is fitting that music plays a major role in The Gathering 2009. The centuries-old songs and instruments have had such an influence around the world having travelled with the generations of Scots who have left this country. This is a great opportunity to show those coming home how those traditional sounds have evolved over the years and also introduce a new audience to contemporary Scottish music.”
Appearing on Saturday is one of the hottest young talents on the Celtic music scene, is Julie Fowlis. In just a few years, she has gathered a large following which includes several celebrities, and KT Tunstall has described her voice as "formidable and amazingly rhythmic". Julie remains true to her Hebridean roots, taking centuries-old Gaelic songs to a new audience across the world. Named BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year 2008, Julie is the only artist to have been twice voted Gaelic Singer of the Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards.
Speaking about her upcoming performance in Edinburgh, Julie Fowlis said: "I am delighted that 2009 will be another busy year for us, with concerts and tours planned in Canada, the USA, Ireland, England, Germany, Norway, France and Spain to name but some. One special highlight for me this year though, will be performing at The Gathering 2009, for the Year of Homecoming. It was an honour to be invited - and we look forward to playing our part at this historic and contemporary festival."
The Battlefield Band are appearing on both days of the event which is part of the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations. The band have been at the forefront of the Scottish music revival for 30 years, bringing the rich heritage of Celtic music into today’s cultural scene, mixing old songs and music with their own repertoire, all played on a fusion of ancient and modern instruments. The band of Alan Reid, Mike Katz, Sean O'Donnell, Alasdair White perform all over the world and this is as much a homecoming for them as it is for many of the visitors to The Gathering 2009.
Founder member Alan Reid said: “The great thing about playing at The Gathering 2009 is that two of the guys live minutes away from Holyrood Park. We don't play in Scotland as much as we would like - China, India, Egypt, Syria, Kuala Lumpar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan all over Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North America and on and on - it's a bit of a buzz for the two lads who live just down the road from Holyrood Park to be able to walk to the gig and then go home for their teas - and then sleep in their own bed. Now that really is something different - I hope they don't get used to it!”
The Red Hot Chilli Pipers will also be adding spice to both days of The Gathering 2009. Described as “the new jock and roll”, the winners of BBC One’s primetime show ‘When Will I be Famous’ have been putting their modern spin on piping since 2004, stunning audiences from New York to Bejing with their passion and quality musicianship. Their unique style earned them the title of ‘Live Act of the Year 2007’ at the Scots Trad Music Awards.
The band’s Stuart Cassells said: “We could not be more honoured or delighted to be asked to be involved in The Gathering 2009. It’s the biggest celebration Scotland has ever seen and we just can’t wait to play our part in it. We intend to have the park rocking on 25th and 26th July. This is going to be the mother of all parties!”
Jenny Gilmour, Co-director of The Gathering 2009 said: “The Scottish music scene is so incredibly vibrant and varied, and we are delighted to be joined by some of the biggest artists in the business. Whatever your age or your musical taste, we are sure the audience will be entertained by the calibre of musicians playing over the weekend.”
Other Scottish artists will be added to the music programme of The Gathering 2009, which celebrates the culture and history of Scotland.
Tickets priced at £15 for adults and £10 for concessions are available from www.thegathering2009.com or by phoning 0131 561 1323. Discounted family tickets are also available while entry for children aged three and under is free of charge.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
Photographs of the artists are available from:
Capercaillie: Please contact Jane Skinner on 0141 352 6670
Julie Fowlis: Please contact Will at will@willmccarthy.com or 01647 433 859
Battlefield Band: download from http://www.battlefieldband.co.uk/presskit.htm
Red Hot Chilli Pipers: download from http://www.redhotchillipipers.co.uk/spanMediaPRspan/tabid/59/Default.aspx
The Gathering 2009 is a celebration of the contribution made by the clans to the culture and history of Scotland taking place in Edinburgh on 25 and 26 July. The event comprises two days of a Scottish festival and Highland Games in Holyrood Park, and a Clan Parade of thousands of people along the Royal Mile ahead of an Historic Pageant on Edinburgh Castle Esplanade on the evening of Saturday 25 July. This signature event of Homecoming Scotland 2009 has already attracted members of 140 clans from across the world, making this one of the greatest ever international clan gatherings.
Homecoming Scotland 2009
1. Homecoming Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government and is managed by EventScotland the national events agency in partnership with VisitScotland, the country’s national tourism agency.
2. Homecoming Scotland 2009 aims to engage Scots at home as well as motivate people of Scottish descent and those who simply love Scotland, to take part in an inspirational celebration of our culture, heritage and some of the many great contributions Scotland has given to the world.
3.2009 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns, with the programme's design guided by Scotland's unique position as the home of Burns himself, Golf, Whisky, Great Minds and Innovations, and Scotland’s culture and heritage which lives on at home and through Scotland’s global family.
4.The budget for Homecoming is £5 million and the target is for an 8 to 1 return on investment i.e. £40 million revenue additionality.
5..For more information on Homecoming Scotland please visit: www.homecomingscotland2009.com
For further information, please contact
Iona Scott, Media/PR Manager of The Gathering 2009 on
0131 561 1328 or 07764 250268, or iona@thegathering2009.com