A traditional music festival will again draw a host of popular performers to the Howe of Fife.
FifeSing 2011 will be staged for the ninth year at Fife Animal Park over the long weekend beginning Friday, May 13.
The venue at Collessie will welcome some of Scotland’s finest exponents of traditional song for three days of old songs and bothy ballads in concerts, sing-arounds, workshops and talks.
Described by organisers as a celebration of traditional singing for singers and enthusiasts, the festival starts with a concert on the Friday evening involving most of the guest artists.
Performing for the first time at FifeSing will be Irish traditional singer Len Graham from Newry and Emily Portman, a singer, writer and concertina player from Glastonbury.
Traditional singer Elizabeth Stewart from Mintlaw will be bringing songs from her family, the Fetterangus Stewarts.
Pitlochry singer Jock Duncan and Danny Couper from Aberdeen are on the bill and also bringing bothy ballads from the north-east will be John Valentine of Cove Bay.
An artist from closer to home performing is Duncan MacRae of Coaltown of Balgonie.
FifeSing organiser Peter Shepheard is pleased to have finally persuaded Brian Dawson from Lincoln to be a guest singer and honoured that noted scholar of oral culture, mythology and traditional balladry Dr Emily Lyle has agreed to be guest speaker.
Mr Shepheard said, “We are looking forward to another great weekend of songs and ballads. Bookings are coming in from far and wide.
“We are also launching the FifeSing CD, with many great songs recorded during the 2010 festival.”
He is also hoping that the festival will bring a few surprises.
“Many of the weekend events are quite informal and there is always a opportunity for anyone to give an old song, an unusual song, perhaps a local bothy ballad or an old ballad that has survived in their family tradition,” Mr Shepheard said.
“There is always a welcome given to songs and singers that we have not heard before.”
Image used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user Van Pelt.