Saturday 18 June 2011

St Magnus Festival afloat!

Chas MacKenzie and Ruaridh Campbell spent Thursday evening aboard Northlink's MV Hjaltland playing as people arrived in Orkney on the ferry from Aberdeen, the evening before the festival got fully underway. On Friday, I accompanied Pure Brass UK as they played a varied programme between Stromness and Scrabster, on a beautiful day.

The Pure Brass quintet, ready to board MV Hamnavoe in StromnessFrom left: Gordon Seith, trombone; Fraser Russell, tuba; Mandy Murphy, trumpet; Tom Poulson, trumpet; Samantha McShane, french horn. Ready to board MV Hamnavoe in Stromness at the beginning of the excursion

Pure Brass entertaining passengers in the bar on MV HamnavoeAs well as playing in the bar, the brave quintet also performed on the sun deck as the ferry passed St John's Head and the Old Man of Hoy.

Tuba on the sundeck of MV HamnavoeI was not the only one to make a (short) day trip excursion with Pure Brass: Orkney resident Sylvia Mowat (pictured below, right) who used to play tenor horn with Brechin City Band, and Kirkwall Town Band, and her brother Vic Clark (visiting Sylvia from south, and who also played tenor horn with Brechin City) also came along for the ride, and to hear the music!


I took these few pictures with my phone , there are lot's more on the ensemble's official digital camera, which has now gone with them to Westray, for their Festival on Tour concert tonight at Noltland Castle. I hope I'll be able to display some of those pictures, along with some audio and video, here on the blog - but this may not happen until next week! Pure Brass will be resident throughout the festival, in collaboration with Enterprise Music Scotland.

Every year, the festival throws up at least one totally unexpected pleasure: I will remember for a very long time Friday's performance of a brass arrangement of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies' famous Farewell to Stromness, as the ferry left Stromness pier in bright sunshine. Just as we passed the Ness Battery, the piece came to an end. Beautiful.

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