Celtic Sounds At The Royal Highland Show

There's a distinct Celtic flavour to this month's Royal Highland Show with the musical programme featuring a Welsh male voice choir, an Irish dance group and Scottish ceilidh, folk, pipes and drums.
The show - main sponsor The Royal Bank of Scotland - takes place at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, from Thursday June 19 to Sunday June 22.

The organisers have also broadened the musical scope with appearances by Macumba, a fusion of the sounds of Brazilian samba and Scottish bagpipes, and the Academia de Salsa, who will be bringing the art and passion of the fastest growing dance style in the country.
Wales, the Land of Song, has produced many fine choirs over the years but few have reached the standard of Cor Godr'er Aran from Bala in North Wales. Formed in 1949, they have won the National Eisteddfod of Wales and the Llangollen International Eisteddfod on numerous occasions.
Over the years they have toured the USA, Canada, Brazil, Patagonia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia but this will be only their second visit to Scotland. They will perform on the Saturday and Sunday of the show.
Also appearing then are the McLaughlin Irish Dancers who will be giving visitors a flavour of the speed and style of "Riverdance" which launched Irish traditional dancing to a worldwide audience.

Lovers of the Robbie Shepherd radio show "Take The Floor" will be familiar with the Colin Dewar Ceilidh Band who will be performing jigs, reels and strathspeys on all four days.

Folk group North Sea Gas, former winners of the Scottish Music Industry Gold and Silver Disc Awards, will be making their debut at the Highland with a blend of Scottish and Irish music and song. They appear on Thursday and Friday.

For pipes and drums, listen out on Thursday for the boys and girls from the Queen Victoria School at Dunblane and on Thursday and Friday, the Scots Guards Association under the leadership of Pipe Major Jimmy Banks.

Other groups appearing at various times during the show include West End Jazz, North Ayrshire Schools, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders ACF Band and the Central Band of the Royal British Legion Scotland.

Show website: www.royalhighlandshow.org

June 9, 2008