All
of the HTMFs have been based in or around Dingwall, the county town of Ross-shire.
The National Hotel is the established main venue for the major concerts and
the Festival club.
Musical
Heritage
'In 1980 Dagger Gordon, Iain MacBeath and Iain 'Mac' MacDonald convinced the
successful Dingwall Folk Club to run a traditional music festival in the Ross-shire
capital the following year. It successfully shared venues such as the Lower
Town Hall, Ross County Club, the National and Royal Hotels and Caley Bars
and brought the flavour of our vigorous and varied folk traditions to town.
Our festival entered the Scottish folk calendar in 1981 when there were around
twenty six such events. Now in 2002 there are over sixty listed in the TMSA
calendar along with over thirty Feisean! We've kept to our brief of showcasing
the best of Highland traditional talent with a liberal sprinkling of artistes
from other Celtic countries and beyond. The cast list on the covers of this
programme is proof positive of an ever strengthening tradition in which we
are proud to play our part.
Who attends the Festival?
Audiences are composed of various groups. There are passers-by who join in
the afternoon street events, stop for a pint, eg. at the Caley bars and at
the Mallard. There are the casual listeners who throng the bars, where sessions
abound, and there are the 'festival-goers' who pay to attend workshops, concerts
and ceilidhs. The main venue in the National Hotel holds around 250 seated
listeners, (although the audience rarely stays seated for long!!). Naturally
there is also a full programme of sessions, street entertainers and fringe
events.
Festival Hits...
At the planning stage each year funding becomes a bigger and bigger headache.
The greater competition, newer and bigger events, often employing full time
staff, have sprung up to demand and receive considerable public subsidies
from a limited pot. Nevertheless in Dingwall we have continued to blaze the
trail with a record of up-and-coming artistes, first appearances and highlights
which are the envy of many. Gerry O Connor & Manus Lunny, Wolfstone,
Iron Horse, Corrina Hewat, Cathal Hayden, Tommy and
Colum Sands, Dremmwel and Martyn Hayes spring to mind as
do the many young local players who entered a career in traditional music.
Rob
Gibson (HTMF Organiser)