Countdown begins to Girvan Traditional Folk Festival

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The countdown has started ahead of the return of the Girvan Traditional Folk Festival.This year’s festival takes place at a variety of venues across Girvan and runs from Friday, May 3 to Sunday, May 5.Christine Kydd and Fiona Ross open the 49th Festival in fine style on Friday, May 3, from 7.30pm at The Catholic Hall, with support from a young musician and singer from South West Scotland currently studying Traditional Music at the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow, Rose Byers.There will also be a fantastic sean-nós step dance performance from Ireland-based Aneta Dortova.

And renowned Ayrshire poet, Rab Wilson, will read from his new Strike diary and poetry collection book ‘Collier Laddie’ at the Westcliffe Hotel on Saturday, May 4 from 1pm.It’s a first hand account of being on strike for almost a year during the national Miners’ Strike.

The Bobby Robb Memorial Concert, with Jim Bainbridge and friends, will be staged at the Catholic Hall on Saturday, May 4 from 3pm.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.A spokesperson for the organisers said: “Our annual celebration of the life of Festival founder will be a showcase of the best in traditional singing.

MC Jim Bainbridge, himself a singer of no little renown, will introduce a host of singers including Scott Gardiner, Christine Kydd, Fiona Ross, Bob “Buff” Wilson (who will give us an advance taster of his book launch on