Cowal Open Studios Weekend and concert
Item Posted: Sunday 4th October, 2009
Arts, crafts and music recently came together splendidly at Cowal Open Studios, including a fabulous evening concert at Strachur Memorial Hall
One of the impressive outcomes of such events is that they help to demystify art, particularly for children and rural audiences. With little in the way of consumer friendly art exhibitions or museums in Argyll many children’s only experience of art outside the school environment is the occasional school trip. So many grow up thinking art is somehow ‘high-brow’. By encouraging children to come to an open day of arts and crafts, and making it clear that children are welcome in the forty or studios involved in COS, many more local children will see the natural connection between art and what they see around them every day. Many of the artists involved in COS take their inspiration from the Cowal landscapes and seascapes. Meeting and talking to artists, and maybe ‘having a go’ yourself, makes the whole process fun and inter-active. Hopefully it can also lead to people being more appreciative and receptive to what they see around them on the hills and lochs of Cowal!
There was a great turn up during the open day, with over 130 visitors to the Hall, and 35 children involved in free craft making with paper, wool and card- lots of little faces rapt in happy concentration. They also had the opportunity to watch and get involved in felt-making and making their own cups, mugs and pots under the eagle eye of Arrochar potter, Tom Butcher. He has fired the pots that were made – so many grannies and aunties are due a delightful hand-made Christmas present!
Many of those attending the Open Day were encouraged to visit the studios of their choice on the Sunday. But one of the great benefits of the Open Studios weekend to the whole community and to visitors is the availability of an Artists Directory - people who missed the weekend can use the directory to contact the artists direct and find out when they can visit the individual artists and see them at work. A quality piece of work in itself, the Directory is an invaluable year round resource and a ‘mini-exhibition’ in its own right.
Music played an important role on the day. Sixteen people turned up for a Singing Workshop with Muldoon’s Picnic. The delight of those in attendance was obvious from the gorgeous sound emanating from the old Hall and the participants were so enthused and excited by the work they did that they are organising another singing session in a couple of weeks time at the Hall – so it looks as though COS have helped stimulate the starting of another local community group!
In the evening the Hall was full to bursting for an international concert arranged in conjunction with Fiddle Folk/Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop with folk and traditional musicians from Brittany, the Netherlands and Scotland.
The moment Tristan Le Govic and Ailie Robertson plucked their first notes, it was clear that the audience were in for something special. They quickly established a a relaxed and appreciative atmosphere in the audience. With Tristan’s virtuosity on the Breton harp, combined with appealing stories and song in Breton and French, it is no surprise that he is in demand at Festivals, and has won major competitions. Ailie is also no stranger to competition. No clarsach player has ever won the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award, but she was a rare clarsach finalist. Picking up five Mod gold medals along the way of her short career, she shows just how versatile the instrument can be. Her warmth, touch and subtlety shine through on stage. This duo made a wonderful exploration of the music of two different, but interlinked, cultures, creating a rich tapestry of traditional tunes, woven with new compositions. Their performance delighted everyone present.
With such an opening, could the next act keep up the standard? Rallion have roots in different parts of Scotland and different genres of music, with the international touch of a Dutch-born singer. Yet they have blended this into an individual, highly recognisable and distinctive style. The audience’s hands and feet responded to their joie de vivre and driving rhythms. The atmosphere (often the most difficult thing to explain to someone who is not present) was like having your best friends on stage, giving it some welly – and all especially for you!
On stage Rallion are clearly a band who are in love with performance, and their enthusiasm and humour is infectious. Rallion are a team where none of the component parts or players can be dispensed with. Their unique sound is based around the double fiddle powerhouse of Fiona Cuthill and Andrew Lyons, the punch on guitar and bouzouki of Iron Horse’s Steve Lawrence, and with Dutch-born Marieke McBean, on bodhran and guitar, adding strong, distinctive vocals.
Rallion played a number of sets from their new cd ‘One for Sorrow’-an exciting album featuring a mix of traditional songs from across the folk spectrum and remarkably fresh original tunes composed by members of the band, including a wonderfully melodic slow air ‘Waiting for Don’ by Fiona Cuthill. Going by the queues at the CD desk, the audience were clearly keen on all the visiting musicians output!
The concert was put on as part of a collaborative cross-arts event between Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop/Fiddle Folk and Cowal Open Studios, and was supported by the Scottish Arts Council. On this occasion Western Ferries kindly helped out with extra financial help, enabling the community and tourists to have such a good night out.
The feedback from visitors and residents about the day was ecstatic. A taste of this was one person who wrote: ‘The combination of visual arts and music is excellent, making the events into something much richer. Worth travelling to. The more arts/crafts and trad music in rural communities the better. Scotland’s cultures are excellent and should be available to be enjoyed by all, not just those living in main cities.’
A community event such as this also shows that, if the organisers and local voluntary groups are willing to work together in harmony they can all help each other. The provision of teas, coffees and cakes added to the relaxed atmosphere of the day and raised money for Hall funds, an evening bar raised money for Cairndow Community Child Care and Fiddle Folk/Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop was helped by a raffle of items kindly donated by COS members. A weekend where everyone was a winner!