Whit’s on this weekend?

Orkney Reel Tradfest

The annual Reel Orkney Tradfest is now in full swing, after beginning this week with a taster session aimed at those thinking about learning an instrument.

The festival, which runs until this Saturday, October 19, will be welcoming all musical ages and abilities for six days of artist-led classes, workshops, sessions and concerts hosted by the internationally acclaimed Wrigley Sisters at The Reel and other venues across Orkney.

These include workshops on fiddle, accordion, tenor banjo, guitar, mandolin, piano and voice, as well as free daily traditional music sessions.

Tradfest will culminate in a Grand Concert at the Orkney Theatre this Friday, featuring performances by the Wrigley Sisters and all of their highly acclaimed guest musicians.

For this year’s festival, the Wrigley Sisters will be bringing together accordionist Freeland Barbour from Scotland, fiddler and singer Nollaig Casey from Ireland, guitarist Arty McGlynn also from Ireland, and the amazing Brian Connolly from Belfast on banjo and mandolin.

There will also be a Crash Course Conversion on Friday morning from 10am until 12.15pm at The Reel — aimed at those who can already play but want to try another instrument.

Eric Linklater joins Nollaig Casey for an Orkney meets Ireland voice workshop from 10am until 12.15pm on Friday, and there is a Vamping the Basics class from 1.15pm until 3.30pm that afternoon — which is open to any instrument players who have a competent knowledge of their instrument.

On Saturday morning there are Advanced Masterclasses on, with all the visiting artists on Fiddle, Guitar, Accordion, Tenor Banjo and Mandolin from 10am to 12.15pm, followed by an Orkney Fiddle Concert with Jennifer Wrigley, Eric Linklater and Erika Shearer at 2pm at The Reel.

The Final Fling Party on Saturday night is a chance to wind down with the artists from 7.30pm till late.

To find out more, you can visit www.thereelorkney.live/tradfest

Scapa 100 Conference

As part of the Orkney-wide Scapa 100 commemorationsStromness Museum are holding a community conference, Scapa 100: The Orkney Story, looking at the lasting legacy of the scuttling of the German Fleet.

It will take the story from internment up to the present day reflecting the ongoing relationship with the wrecks of Scapa Flow.

The conference, which began yesterday, Thursday, runs until Monday.

You can find out more on https://scapa100conference.com/

Brochtoberfest

There will be a series of events taking place, this weekend, centring around the Broch of Gurness.

Brochtoberfest 2019, organised by the Orkney Archeological Society, will see stalls and talks at Orkney College, Kirkwall, from 10am on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, there will be events going on at the Broch itself from 11am.

All are welcome. No need to book.

Alan Carr

October 19, 2019 8:00 pm

Excitement is brewing among Orkney comedy fans — or at least those who managed to get a ticket — as Alan Carr is set to perform in Kirkwall this Saturday night.

The gig, which sold out in under 20 minutes, will see the Chatty Man star present an evening of “work-in-progress” comedy, along with support act Kelly Convey at the Orkney Theatre.

Alan’s unique style of humour and effortless stage presence have made him one of Britain’s most successful and treasured comedians. With sixteen series of Channel 4’s Chatty Man under his belt, Alan has won a multitude of awards, including the publicly voted. In recent weeks, he has appeared as a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.

According to promoters, this will be a chance for comedy fans to see Alan trying out new material.