KNYSNA NEWS - The fourth Knysna Celtic Festival will include two new events: a Celtic concert in George, on Thursday 22 February, and a prestigious tug-of-war competition during the festival’s Highland Games in Knysna on the 24th.
George concert
The Knysna & Districts Pipe Band will join the 32-piece Carpe Musicam! orchestra, and the 38-voice Carpe Musicam! choir in the Eden community hall in George for a concert of popular Celtic music – including tunes like Highland Cathedral and The Gael.
“We’re very excited to extend the festival to the people of George, which is one of the ‘districts’ of the Knysna & Districts Pipe Band,” says festival organising committee member Pipe Major Steve Collins.
• Tickets: available from Sotheby’s International Realty offices in George, at R150 pp.
International artists at Ceilidh
Collins said that a limited number of tickets is now available for the festival’s Friday evening Ceilidh (pronounced 'kay-lee': a traditional Scottish or Irish pub evening with music and dance), which will take place in The Bell Celtic Pub that will be erected at Loerie Park, Knysna.
“The top Scottish harpist and composer Catriona McKay, and the award-winning Shetland fiddler Chris Stout – who will both star in Saturday night’s Celtic Concert – will perform at the Ceilidh, which will also include a Battle of the Ceilidh Bands,” he says.
• Tickets (limited number): available from all Sotheby’s offices in Knysna, at at R125 pp.
Massed Pipes & Drums parade
Collins says this annual parade, taking place in Knysna’s Main Street from 09:30 on Saturday 24 February, will include the country’s only street march competition, and has attracted pipe bands and highland dancers from Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, and KwaZulu-Natal.
• This is a free event.
Highland Gathering
“From there, the focus will move to Loerie Park for the rest of the day, where our Highland Gathering will feature both school and senior-level tug-of-war competitions.”
Collins says that the SA national men’s and women’s tug-of-war squads will compete in a regional open competition (another first for the festival) and that the event will act as a training and selection competition in the run-up to the Tug of War International Federation’s World Outdoor Championships, which will take place in Cape Town in September.
Celtic Festival moments from last year. Photo: Hylton Herd
“Our Highland Gathering will also include piping and drumming competitions, as well as a Highland dancing competition, and Highland games like tossing the caber, keg tossing, barrow races, an archery competition, and more,” he says.
Sundowners Celtic Concert
Saturday’s highlight is expected to be the festival’s always-popular Sundowners concert at Loerie Park, set to begin at 18:30.
The concert will feature McKay and Stout, the Knysna & Districts Pipe Band, Jenny & The Jameses, Blacksmith, the Carpe Musicam! orchestra, as well as Scottish Highland dancers from Pretoria’s O'Leary Studio, and Irish dancers from Cape Town’s Celtic Dance Tapestry. Food and drink will be provided by stallholders and The Bell Celtic Pub.
Fundraiser
“As usual, the major portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Knysna Sea Cadets, who do incredible work among the youth of our town, and who have been instrumental in preparing many youngsters for careers at sea,” says Collins.
“The festival has raised around R125 000 for the cadets over the years, and this year we’re hoping to beat last year's figure of R25 000,” he says.
• Tickets: reserved seats for the concert available from all Sotheby’s offices in Knysna, Sedgefield, and Plettenberg Bay.
Tickets for open seating will be sold at the gate on the 24th. The Sundowners concert tickets include free entry to the Highland Gathering on Saturday.– Martin Hatchuel
* More info: Facebook/Knysna Celtic Festival
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