Big Whistle Festival
Friday 8 & Saturday 9 February 2013
A unique celebration of traditional, contemporary,
acoustic and roots music with the whistle at its core.
About the festival
Welcome to the sixth Big Whistle Festival bringing you the best in traditional music.
The ever popular whistle is still at the heart of the festival but don't miss the growing mix of concerts and sessions available for you to participate in or just sit back and enjoy.
Festival compere is Keith Donnelly.
Workshops
This year features a beginners workshop as well as workshops by Anxo Lorenxo, The Shee and Rura.
Other activities
If you're not a beginner, the East Lancashire Railway will also be operating a very special morning Big Whistle Rail Ale Trail featuring some superb folk music.
Packages
Grab yourself a bargain and get a Weekend Ticket for £47! The ticket will include full access to all Big Whistle Festival workshops and shows.
You can also join us for just one day of the festival for £18 Friday or £37 Saturday.
Buy Friday Ticket → Buy Saturday Ticket →
Weekend, Friday and Saturday tickets give access to all Big Whistle Festival shows and workshops except Rachel Sermanni (which is sold out) and the Rail Ale Trail.
Concerts
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Macmaster / Hay
Friday 8 February 7pm / £8
Mary Macmaster and Donald Hay combine to produce a beautiful, powerful and unique sound and a truly fresh, dynamic take on Scotland's music.
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The Old Dance School
Supported by Hard times
Friday 8 February 8.30pm / £12
Duelling fiddles, soaring brass crescendos and foot-stomping grooves - The Old Dance School's brand new show draws on three widely applauded albums and five years working and recording together.
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Michael McGoldrick with Tim Edey and Brendan Power
Saturday 9 February 2pm / £16
Master of flute, whistles and uillean pipes, Michael McGoldrick creates a brilliant fusion of styles at the cutting edge of folk.
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Rachel Sermanni
Saturday 9 February 3.45pm / £10
Young Scottish singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni packs an almighty punch with her earthy folk melodies and dextrous fingerpicking. SOLD OUT
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The Shee
Saturday 9 February 5pm / £10
An exceptional sextet showcasing three powerful vocalists and an astonishing level of instrumental prowess. Their diverse musical influences combine to produce an adventurous brew of folk, Scots Gaelic and Bluegrass.
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Desi Friel Trio
Saturday 9 February 6.15pm / £6
Desi Friel is an articulate and sensitive singer and songwriter, together with the renowned guitarist Stew Pickering and multi instrumentalist Terry Klisczc they make for compelling listening.
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Hamish Napier and Marc Duff
Saturday 9 February 7pm / £10
Two self-confessed nerds of Scottish whistle playing, Hamish and Marc put on a show of mighty Scottish traditional tunes as well as original compositions hot off the press! Each whistler takes turns to accompany one another on either piano or bouzouki, and prepare your ear drums for two blasting high whistles!
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Drop The Floor
Saturday 9 February 8.30pm / £6
Ribble Valley based Drop The Floor are a dynamic multi instrumental and vocal quartet who are gaining an ever increasing following for their delivery of high energy Irish music.
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Rura
Saturday 9 February 9.30pm / £13
BBC Folk Awards 2013 Horizon Award nominee, the hottest and most dynamic young band on the Scottish music scene, RURA's powerful sound comes from a five piece line-up of bagpipes, whistle, flute, fiddle, bodhran, guitar and vocals.
Workshops
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Band Arrangement Techniques
with The Old Dance School
Saturday 9 February 10am / £10
Join The Old Dance School in an informal workshop environment to discover how the band builds its arrangement of tunes and songs from the raw stage.
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Getting Started
with Terry Walsh
Saturday 9 February 1pm / £5
Grasp the basics of whistle playing with one of the best whistle teachers in the business, Terry Walsh.
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Take One Song
with The Shee
Saturday 9 February 1pm / £5
Join Rachel Newton (harp / voice) and Olivia Ross (fiddle / voice) of The Shee to discover how a vocal arrangement can be used to juxtapose with a tune.
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Whistle on the Border
with The Shee
Saturday 9 February 1pm / £5
Guidance from The Shee on effective ways to maximise the impact of the whistle in vocal arrangement.
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Hamish and Marc's Guide to Improvisation
With Hamish Napier and Marc Duff
Saturday 9 February 3.45pm / £5
Learn the art of improvisation with two great Traditional musicians, Scottish Traditional Musician Hamish Napier and founder Capercaille member Marc Duff.
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Different Tricks
with Rura
Saturday 9 February 6.15pm / £5
A whistle stop tour of finger technique and ornamentation with Rura
Other activities
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Big Whistle Rail Ale Trail
Saturday 9 February 10am / £26.50
Enjoy a morning of folk music, real ale and vintage rail travel, courtesy of The Met and the East Lancashire Railway.
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Songs, Stories and Laughs
with Keith Donnelly and Ursula Holden Gill
Saturday 9 February 12pm / £5
Songs and stories, tunes and tales, an hour and a half loaded with laughter. Suitable for all.