FREE CONCERTS BROADCAST LIVE FROM HEBCELT

News Release
Hebridean Celtic Festival
Year of Homecoming 2014

• Radio nan Gaidheal to air live broadcasts from HebCelt
• Programmes will showcase festival performers  
• Stornoway audiences to enjoy free concerts in town centre

A series of live concerts showcasing some of the leading performers at this year’s Hebridean Celtic Festival will be broadcast live on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal.

The award-winning HebCelt will be held from 16-19 July in Stornoway and the station is airing live shows on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between 2p.m. and 4p.m. to highlight the event’s biggest ever programme.

On Wednesday, singer Norrie MacIver, frontman for top Scottish band Mànran, will be in the studio to talk about his debut album which will be launched at HebCelt. Calum Alex Macmillan will also chat about performing this year with The Lochies and, in his role as development officer with Fèisean nan Gaidheal, the umbrella body for the fèis movement, will discuss its work with the festival over the years.

On Thursday and Friday the programmes will be broadcast live from the town’s Martin Memorial Hall. Entry to the concerts is free and local people and visitors are encouraged to drop in to enjoy the sessions.

HebCelt headliner Donnie Munro will be performing on Thursday, along with Cajun band the Magnolia Sisters, from Louisianna; the Scott Wood Band; and Shellie Morris of the Yanyuwa people from the Northern Territory of Australia, who is performing at the festival as part of Boomerang, a Commonwealth event exploring links between Scottish, Aboriginal and Maori cultures.

The Friday concerts will feature Duncan Chisholm, who was inducted into the HebCelt Hall of Fame this year; Damian Helliwell's Metta; local singer/songwriter Eleanor Nicolson and Canadian band Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys.

In addition, sessions will be recorded for the Rapal programme with Paisley singer/songwriter Michael Cassidy appearing on Thursday, Scottish five-piece Dante on Friday and Glasgow band This Silent Forest on Saturday.

BBC Radio nan Gàidheal music producer John Murray said: “We are delighted to be working with HebCelt again on this series of programmes that will give a real flavour of the festival.

“There is an outstanding line-up of artists and we are excited about being able to share that with our listeners. We hope people will come along to the free concerts and enjoy some great music.”

Caroline Maclennan, the HebCelt director, added: “The Radio nan Gàidheal events are an annual attraction and an important part of HebCelt.

“Broadcasting the concerts live means people in Stornoway, and those that can’t get here this week, get a real taste of what the festival is like and the calibre of musicians that will be on stage.”

The 19th HebCelt, will also be headlined by Levellers and Big Country, while Rachel Sermanni, Cara Dillon, Willie Campbell and Larkin Poe will also be among nearly 40 acts featuring over the four days.

NOTES TO EDITORS

This year HebCelt was selected as one of the top 10 UK summer festivals for the fourth year in succession by the influential music magazine Songlines.

The 2013 event was the most successful in its history with ticket sales showing an increase of over 30 per cent on the previous year 2012. The 16,000-strong crowd – double the population of Stornoway - helped generate around £1 million for the local economy

Last year HebCelt was also hailed as one of the greenest festivals in the world after being the only Scottish event to receive an Outstanding award from environmental campaign group A Greener Festival. In addition, it was shortlisted in the Greener Festival category in the UK Festival Awards and in the Best Independent Festival category in the AIM Independent Music Awards.

In 2011 it was ranked Best Large Festival at the industry-sponsored Scottish Event Awards and it won Best Event of the Year award at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards in 2004 and 2009.

For more information contact

John Ross
Lucid PR
01463 724593; 07730 099617
johnross@lucidmessages.com

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