Musicians travel to bring warm glow to annual Amber Festival

Oct 30 2009 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

MORE than 200 musicians from around the world are heading for this year’s 10-day Perthshire Amber Festival, which opens tonight with a sold-out concert in Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

Dougie MacLean will feature in 10 concerts with guest musicians including Eddie Reader, Francis Black, Irish band Beoga, Australia’s Sunas, rising star Heidi Talbot, and The Michael McGoldrick Trio.

However, it’s the organised and informal sessions – many of them free – going on throughout the 10 days which provide Perthshire Amber with much of its colour and flavour.

From Monday to Thursday Cabaret Amber is hosted by Perthshire’s Gina MacLeod and Alan Jordan. Their early evening festival club in the foyer of Pitlochry Festival Theatre brings together bright young things from across Scotland and old hands from Nashville.

At the weekends, Perthshire Amber’s Open Mic gives the chance to musicians who are not performing at the evening concerts to get involved. They’re hosted by popular Perthshire musician Ewan Sutherland in the theatre foyer.

And at MacLean’s Real Music Bar, in the Pitlochry Festival Theatre complex, performing artists, locals and visitors can bring their instruments and/or voices to join in spontaneous music sessions.

Perthshire Amber closes next Sunday (November 8) with The Caledonia Concert in Perth Concert Hall. Tickets from the box office 01738 621031 or www.horsecross.co.uk

Tickets for and details of all other Perthshire Amber events are available from www.perthshireamber.com