New talent festival saved from sinking

AFTER a decade of nurturing new talent and entertaining visitors and locals alike, it looked as though the Caledonian Ceilidh Trail was set to sink without trace after British Waterways withdrew funding.

However, thanks to the intervention of Highland Council events officer Gerry Reynolds and support from Inverness Common Good Fund, the Ceilidh Trail legacy continues in a new form, the Inverness Festivals Band.

Launched in 2001, the Caledonian Ceilidh Trail matched a group of young musicians with more experienced performers to play around the Caledonian Canal area. Ceilidh Trailers have also appeared at the Blas Festival and even travelled as far as the Basque Country.

Past members of the Caledonian Ceilidh Trail, many of whom have come through the local authority’s traditional music classes, have continued their musical career and the band Mainline North, comprising former Ceilidh Trailers, was a hit at the recent Northern Roots Festival at Bogbain.

Reynolds is delighted that the council’s festivals team has been able to step in and continue to support the area’s young musicians, if under a new guise.

"We really have to keep this going because it’s so important to encourage the next generation," he said.

"We are all in favour of keeping this going. We think of this as a conveyor belt of talent with new musicians coming in as others move on. The ripple effects are incredible because each of the graduates, if you want to call them that, will go off and do different things."

One thing that will change is the geographical scope of the new band.

Because funding comes from the Inverness Common Good Fund, the festival’s band will focus on the Inverness area rather than the length of the Great Glen, but will be a key component of the Inverness festivals programme, including the Bunker Festival which will offer an entertainment fringe for

those attending next week’s Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.

"It’s a different entity, but the basic idea is the same, to give them a first start as professional musicians," Reynolds said.

"Giving local musicians the opportunity to perform at our events is really important to us. There are some fantastic musicians here and supporting them is what it’s all about."

Margo Maclennan, the council’s traditional music co-ordinator, will continue to work with the young musicians, though their music will not be entirely traditional.

Among the projects planned for the new group is a collaboration with Orquesta Latina Del Norte to create the Inverness Festivals Salsa Band.