News
Twelfth Day to play three gigs in Orkney
23/07/2010 08:44:00
ORCADIAN fiddler Catriona Price is returning home to play three gigs with her musical partner Esther Swift next week. Twelfth Day, a Scottish fiddle, harp and vocal duo, are set to play at The Gable End Theatre, Hoy on Tuesday July 27, The Reel in Kirkwall on Wednesday and Woodwick House, Evie on Thursday.
Catriona, whose parents live in Dounby, and Esther, originally from
Peebles, met while at St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh and joined
together as Twelfth Day during their music studies at the Royal Northern
College of Music in Manchester.
They have been playing together for around four years now. Taught by
masters of the Scottish folk scene - Douglas Montgomery and Catriona
McKay - it would be easy to typecast their sound, but Catriona and
Esther bring the sounds of the city to their strong folk foundations.
They incorporate a mixture of self-penned and traditional tunes and
songs into their folk-based music and reflect their eclectic musical
styles in their arrangements.
The girls last played in Orkney in the summer of 2008, when they captivated audiences in Evie, St Margaret's Hope and Hoy.
"It is exciting to be coming back to play in Orkney," said Catriona. "I
think we will have a great time and a great laugh, our shows should be
good fun."
The girls have just completed their degrees in Manchester and Catriona
is going on to do a postgraduate course at London's Royal Academy of
Music this autumn. Esther will be staying in Manchester but the pair are
hoping to keep Twelfth Day going despite the distance.
Their Orkney gigs are part of a 23-date tour the girls are embarking on
to promote their debut album Northern Quarter, which was launched on
July 5 in Manchester.
"The album has been in the making for the last year, we're really
pleased with it," said Catriona. "We managed to do it all while studying
for finals, which was quite a lot of work. Launching the album was a
lovely way to end our time in Manchester."
Northern Quarter draws inspiration from their surroundings and the
experiences of their student years. In the heart of Manchester is the
Northern Quarter: the bohemian, DIY, creative district, where
independent boutiques bulge and music flows out of every bar. It is this
area - itself a hotchpotch of sounds, smells, sights and tastes - that
made sense of Twelfth Day's tunes and arrangements.
This vibrant young duo have been entrancing audiences at festivals and
venues all over the UK since 2008, and in March 2010 made their
international debut in Toulouse, France. In 2009, their track Fare Thee
Well was selected by Channel 4 to be used in a short film by the makers
of the hit show Skins.
Twelfth Day are playing at The Gable End Theatre, Hoy at 8pm on Tuesday,
July 27, at The Reel, Kirkwall at 7.30pm on Wednesday 28 and in
Woodwick House, Evie at 8pm on Thursday 29.
For a preview of the duo's music visit their website www.twelfthdaymusic.com or myspace at www.myspace.com/twelfthdayduo.