Upcoming events at the Aboyne and Deeside Festival

There’s a full and varied programme of events for the annual Aboyne and Deeside Festival.

The Escocia Duo and Molly McWhirter.

The Escocia Duo, Chilean born classical guitarist, Roberto Kuhn and the Yorkshire born violinist, Katrina Lee return to Deeside this summer on the invitation of the Aboyne Arts & Theatre Development to participate in this year’s festival.

Their programme will include works by Paganini, Scottish Works, Wild Mountain Thyme and Farewell to Stromness along with South American music to feature in their first recording together in early August of this year. Their concert will be in Birse & Feughside Church, Finzean at 7.30pm on Friday, July 21.

The Old Blind Dogs are to play in Tornaveen Hall, Torphins on Sunday, July 23 at 3pm. The musical evolution of Old Blind Dogs began in Aberdeen in 1992 when four musicians from very different musical backgrounds came together to create a full-time professional touring band with the aim of showcasing the rich tradition of songs and tunes of the North-East of Scotland. After nearly a dozen albums, the latest project, Knucklehead Circus, is the group’s answer to the pandemic – looking to get people up and dancing again after the long-enforced absence of live music. The current line- up of the ‘Dugs’ consists of four of Scotland’s finest traditional musicians at the top of their game. Original member Jonny Hardie (fiddle/vocals), Aaron Jones (cittern/guitar/vocals), Mike Katz (pipes) and Donald Hay (percussion/vocals).

The Old Blind Dogs will play in Tornaveen Hall, Torphins (Gregor Eisenhuth).

The annual Deeside Cello Festival brings the hugely talented Cello Festival Young Artist, Molly McWhirter with pianist Sally Birkett to the stage of the Deeside Community Theatre in Aboyne on Monday, July 24 at 7.30pm. Molly is currently enjoying a busy and varied freelance career based in London. She graduated with a Masters with Distinction from the Guildhall School of Music, having previously studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with Robert Irvine and Martin Storey. Molly and Sally will be playing wonderful music by Clara Schumann, Dmitri Shostakovich, Sally Beamish and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Obtain your tickets for all of these events from www.aboyneanddeesidefestival.org.uk or from TicketSource 03336 663366 (standard charges apply)