A William Macmath collection of traditional Scottish songs are to be played at Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival.
Audiences at Macmath: The Silent Page will get the chance to hear a rare collection of little-known Scottish songs as part of an arts festival this week.
The show will be held following the discovery of the William Macmath collection of traditional Scottish songs by award-winning songwriter Ali Burns 10 years ago.
William Macmath was a scholar and collector of Scottish ballads, who died in the 1920s.
Ali said: “I can’t stress how exciting it is to be singing these songs back to life and what a unique and precious piece of local heritage we’re working with. It’s the singer’s equivalent of finding a trove of buried treasure.”
Two of these precious volumes contained partially written songs and fragments of songs – some missing lyrics, some without music.
Now, seven of Scotland’s top Scots trad award-winning musicians, all living in Dumfries and Galloway – Emily Smith, Jamie McClennan, Robyn Stapleton, Aaron Jones, Claire Mann and Wendy Stewart will sing these silent pages back to life.
The show will be held in Stranraer today (Tuesday), Buccleuch Centre, Langholm on Wednesday, and Dumfries’ Easterbrook Hall on Sunday.
To find out more, visit www.macmathsilentpage.wordpress.com.
Macmath: The Silent Page will be performed for the first time at the Ryan Centre, Stranraer, on Tuesday, May 26, as part of the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival.
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