Heart of Hawick announces new Music Programme

The Heart of Hawick venue launches a new season of music programming which will run throughout the year.  The ten initial concerts in The ‘Heart of Hawick Music’ series will feature the best in folk, traditional, jazz and singer-songwriters from Scotland and beyond.

The opening concert of Friday 1 of July is with Tony McManus and Julia Toaspern. McManus is ‘the best Celtic guitarist in the world’ according to guitar legend John Renbourn.  Their performance will feature unique renditions of traditional tunes and songs played on dual guitars and violin.

The Operations Manager at Heart of Hawick Iain McQueen said “I am particularly pleased we’ve managed to secure a date with this respected duo, who agreed to add a date at the end of a long British tour to appear with us. The stature of their playing sets a benchmark of the quality we want to present to our audiences throughout this series of concerts.”

Buy tickets here or in person from the venue.

Confirmed events in the series so far are:

Friday 1 July – Tony McManus and Julia Toaspern: Ranked by peers and predecessors alike alongside the guitar world’s all-time greats, Tony McManus has both extended and transcended the parameters of contemporary Celtic music. www.tonymcmanus.com

Friday 5 August – Brian Kellock and Konrad Wiszniewski:  An evening of jazz standards interpreted on piano and saxophone by two of Scotland’s internationally renowned artists. www.facebook.com/bkjazzpiano

Saturday 20 August – Dean Owens: Songwriting troubadour armed with a searingly soulful voice, who has just released his collaboration album with Americana icons Calexico, a must for all fans of skilfully crafted songs. www.deanowens.com

Saturday 27 August – Eryn Rae: Recently crowned BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year, local lass Eryn has a big future ahead of her. We’re particularly proud to have secured a ‘home’ gig with her amazing fiddle playing.  www.scotsmusic.org/project/eryn-rae

Saturday 10 September –  Alex Yellowlees Hot Club Quartet: Classic Django style gypsy swing with Scotland’s finest jazz violin player and his quartet. www.alexyellowleesband.com

Friday 23 September – Ryan Young: Ryan brings new depths to his interpretations of Scottish music, his fiddle playing brims with fresh melodic ideas, uplifting rhythmic drive and great depth of dynamics and precision. www.ryanyoung.scot

Saturday 15 October – Adam Holmes: One of the brightest stars on the UK roots scene, twice nominated for BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards he mixes traditional and contemporary folk with his own brand of soul and Americana in his songs. www.adamholmesmusic.co.uk

Saturday 22 October – North Sea Gas: A classic Scottish folk band on the cusp of celebrating 40 years on the road and releasing 22 albums, this evening will consist of traditional and contemporary material along with humour and tall tales! www.northseagas.co.uk

Friday 18 November – Matt Carmicheal & Fergus McCreadie: Described as among the most exciting young jazz musicians in Europe, their music reflects a love of Scottish musical traditions placed within American and European jazz. www.mattcarmichaelmusic.com www.fergusmccreadie.co.uk

Saturday 26 November – Savourna Stevenson & Steve Kettley: a blend of haunting melodies, pulsating rhythms and stirring improvisations on harp and saxophones, their eclectic approach to blending classical, folk, world music and jazz stylings creates a dynamic evening of music making that breaks barriers. www.savournastevenson.co.uk  www.stevekettley.com

Buy tickets here or in person from the venue.

About Heart of Hawick:

Operated by Live Borders, The Heart of Hawick venue is the heart of entertainment in the centre of the Scottish Borders largest town.  It features a multi-use auditorium that presents cinema, live music, theatre, comedy and dance. It is also a community hub for the town with a café, meeting rooms and office spaces.

For more information click here, email heartofhawick@liveborders.org.uk or phone 01450 360 680.