An ambitious new production from the Highlands receives its world premiere during the Blas Festival next week - with hopes high it could one day be a hit in the classroom, too.
‘The Boy and the Bunnet’ is intended to be traditional music’s answer to ‘Peter and the Wolf’, and the Black Isle-based producers hope that it could become a standard in the classroom as well as the concert hall.
Written in Scots by the Booker-prize-nominated author, James Robertson, with music by the Caithness-born composer, James Ross, the performance uses traditional Scottish instruments and musical styles with a narrator (Skye’s Wilma Kennedy) to tell the story of a brave wee boy who gets into danger when he goes out on an adventure.
Speaking ahead of its launch, producer Bryan Beattie said, “It’s a fantastic piece of music and a wonderful new story and it will appeal to all ages. The Eden Court performance will include a Q&A with the writer and composer as well as a full additional programme of music from the musicians.
"But we’re hoping it will make it easier to get traditional music into the classroom as well – we’re preparing resource packs for teachers so they can feel comfortable using the Boy and the Bunnet to explain about music, Scots and Gaelic language.”
The first performance takes place at Eden Court on September 13 as part of the Blas Festival, with a Gaelic translation by Aonghas MacNeacail and surtitles in English. The Scots version will be premiered at Celtic Connections in February next year. The project is originated and produced by Big Sky and is supported by Creative Scotland."
The Boy and the Bunnet boasts some of the finest traditional musicians in Scotland. Corrina Hewat (harp and voice), Patsy Reid (fiddle), Neil Johnstone (cello), Angus Lyon (accordion) Fraser Fifield (pipes) and Signy Jakobsdottir (percussion) all feature, as well as narrators, Gerda Stevenson in Scots and Wilma Kennedy in Gaelic.
Ticket details are available from Eden Court on 01343 234234 or online here.
