The 2006 Programme

Below are details of the groups who attended the 2006 Alnwick International Music Festival. Please click on the flags for more information on the groups.

Omladina - Czech Republic The Association for Youth, Folk Art and Sport (AYFAS) is an official society devoted to ensuring that folk­lore and folk art remain high on the public’s agenda throughout the Czech Republic. Omladina is one of its groups.

Pralesochka - Belarus Belarus is an Eastern European country with a rich tradition of unique folk and religious music stretching back to the 15th century.

Vranovcan Folklore Ensemble - Slovakia In the north-eastern corner of Slovakia, where the Topla and Ondava rivers meet, lies the town of Vranov nad Toplou (pop. 25,000) where the amateur folklore ensemble Vranovcan was founded in 1968. It has devoted itself to identification, collection, preservation and public presentation of the rich folklore heritage embodied in various folklore customs and habits, songs and dances pertaining to the eastern Slovak regions of Saris and Zemplin.

Identidad Peru - Peru Identidad Peru folk group was created in 1991 with the aim of researching, preserving, teaching and spreading the different manifestations of traditional Peruvian culture; since its foundation it has taken the message and the voice of its people all around the country and beyond, representing Peru in many different international festivals in America and Europe. CANCELLED

Sbandieratori Città di Firenze - Italy Flag-turning is a spectacular Italian tradition. In the Middle Ages the flag was a help for troops fighting on a battlefield. But if the flag fell into enemy hands, this meant for them a defeat and a terrible dishonour. The flag could even warn of a danger or welcome a triumphant army. This year we are joined by the flag-turners of Soriano del Cimino.

Solenne Kammerkoor - Estonia The Elva Chamberchoir Solenne was founded on January 11, 1996, aiming to make choir singing more popular, improve singers’ musical knowledge and skills and develop national cultural skills. Improving Estonian music and showing it off to other counties are important to the choir. In their decade in existance, they have performed many concerts in Estonia and outside the border, in Latvia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Sweden, Denmark.

Le Tradizioni - Italy Minturno, lying on the shores ef the Tyrrhenian Sea and on the slopes of Aurunca, was founded before Rome, and jealously preserves its ancient traditions and a culture which is embodied in its monuments. In 1972, a group of young enthusiasts formed Le Tradizioni folklore group to reflect these traditions.

Kuntry Kuzins - USA The Kuntry Kuzins are members of Ginger Brown’s Academy of Performing Arts Entertainment Troupe. They perform many dances ranging from ballet, tap, jazz, baton, lyrical, acrobatics, cheerleading to Irish. Throughout the Alnwick International Music Festival week they will dance Appalachian clogging.The dance group performs at many functions throughout the south eastern part of the USA, including this summer at the Tones and Tails festival at Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where they do six shows a day on two stages.

Compania Folklorica Magisterial de Hidalgo - Mexico THIS group, from the city of Tulancingo in the state of Hidalgo, has, from its inception in 1986, tried to portray different folkloric aspects of Mexico through the combination of music, song, dance and poetry; highlighting on stage the social context carried by the community in its ritual space. Aware of the importance of showing cultural values as elements of national identity, the group offers the spectator images that allow him to experience the traditions and habits of the people while at the same time demonstrating the cultural diversity existing in Mexico.

Folklore Ensemble Rhythm - Bulgaria Folklore Ensemble Rhythm was set up in 1991 at the Culture Centre “St. Cyril and St. Methodius” in the town of Silistra, North-East Bulgaria. The ensemble’s major aim is to boost the continuity and bonds from one generation to another in preserving and promoting the strong music and dance traditions of Bulgarian folklore.

Phynodderee - Isle of Man Traditional Ceilidh bands ensure a lively night out in the Isle of Man with their own brand of Celtic-inspired live music, usually performed in community halls and marquees and often accompanied by a 'hot pot' supper. Manx music has enjoyed a revival in recent years, with bands such as Phynodderee arranging and recording old tunes that had lain dormant for many years.

Monkseaton Morris Men - Great Britain The Monkseaton Morrismen and Folk Dance Club are top exponents of the traditional dances of Northumbria and one of the leading folk dance groups in England. The club was founded in 1955 with the aim of raising a small but highly competent team of dancers and musicians, able and willing to give authentic performances at the highest possible standard of English traditional dances, particularly the dances of their own region of Northumbria.

Other local entertainers - Great Britain Andy and Margaret Watchorn, Andrew Lobb, BorderBox (left), Habibi (right), Derek Johnson, The Castle Band and Robert Whitehead and the Danelaw Dance Band.

Timetable

Groups will be performing in the Market Place throughout the week. Check out the festival programme, on sale before and during the festival for £2, for more details. There will also be events in the Northumberland Hall alongside the Market Place and in The Playhouse, Alnwick's theatre.

Come to Alnwick International Music Festival ... and let the world come to you.