Burnsong
8 - 9 December 2006
Background and context
Burnsong SongHouse
Burnsong Songwriting Conference
Burnsong performances and events
The Burnsong Songwriting Conference takes place at the Tolbooth in Stirling, 8 - 9 December 2006.
Burnsong is a national songwriting initiative inspired by Robert Burns, to discover, promote and nurture a new era of songwriting in Scotland.
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In 2005, Burnsong featured 31 events such as gigs, concerts, masterclasses, workshops, talks clubs and films with some of Scotland's foremost songwriters. The series culminated with a CD of the live performance of songs selected for the final round of the Burnsong Gathering Song Competition. |
The Burnsong project has four strands:
- The Gathering, a bi-annual songwriting competition to find the best of Scottish songwriting.
- Burnsong - Live!, a bi-annual festival of song, showcasing the best of Scottish songwriting.
- Burnsong Learning, innovative songwriting workshops for schools.
- Burnsong Development, professional development opportunities for songwriters, including the Burnsong Songwriting conference, residential training courses and Burnsong SongHouse.
The 2006 Burnsong SongHouse takes place in Dumfries and Galloway from 4 - 8 December. Eight indie, folk, jazz, hip hop, rock and pop songwriters have been invited to take part in this unique songwriting retreat.
The Burnsong Songwriters Conference will take place at the Tolbooth in Stirling on Saturday 9 December. The conference is for musicians, songwriters and poets interested in ideas, inspiration, insight and discussion. Brian Morton, author, lecturer, journalist and radio broadcaster, will host the conference, which opens for registration at 10.00 am and runs until 5.00 pm. Speakers on the day include songwriters involved in the SongHouse earlier in the week.
| Songwriting and Healing: Professor Nigel Osborne, Director of Edinburgh University's Institute for Music in Human and Social Development, will discuss his pioneering and inspirational use of music in therapy and rehabilitation for children who are victims of conflict. Karine Polwart picks up this theme of healing and human development and discusses the power and limitations of songwriting as a means of expressing politics and history on a personal level. |
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Songwriting and lyrics: Renowned poet and Ivor Novello Award-winning lyricist Simon Armitage discusses key issues for lyricists, including the relationship between poetry and lyric-writing, and the delicate art of writing someone else's story.
The Life of a Song - Windmills of My Mind: An illustrated discssion on the construction and life of a classic song by Pearlfishers frontman David Scott. |
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Songwriters panel: King Creosote, Karine Polwart, David Scott and a special guest will provide insight into the world of professional songwriters when they discuss their careers, their writing and the many different paths a songwriter can tread. |
A number of exciting Burnsong performances will take place over the next few months.
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Songs written at the 2006 Burnsong SongHouse will be performed at Kirkpatrick Durham Village Hall, Dumfries and Galloway at 8.00 pm on Friday 8 December, and after the Burnsong Conference at the Tolbooth, Stirling, at 8.00 pm on Saturday 9 December.
Former Squeeze lyricist Chris Difford opens the Burnsong Songwriters Conference at the Tolbooth at 8.00 pm on Friday 8 December. The support act is Unkle Bob.
Catch the Burnsong Tune Up tour in January 2007, which will include performances of songs by Boo Hewerdine, David Scott, Niki King, Emily Smith, Geoff Martyn, Mark Pilley, Riley Briggs and Sophie Bancroft produced for the 2005 Burnsong - Live! event. |
The 2007 Burnsong Gathering Songwriting Competition will be launched on 24 January 2007, in a national search for new songwriting talent.
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Tickets for the Burnsong Songwriters Conference cost £35/30 and include lunch. Ticket pacakges including gigs are also available. For further information, visit the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Association website, or call 01387-253-383. Visit the Tune Up website for more information about the January 2007 tour. |
Burnsong receives support from the Scottish Arts Council and the National Lottery Fund, through Dumfries and Galloway Arts Association. |