Maiden City Festival Weblog

The Maiden City Festival came to a colourful close with the Crimson Player’s Pageant on the morning of the 322nd Annual Relief of Derry Commemorations, a day of celebrations.

And yet… throughout the week our photographers and video people were capturing images of the Festival. These are now being sorted and labelled, ready for upload. You can find some of the photographs already on our Flickr Channel and we are hoping that the first of the video will be on our YouTube Channel very soon.

So there are still hours of enjoyment to be had at the 2011 Maiden City Festival. Check on our Facebook page for up to date information. We’ll try to update from time to time here too.

Looking forward to 2012.

For some reason a number of bands have changed from the original programme on Thursday. All for the most unavoidable personal circumstances which could not have been anticipated. So briefly:

Rainy Boy Sleep is at Cafe Nervosa, and not Furlo;
Paula McAleese is still performing, at Claudes and not as Louis’s in the programme;
Michael E Thomas replaces Teg Magee at the Boston Tea Party in the Craft Village;
and poorly Paul Corrigan is unable to be at Java and, stepping in at short notice, Joan McEldowney is there instead.

All Culture Bite venues are 12.30-2.30pm. Up to date details on our website’s Thursday page.

No changes for Friday at this point and only one or two earlier. No idea what Thursday has done to deserve this amount of disruption – though you’ll hardly notice with the excellent range of talent that has been brought in.

On an entirely plus point, and nothing to do with cafe performances, we have added an extra exhibition to tie in with the Somme 95th Anniversary Tribute concert (SOLD OUT). Ulster at War: an exhibition of Ulster engagement in the Great War with a range of period memorabilia in the Memorial Hall’s Black Room – 10am-5pm.

Regretably Furlo is unable to make our lunchtime Culture Bite at the Cafe Nervosa 12.30-2.30pm. Delighted though to have Rainy Boy Sleep instead.

We have a few last minute changes to the published schedule. Check www.maidencityfestival.com for daily schedules which we are keeping up to date.

The Bluegrass on the Walls line-up has changed a little, with the addition of David Hope & The Henchmen. And the Bluestack Mountain Boys are in fact the Blackstack Mountain Boys.

Monday lunchtime at the Cafe Nervosa on Magazine Street, our Culture Bite will not be Eoin O’Callaghan and will instead be local band Intermission – again full details on the Maiden City Festival website.

On Wednesday Janet Dowd will be at the Boston Tea Party in the Craft Village. Originally it was to have been Mons Wheeler.

And on Wednesday evening the inside spread of our printed programme says the Crimson Players will be at the Verbal Arts Centre on Wednesday when they will of course be at the Memorial Hall at 8pm-10pm with their annual Variety Show.

Other than those very small changes in a very large programme everything is up to date. Double check the website listing for each day to be sure.

All that is left to say is enjoy the Festival.

In the meantime….

We’ve had a delayed start to confirming the 2011 Festival programme. The elections seem to have delayed some funders in being able to sort the paperwork. But we will get there.

Sorting through some old discs while waiting, a number for 2005 were found forgotten on a shelf. One held a series of clips from that year when we first started to explore the history of the Memorial Hall as an entertainment centre in the city, and in particular from the 1960s. The Woodlanders were a resident band at the time, in the mid sixties. In 2005 they reformed for the Festival for one night, 40 years on, to relive the Memories of the swinging heydays.

This little video is not a professional cut, but hopefully it captures some of the enthusiasm and meaning of what it was for these guys to return after all those years. Especially about what the MEM meant to them all. Then, again by accident, found a wee video on YouTube about the Woodlanders and the MEM; a poem, don’t know much more about it.

Great guys, super musicians. Thanks to: Jackie Graham, Drummer; Mike Wells, Guitar and Vocals; Alan Peoples, Bass and Harmony; Billy Haslett, Lead Guitar.

And the poem…

Been trying to get in touch with the guys in the video again. If anyone sees them, tell them to contact us through the website.

Although the Festival is one week in August, we have managed to stretch it out through the use of social media. So you can check out some of the Maiden City Festival 2010 memories (and from other years) on Flickr, YouTube and keep up to date on Facebook. Links to all are on our website www.maidencityfestival.com

Enjoy, and keep on enjoying favourite moments from the Maiden City Festival.

Tonight broadcasting from the Memorial Hall Live ~ Them Beatles!

Tonight’s Imperial Corps of Drums ‘Tribute to Liverpool’ followed by THEM BEATLES is sold out. Ticket only.

If you are too late and still want to hear the Imperial Corps of Drums you are able to do that by connecting just before 8pm to the Apprentice Boys website and navigating to www2.apprenticeboys.co.uk/features/webcast

So if you have forgetten to get your ticket early, at least you have an alternative.

For all those who were unable to join us at the Maiden City Festival in person for whatever reason, we hope our webcasts have been welcome and any feedback on reception would be appreciated. We would like to expand this in the future, so comment is beneficial in our first foray into this field.

The Maiden City Festival is webcasting LIVE!!

Some young people have been working at the Verbal Arts Centre over the past few days. They have been exploring Protestant culture and traditions from a starting point of knowing very little. Their experience will be broadcast on Isishowen Community Radio 105+107.6FM on Wednesday 11th August 10am-11am and repeated 8pm-9pm, or online at www.pcrfm.ie