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.

As usual, the way funding works, it is uphill from April until now just getting the applications and questionnaires and paperwork sorted. Then there is the programme to build based on success or otherwise.

At this point we are pleased to say we have a full programme, and just still waiting on some final news that will enable us to announce the full programme early next week. 

In the meantime we are able to confirm that we are building on our living history presentations around the walls. Not only do we once again have The Siege Story in St Columbs Cathedral, we also have a new series of Siege Tales from seven characters around the Walls.  Our hugely successful lunchtime Culture Bite menu of lunchtime perfomances from singer/songwriters and solo/duo artists is expanding to three new venues.  There are lots of last year’s performances on our Maiden City Festival YouTube Channel.

Enjoy a lunchtime Culture Bite at venues within and around the historic Walls.

Our Line Dance Extravaganza looks on its way to be another extraordinary success on the opening Saturday night.  Also on the Saturday night, following an afternoon of Bluegrass around the Walls, we have an all female concert lineup of Bluegrass inspired performances in The Junction on Bishop Street.

Thursday night is band night, with the Imperial Corps of Drums from Liverpool bringing the Mersey to the Foyle, and Them Beatles finishing a night of tribute to the sounds of Liverpool.   

There is lot more, but we have to wait another day or so to complete the programme. So for full details, watch this blog or follow us on Facebook.  If you can’t wait go to www.maidencityfestival.com and connect to lots of our micro sites and webspaces created from previous events.

Work continues on the development of the series of microsites around the Maiden City Festival. The Derrys site was launched for Remembrance Sunday. For the Commemoration marking the 321st Anniversary of the Shutting of the Gates in December the Festival will launch The Siege Story, recordings of the five part ‘promenade’ performance of the story of the siege of Londonderry. We are hugely appreciative for the support of the Dean and Chapter of the historic St Columb’s Catherdral for hosting this event.

We’ve uploaded this first part, the story as told by a young apprentice Spike, to provide a taster. To view the complete story visit the Siege Story Micro Site Now

Thanks to Blue Eagle Productions.

Well it wasn’t a dry start to the Maiden City Festival.  Rain, however, could not stop play.  The first Siege Story was on the Walls today and some braved the wind and heavy showers to enjoy the dramatic interpretation of the Siege of Londonderry 1688-1689.

The Bluegrass Bands were in danger of being washed away, and moved under cover.  None the worse, shoppers and visitors enjoyed a great range of bluegrass and old time music.

The Knotty Pine Band played at Louis’s Cafe.

Woodbine took cover at the entrance to the Millennium Forum (above) while the Niall Toner Band sheltered in the Foyleside Centre, Acoustic Grass in the Richmond Centre and the Broken String Band took shelter under the arch of Magazine Gate at Guildhall Square.

Meanwhile Josh Goforth provided conversation on Mountain Life and Music. A native of Madison County, North Carolina, Josh talked of family, community and the music to which he listened as he grew up.

Josh provided a unique contribution to the opening of the Festival and the launch of the Three Cheers for “The Derrys” programme being hosted by the Playhouse Theatre in the coming week. More about “The Derrys” on Monday. For now, Josh sang a new song he has written which perfectly brought together the elements of “The Derrys” programme; history and community.  He explains the background to the song on the clip below.  While “The Derrys” programme has in mind those who fought and died, or were scarred, in World War 1, Josh brings to mind all those who leave to go “Far across the sea”. Our thoughts are with all those fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq and any theatre of conflict where loved-ones are parted.