Maiden City Festival Weblog

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.

We’ve been busy since the last post.  At the end of November we launched a new mini website containing a Tribute to William Love.  This was a selection of original compositions and arrangements by Londonderry man William Love, who grew up in the Fountain and played in many of the bands around the City.  The Festival was delighted to have the Black Skull Corps of Fife & Drums playing these tunes and more at a a very special concert in the Memorial Hall. More can be found by clicking on this photo’s caption. This was taken when we unveiled a commemorative plaque close to where his home once stood on Wapping Lane.

TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM LOVE

Then, just this past weekend a new site was launched in time for the Anniversary date of 18th December, the Shutting of the Gates, when apprentices closed the gates against soldier’s loyal to King James. The impact of this spontaneous defiance was to lead to the siege of Londonderry 1688-1689, the consequences of which were of European importance. The Festival’s presentation of the Siege Story in St Columb’s Cathedral, itself of great historic significance to Siege times, is a ‘promenade’ style performance as each actor leads us to the next step along the Siege Story. We hope you enjoy, and perhaps even think about coming to see a live performance at the Maiden City Festival 2010.

THE SIEGE STORY

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.

On this Remembrance Sunday the Maiden City Festival has launch a small website dedicated to the ‘The Derrys’, the 10th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. This is the final part of the Festival programme which was based on the book was first published in 1991 and published as an updated second edition in this past year. The book has the benefit of reminisces of two old soldiers, Jim Donaghy from Londonderry and Leslie Bell from Moneymore.

Our video provides a short introduction presented by the author at the launch of the project in the Playhouse, though this was followed during Festival week by a full multi-media presentation. The Launch also drew attention to how the interest in the story of The Derrys sparked wider interest in the history of the First World War, and how that led to interest in the names of the Fallen on the City’s War Memorial.

Throughout Festival week, a number of young men explored the story within the book and on the Friday of the Festival week, these workshops provided a dramatic interpretation the books themes. It is a distinction of this project that the young men from Londonderry who explored the story of The Derrys are of the same age as those who volunteered for the Great War.

The week’s project is wrapped up in a song first performed at the launch of the project, by Josh Goforth. He had been thinking for some time of writing a song about soldiers serving abroad, with contemporary conflicts in mind. When he was a lad he would ask his grandfather about time served in World War Two. When he asked his grandfather where he fought, the answer was ‘Far Across the Sea’. The words seem as apt for our own generation as it was for his grandfather’s.

The real time final day of the Festival is here. Looking forward to the  short drama pieces based on the book “Three Cheers for The Derrys” at the Playhouse Theatre at 1pm.  Will probably just make the end of Balkan Alien Sound at the Verbal Arts Theatre.  Of course there are those other Culture Bite sessions at the other lunchtime venues. Afternoon feet up at the Memorial Hall for an afternoon of light entertainment. Wish.

Remember, after the Festival week is over we will continue to upload pictures and videos and update here on the Weblog. 

Videos from Festival performances will be at http://www.youtube.com/user/MaidenCityFestival

Pictures are being posted on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/maidencityfestival/collections/