The 2022 Robert Burns Scottish Festival (RBSF) is set to return to Camperdown, Victoria in July. The Festival’s Chairperson, Dr John Menzies OAM is pleased to announce that festival is going ahead and promises to be a great festival. After two years of covid restrictions and limited festival events last year due to the covid restrictions the committee are working hard to ensure that patrons and the local community can enjoy a full festival in 2022.
The committee members are working hard to secure and have invited back the musicians who were to perform at last years cancelled festival, these include The Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club, Fiona Ross and Shane O’Mara, Claire Patti, Austral, and Corner house bands are coming to Camperdown this year with a line-up of talented local bands and musicians including Pete Daffy and his band, Tuniversal Music Group, the Twa Bards, Camperdown’s Lakes and Craters Band and the Warrnambool Pipes and Drums, and further confirmation from bands to confirm they are coming to Camperdown in July.
A celebration of Burns
The international act, coming from the USA, is Scottish and Irish fiddler Laura Flanagan who will be performing at this year’s festival and conducting a series of Fiddle Workshops at the festival. Laura is based in Texas and arrives in Australia in early June, the committee is looking forward to hosting Laura and having her perform at this year’s festival. Early Bird tickets for the weekend will be available, with a festival weekend ticket for $50.00 per person, this ticket will allow patrons to go to all concerts at various venues from Friday until Sunday.
“The festival committee wants to acknowledge that the past two years have been difficult due to the Covid pandemic and want to encourage patrons to come along to the festival this year”, Dr Menzies said. Normal ticket entry is $20.00 per event so this is a great discount for festival patrons and a way of offering savings. The RBSF will see the return of the School Children’s Program with primary and secondary aged events including art works, poetry, story writing and the popular shortbread baking competition these activities will happen before the festival and delivered in the schools. Dr Menzies also said that schools can access programs from the Robert Burns World Federation at no cost and connecting to Scotland, the birthplace of Burns is a wonderful opportunity for students, to learn more about Burns. The festival committee is continuing with the Satellite Concerts and two events one at Darlington on June 25th with live music and a movie night. The second event will be at the Commercial Hotel in Terang on the Thursday 30th of June featuring Laura Flanagan and Tuniversal Music Group in concert at Terang.
The Gala Dinner will be held at the Theatre Royal on Friday the 1st of July and promises to be a sumptuous and authentic Scottish meal including an Address to the Haggis, headline performers and more, booking will be essential, and numbers will be capped at 100.
The popular Music Workshops will be held on the Wednesday, 29th June, Thursday 30th June and Friday 1st of July at the Commercial Hotel in Terang with festival musicians running instrumental workshops and on Saturday 2nd June Claire Patti will be conducting two choir workshops in Camperdown. There will be virtual master classes connecting our festival to the world.
Much on offer
The very popular Cookery Class will be happening with Liz Patterson and Ruth Gstrein which gave participants the opportunity to cook authentic Scottish food and eat a meal at the end of the session. Booking will be essential due to limited class sizes. Lecture co-ordinator Bob Lambell has organised four wonderful guest speakers for Saturday the July 2nd to be held at the Killara Centre. Wee Stories at the library for the children, activities in the avenue with music, Highland dancers and pipes will activate the Clock Tower precinct with market stalls and plenty of things to see and do. Several concerts at various venues over the weekend will be hosted so there is plenty of variety on offer.
Both Saturday and Sunday the Camperdown Heritage Centre and the Masonic Lodge will be open for folk to visit along with the Clock Tower. Highland dancing on Saturday will also be opened to the public and for the golfers the Robbie Burns Ambrose will be hosted at the Camperdown Golf Club. On Saturday evening the family night event with workshop participants coming together to provide the music at the Theatre Royal and smaller events at various venues including the local hotels will give patrons lots of choice. Sunday market stalls and children’s activities in the avenue, music with the Twa Bards and poetry at the statue in the morning with the Festival Finale Concert in the afternoon winding up the festival.
For more information on the festival and tickets see: www.campedownburnsfestival.com.au and www.Facebook.com/robertburnsfestival
Or contact Catherine O’Flynn RBSF Co-ordinator on: 0407 056 126.
Main photo: Fiona Ross and Shane O’Mara.