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Battlefield Band
Forward with Scotland’s Past
Whangarei are in for a Highland treat on Monday 2 June, when one of Scotland’s foremost bands The Battlefield Band return to play at Forum North.
Waipu Museum Manager Patsy Montgomery said that they are proud to be bringing the Battlefield Band back again to Forum North.
“Last year’s almost sellout concert delighted the audience with music and songs that plucked the heartstrings and stirred the spirit. Most New Zealanders can claim some Scottish ancestry and New Zealand society owes much to the ideals and spirit of the Scots. The Battlefield Band have encompassed much of this tradition and their songs combine a contemporary social relevance to the modern world with a deep sense of history and tradition. Their musicianship is pure wizardry. Prepare to be astonished by them. The supporting act will be Whangarei’s very own Scottish Fiddle Group Fiddlelore!”
Under their banner ‘Forward with Scotland’s Past’, Battlefield Band have been performing on the international scene for more than three decades, inspired by their rich heritage of Celtic music and fired by the strength of the modern Scottish cultural scene. The band, who pioneered the integration of bagpipes with fiddle, keyboards, guitar and voice, mix the old songs and tunes with new self-penned material, playing them on a unique fusion of ancient and modern instruments:
bagpipes, synthesizers, fiddles, guitars, cittern, bass, whistles, and bouzouki.
Founded by a group of friends in 1969 and named after the ‘Battlefield’ area of Glasgow, Battlefield Band now perform throughout the world, playing to audiences in Europe, Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Canada, as well as more than 60 cities annually in the United States.
In September 13 2003, Battlefield Band were awarded Best Live Act at the first annual Scots Traditional Music Awards.
This is the band that others measure themselves against. Over the years new members have brought with them new ideas, new music, new instruments, attitudes and influences, leading to continued creativity, freshness and enthusiasm. After 30 years they still lead the way for Scottish music, always involving their ever widening audience as they travel the world.
“What the internationally renowned Irish band, the Chieftains, has done for traditional Irish music, Battlefield Band is doing for the music of Scotland …”
Jeff Nesbit, BILLBOARD
Forum North, Exhibition Hall, Monday 2 June, 2pm
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