Online ticket sales have ended, but we still have limited space for walk-ins (door prices: R100 adults, R50 pensioners, R0 children). Arrive early to avoid disappointment, and to grab a good seat!
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Family friendly

Carols & Kilts 2020 at Shongweni Farmers Market

Sat Dec 5, 15:00 - Sat Dec 5, 17:00

Shongweni Farmer's Market

ABOUT

Presenting the eighth annual production of Carols & Kilts with Durban Caledonian Society Pipe Band and Friends - an opportunity to kick off the festive season with a blend of highland music and Christmas carols.



Featuring:


  • A medley of well-known Christmas carols arranged for the highland bagpipe
  • An array of talented supporting vocalists and maestros on electric, acoustic and bass guitar, keyboard, saxophone, penny-whistle, drum-kit, djembe and cowbell
  • Old bagpipe favourites such as The Flower of Scotland and Auld Lang Syne
  • A few more contemporary sets requiring fancy fingerwork and dextrous drumming
  • Displays of skill and agility in both Irish- and Highland-dancing sets
  • The traditional rendition of the poet Robert Burns' Address To A Haggis. (Unfortunately we will not be serving samples of the haggis during intermission this year due to covid-19 concerns.)


This year the show returns to the Shongweni Farmer's Market for a relaxing musical Saturday afternoon overlooking the top of the Shongweni valley. Food and beverages will be available.


  • Adults: R90
  • Pensioners: R50
  • Children (Under 12): Free

Note that tickets will be available at the entrance, but at the increased price of R100 (pensioners and children unchanged). We encourage taking advantage of the lower pre-booking price to reserve your place and help us cater for the correct numbers.

FRIENDS

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Celtic Heartbeat
Melissa and Samantha have competed with great success at the highest level in both Irish and Highland dancing. They both hold an international Irish dance teaching qualification.  Dancing together as Celtic Heartbeat, they have performed in many productions, including Last Night of the Proms in Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg, and the well-known proudly-Durban show Shall We Dance.

The twins have performed together with the pipe band at concerts, ceilidhs, highland gatherings and even weddings, but a highlight we look forward to each year is their regular feature at Carols & Kilts.

This time Melissa will be sitting out the show, as she and her husband Cobus are expecting a baby soon, but Samantha has promised to dance twice as hard ;)
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Nicholas Mowbray
Veteran musician Nick Mowbray started playing nursery rhymes on the piano by ear at 4 years, started formal lessons from 7, and by the age of 12 had already fallen in with the wrong crowd and begun experimenting with risky flute, bagpipe and keyboard ensembles.  He has been accompanying the pipe band since 1999, regularly travelling all the way from Port Elizabeth to take part in our concerts and weddings.  He says this been by far the most enjoyable aspect of his musical journey.

Back home in his normal life Nick and his brother are now the 5th generation running the family business - retailing men's and school apparel, and manufacturing academic, legal, clerical and municipal attire.  His lovely wife and three children are also often seen supporting Nick and the band around the country.
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Alistair MacKenzie
Alistair is a longstanding member of the Durban Caledonian Society and a great friend to the band.  On a regular day he might be hiring out kilts and other highland regalia to the public (or to the odd bandsman who left his kit behind in Cape Town..) for weddings and events, or taking part in the North Beach park run.  Once or twice a year, however, he dons his gear, walks out on stage, and performs the immortal poetry of Rabbie Burns to a fresh, warm, delicious haggis.

It also happens that the band proudly wears the tartan of Alistair's clan - the deep blue and green of MacKenzie.
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Andy Turrel
Andy Turrel is a professional guitarist and an incredibly skilled and experienced musician.  He is kept fairly busy with his teaching, but can also often be heard performing at various venues around Durban.  The keen observer might spot him in a kilt occasionally, tapping a mean snare drum on the march, but it is his guitar skills that will be on display at Carols & Kilts, adding a whole other dimension to the pipes & drums.
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Cassie Rae
The newest addition to the Carols & Kilts cast, Cassie Rae is a local singer-songwriter, pianist and music teacher. She has been singing since age 12 and has performed on many of the major Durban stages. It was very early on that she knew she wanted to do music full time. She now holds her BAHons in Music and her Grade 8 Trinity Classical Piano certificate, and she plans on getting her formal teacher's certificate in order to better her musical and classroom knowledge. She is passionate about bringing music to the hearts of the youth.

A career highlight for Cassie Rae was being chosen to represent South Africa in a singing competition held in New York, where she placed 2nd in her category, but she is passionate about continuing her career right here in Durban, South Africa. Cassie Rae can most often be seen playing and singing at weddings and parties, with plans for her own music being made in the background. She loves knowing that her music can bring joy to the hearts of her listeners.

POSTER

DIRECTIONS

Carols & Kilts 2020 at Shongweni Farmers Market
Shongweni Farmer's Market
Lot 457., Mr551 Rd, Shongweni, 3650, South Africa
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