A shout-out for the Tim Kliphuis Trio who performed for us on 3rd March. We were privileged to hear pieces from their suite “The Five Elements”, which Tim describes as “an ode to the Earth and at the same time a wake-up call for humanity”. The five elements are Earth, Air, Water. Fire and Quintessence. They are currently in the USA where, amongst other commitments, they will perform a mix of Water and Earth at the opening ceremony of the UN Water Conference in the General Assembly in UN Headquarters, New York on 22nd March!
The Trio will be joined by Tadjik dutar (lute) musician, Sirojiddin Juraev – The Netherlands and Tadjikistan are co-hosting the conference, hence this musical collaboration. You can see this performance live on UN Web TV on Wednesday 22 March at 9AM New York time (1PM UK time) via https://media.un.org/en/webtv/schedule/2023-03-22
The piece will be followed by a short film about water problems around the world and a speech by the Dutch King, Willem-Alexander.
Many thanks to Sirocco Winds for their excellent workshop at West Kilbride Primary School on 17th February, courtesy of the Nicola Benedetti Education Fund.
Their concert in the Village Hall same evening was enthusiastically received by the large audience who had braved the inclement weather.
Our 2022-23 season was fabulously opened by the Ayoub Sisters. Scottish-Egyptian sisters Laura and Sarah stunned a packed West Kilbride Village Hall with their renditions of classical and fusion music, complemented by exciting electronic effects. The previous afternoon they had played to 200 children at West Kilbride Primary School – courtesy of the Nicola Benedetti Education Fund – engaging them with a variety of inspirational pieces. For music fans hoping to see them again soon, they are at Oran Mor in Glasgow on April 17th 2023.
WELL DONE ANGUS!
Angus Kerr, who for many years was Chair of MiWK, has been awarded the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS). The award is given to those architects who, in the view of the Council of the RIAS, have made an outstanding life-long contribution to architecture in Scotland. It is the highest accolade within Scottish architecture.
As well as many years of outstanding service to MiWK, Angus also gave freely of his time, expertise and energy to design the refurbished (and also award winning) Barony Exhibition Centre in West Kilbride. Angus joins a very select list of eminent architects who have received the RIAS Lifetime Achievement award since 2008.
Congratulations to our final ensemble of the 2021-22 season, the Fergus McCreadie Trio on being finalists for the Mercury Prize. The Trio performed Unfurrowed Field from their album Forest Floor at the Eventim Apollo on 18 October, and can be viewed on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmATkNjAbs4 Three days later they went one better when Forest Floor won the Scottish Album of the Year award in Stirling.
Music in West Kilbride 