Much-loved Moray festival Speyfest made its return this weekend.
Bringing the best in Celtic and traditional Scottish music to Fochabers the event celebrating its very special 25th edition.
It also stopped for a poignant reflection of the event’s founder James M Alexander passed who passed away earlier this year.
Held in a pop-up tented village on the town’s playing fields, this is the first time the family-friendly festival has been held since the pandemic.
Emotional and triumphant
It was an emotional and triumphant return, with around 4,000 people passing through the gates across the three days.
Visitors enjoyed moving concerts and lively stomps and sessions involving more than 70 musicians across 39 performances, all backed by around 100 sponsors and supporters.
Whisky and gin tastings, a craft fair, musical workshops and a Celtic Kirk service completed the packed Speyfest 2022 schedule.
Local and emerging talent including The Milne’s High School Fiddlers, The Arc Fiddlers and Colin Campbell delighted audiences alongside the biggest names in traditional music today including the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Phil Cunningham, RURA, Elephant Sessions, Skerryvore, Duncan Chisholm, Anna Massie and Claire Hastings.
The festival fittingly opened with a minute’s applause in memory of James M Alexander led by his four grandsons, while Sunday saw his musical legacy honoured with a performance from some of his closest musical colleagues.
These included Charlie McKerron, Douglas Lawrence, Paul Anderson and Gregor Borland. Other Speyfest legends, Roddy Munro, Joe Duncan and Charlie Glass, who were also honoured over the course of the weekend.
The festival marked its 25th anniversary with a limited edition special batch gin in partnership with AVVA Scottish Gin and loyal Speyfest audiences flocked to nab themselves a piece of Speyfest 25 merchandise.
Ashleigh Macgregor, Speyfest Association chairwoman, said: “It was truly fantastic to see so many people flooding through the gates of Speyfest this weekend and joining us for our long-awaited 25th birthday celebrations.
“We’d like to thank everyone who has supported the festival’s return and who cares so deeply about this special event.
‘Heartwarming three days’
“This weekend was a reminder of just how important Speyfest is in providing a platform for local musical talent and makers, bringing exceptional music to Fochabers and a place for the community to gather together in celebration once again.
“It has been a heartwarming three days.”
She continued: “It was also incredibly important to us that James Alexander’s incredible impact on the festival and traditional music across the region was honoured and I know so many of us were incredibly moved by the minute’s applause and Sunday’s musical tribute.
“We hope we made him proud this weekend, it has been well worth the wait for the whole team involved.”
First held in 1995, Speyfest has grown from a local event with one small tent holding around 300 people, to a 1500-capacity festival and much-loved jewel in the traditional music calendar in the north-east.
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