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Celebrate fruits of their labours in song
Clyde Valley orchards alive in song
Two FREE concerts and a songwriting workshop are taking place as part of a celebration of the iconic Clyde Valley orchards, during the Clyde and Avon Valley Festival in May.
The three events are part of the Lanarkshire Songwriters Fruits of Their Labours project, funded by Heritage Lottery Fund supported Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership (CAVLP), and will be set upon a backdrop of Clyde Valley orchards in bloom.
Through Fruits of Their Labours, the Lanarkshire Songwriters have collected oral histories from former local fruit growers and pickers and brought them to life through creating new orchard inspired songs with local schools, members of the public and the Songwriters.
The Lanarkshire Songwriters write songs with Overtown Primary School
See below for how YOU can get involved:
FREE Apple Day Concert, Kirkfieldbank Village Hall, Wednesday 10 May, 1:30 – 2:30pm. No booking required: Members of the public are invited to join the premier of Apple Day, a collection of new songs written and performed by pupils at Underbank Primary School and Kirkfieldbank Primary School in collaboration with the Lanarkshire Songwriters. Pupils at the former Overtown Primary School were also involved in writing songs and the Lanarkshire Songwriters will perform them on their behalf.
Songs will include such gems as ‘Apple Day,’ ‘Dung!’ ‘The Wee Rab Rap,’ and ‘Walking Down to the Clyde,’ which were written by the pupils, inspired by the oral histories and stories from the Lanarkshire Songwriters. Listen to the Apple Day album below and click on the Museum item at the bottom of this article to find out more.
FREE Fruits of Their Labours Songwriting Workshop, Crossford Inn, Sunday 14 May, 1 – 5pm. Book through Billy Stewart via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 01698 359 362: Join the Lanarkshire Songwriters for an afternoon workshop on the art of songwriting on the theme of the Clyde Valley orchards. Whether you’re starting out as a budding musician, or looking for guidance on how to progress, anyone is welcome to bring along their instrument and get stuck in.
Starting with an introduction to the steps of songwriting, the workshops will include groupwork to come up with lyrics and music and will end with an informal performance. Oral histories and archive material will be on hand to help inspire you, or you can bring along your own stories, objects, photos and ideas.
FREE Fruits of Their Labours Cappuccino Concert, Flowers of Scotland Garden Centre, Rosebank, 7:30 – 10pm. No booking required:
Acting as a very fitting finale to the Clyde and Avon Valley Festival, the Cappuccino Concert showcases the songs written by the Lanarkshire Songwriters as part of the Fruits of Their Labours project. The songs will be available to listen to online soon, along with the full Apple Day album which you can listen to now, on the link above or in the Museum items below.
Lanarkshire Songwriter Billy Stewart, who is leading the project says, “My family were involved in local fruit growing and horticulture, so this project is very special to me as. It was a fantastic experience to connect pupils with this special part of Clyde Valley history; which many of them did not know about.”
He continues, “Many of the Lanarkshire Songwriters had no experience or knowledge of this important industry and what its contribution had been. Through this project they have written and recorded a CD of songs which will be called FRUITS OF THEIR LABOUR with many of the songs drawing from actual experiences of people involved in fruit growing and horticulture.”
The Lanarkshire Songwriters teach pupils of Overtown Primary School about the history of fruit growing in the Clyde Valley
Karen Dobbins, CAVLP Development Officer for Fruits of their Labours says, “The Fruits of Their Labours songs and workshop are a wonderful tribute to what was once known as the historic Fruit Basket of Scotland.”
She continues, “CAVLP support over 70 projects that celebrate the unique landscape of the Clyde and Avon Valley, but Fruits of their Labours is the only project that celebrates it through song. We are very lucky to have been able to draw on the skills and expertise of the Lanarkshire Songwriters to create a lasting legacy of songs and oral histories. We hope to see as many local people as possible attending the event and supporting the children and the Lanarkshire Songwriters”.
The Lanarkshire Songwriters have been an established organisation on the local music scene for 19 years, meeting regularly at the Crossford Inn and are always open to new members. The group have a strong tradition of writing local folk songs in all styles, so new material created through the Fruits of Their Labours project will sit nicely alongside their repertoire which includes songs on the themes of Lanarkshire war heroes, Clydesdale horses, Covenanters and many more. Find out more about them at www.lanarkshiresongwriters.co.uk
The Clyde and Avon Valley Festival, featuring 38 family-friendly and unique events, takes place Saturday 6 – Sunday 14 May. From walks and talks to exclusive tours, children’s activities, an orchard open day, photography walks, Blossom Day and a Landscape and Heritage Conference, there’s something that everyone can enjoy. It ties in with Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017, #HHA2017, offering chances for the public to get under the skin of the Clyde and Avon Valley. For full listings and how to book, click here.
