Festival aims to show why poet Hamish really did matter

The life and works of a Perthshire poet credited as being a catalyst for the folk revival in Scotland is being celebrated in his home town this weekend.

Hamish Matters is a new Blairgowrie and Rattray festival featuring live music, storytelling, sessions and film celebrating the life and works of Hamish Henderson.

Born in Blairgowrie in 1919, the renowned Scottish poet, writer and folk archivist was introduced to folksong by his mother, who brought him up to speak Gaelic.

As well as being a decorated soldier in the Second World War, Mr Henderson travelled throughout Scotland with the renowned American folklorist Alan Lomax.

Henderson and Lomax brought together and recorded performers from the various traditions of Scottish music, in particular, the Gaelic singing of the Western Isles, Aberdeenshire bothy ballads and border ballads.

Henderson, who died in 2002, also worked with Blairgowrie writer Maurice Fleming and became renowned for recording the music of the travelling people of Strathmore.

Featuring on the programme are a showing of Robbie Fraser’s documentary Hamish: the story of a Scottish Cultural Icon in Rattray Halls this afternoon and a ceilidh this evening in Blairgowrie Town Hall.

Information is available from the Hamish Matters’ Facebook page and tickets for the ceilidh are available from Blairgowrie Library on 01250 871305 or from Rattray Community Connect on 01250 871538.

Hamish Henderson is being celebrated in Blairgowrie.