Perth's three month long Scottish Tides-Polish Spring celebrations reach a conclusion in May with a ‘mega-gig' featuring four top Polish comic acts and a high octane performance from Scotland's hottest contemporary fiddle ensemble.
Sharing in the universal language of laughter on Saturday 9 May at Perth Concert Hall, award-winning Polish comic trio, Ani Mru Mru celebrate their 10th anniversary in style with their only Scottish gig this year. They will be joined by masters of unusual gadgets and props, Dno, Polish comedy cabaret act Smile and Lowcy. B whose improvisational style and abstract humour has won a string of international comedy awards. Often compared to British comedians, Reeves and Mortimer, Ani Mru Mru will be visiting Perth for the first time after several recent sellout UK tours.
Sunday 10 May is all about the music when Blazin' Fiddles take to the stage with their signature fast-fiddling show.
The Blazers will be debuting their new line up. Anna Massie (BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2003 and winner of the Scot Trad Music Award for Best Folk Band 2006) joins the band on guitar and fiddle, replacing Aidan O'Rourke and Marc Clement who have moved on to work on other projects.
Having grown from a showcase tour of individual fiddlers highlighting the distinctive flavours of Highlands and Islands fiddle music, Blazin' Fiddles have now been together for ten years developing a healthy world-wide following. No other band captures the excitement, passion and sensitivity of Scottish music quite like the Blazers.
With newly announced support from Polish folk act Dautenis providing an added Baltic taste to the evening, Blazin' Fiddles will delve into the regional styles of each fiddler and shine a light on some of the musical heritage that links the traditional music of Scotland and Poland.
Dautenis will employ fiddles, pedal accordion, Polish frame drum, big baraban drum and high-pitched vocals to showcase what can be referred to as Polish traditional music from the ancient to the future.
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra brings the Scottish Tides-Polish Spring classical programme to a close on Friday 8 May. The orchestra will be joined in Perth Concert Hall by Tasmin Little for a rarely heard live performance of the little known but warmly passionate violin concerto by Polish composer Mieczyslaw Karlowicz.
Author and broadcaster Billy Kay draws on a lifetime of exploring, writing and broadcasting about Scots, their culture and journeys across the globe reflecting on the history of the Scots in Poland, Prussia and Russia with his illustrated talk - The Scottish World A Forgotten Diaspora - on 10 May in Perth Concert Hall.
The third and last of the Horsecross contemporary art residences features an exhibition by Polish artist Julita Wojcik, taking simple, everyday home chores, usually attributed to women and transforming them into artworks for the Threshold artspaces at Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre.
Organised by Horsecross, with support from Homecoming Scotland 2009 and Perth and Kinross Council, Scottish Tides-Polish Spring forms part of the national Homecoming celebrations.
Concentrated over several weekends from February to May, Scottish Tides-Polish Spring features a range of unique collaborations, performances, exhibitions and events at Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre.
For more information about individual Scottish Tides-Polish Spring events and tickets, call Horsecross Box Office on 01738 621 031 or visit http://www.horsecross.co.uk/