Monthly Archives: October 2010

Love Music Festival

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A landmark festival of international live music for children aged four to eighteen kicks off on 1 November. Love Music presents an exotic programme of performances, from throat singing and beatboxing, to funky bluegrass and jazz-infused Balkan klezmer.

Love Music is designed to encourage musical curiosity and experimentation, helping young people to explore and expand the breadth of their musical knowledge.

Supported by £480,000 of National Lottery investment, through Creative Scotland’s Inspire fund, the festival will tour nationally throughout Scotland, visiting the Borders, East Ayrshire, Glasgow, Fife, Shetland, Aberdeenshire, the Highlands and the Western Isles.

As well as performances taking place across the country, the Love Music website offers a range of online music resources for young people, teachers and the wider public to inform and excite their curiosity.  The Love Music festival Jukebox allows listeners to rate and tag tracks and to learn more about the music that has inspired them. A wide range of free music resources are also hosted on this site and by Love Music Festival’s education partner, Glow

Venu Dhupa Director of Creative Development for Creative Scotland said ‘Love Music Festival is a brilliant project, led by the unstoppable Stephen Deazley. Introducing new and exotic sounds to young people at the time their musical appetites are developing, in communities from the Borders to the Western Isles, is a fantastic way to develop audiences and the next generation of musicians. The inspiring programme and the resources that are offered alongside the festival allow students and parents alike to explore new, exciting and inspiring music’

The Festival has been conceived and curated by Northern Irish-born composer and renowned educationalist Stephen Deazley, and is produced by the organisation Music at the Brewhouse.

Artists include Jonny Axelsson (Sweden), Creaking Tree String Quartet (Canada), Eva Quartet (Bulgaria), Hobbit (UK), Huun Huur Tu (Tuva), Sokobauno with Sarah Kenchington (UK), Kolektif Istanbul (Turkey), Trio pour un p’tit pois (France), Mamadou Diabate (Mali) Oren Marshall & The Charming Transport Band (UK) and Sväng (Finland).

Alford Millers go to town!

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A family-run business that runs the last commercial water-powered oat mill in Scotland is supplying Waitrose Scottish stores with two exclusive products.

This month, Oatmeal of Alfords’ Scottish Porridge Oats and Scottish Muesli with Strawberry & Hazelnut go on sale exclusively at Waitrose stores in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The Oatmeal of Alford, based in Aberdeenshire, is run by the Medlock family. They mill oats at Montgarrie Meal Mill and turn them into traditional oat products such as oatmeal, porridge and muesli.

The three Waitrose stores in Scotland now stock around 300 Scottish lines including Alford’s Medium Oatmeal.

Tracey Marshall, Waitrose Local and Regional Sourcing Manager, said how pleased Waitrose were to be adding two more Oatmeal of Alford lines to their Scottish selection. She said:

“The products are made from home-grown Scottish oats, which are traditionally prepared and processed. They’re delicious and authentic and Oatmeal of Alford’s are a perfect example of the type of local supplier we love to work with.”

John Medlock is delighted to be working with Waitrose:  He said:

“Waitrose really understand about good food that’s carefully and sustainably produced. We pride ourselves on being “the best of the best” in Scottish oats products, so I am thrilled to be able to offer oat aficionados more of our authentic products through Waitrose. Working with them, is a fantastic way to build our business and introduce our products to a wider audience.”

The Medlock family pride themselves for selling 100 percent home grown oats from their farm at Mains of Haulkerton, Laurencekirk.  They are harvested at the farm and then transported to the mill where they are dried on an iron kiln and milled using traditional methods which have been used for over a century.  After milling they are then taken back to the farm to be packed, or other ingredients such as dried fruit and nuts are added, depending on what the final product is.

The Aberdeen Reporter

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The Aberdeen Reporter is the hyperlocal news website for Aberdeen. It is aimed at people living and/or working in the city, although some of the content will also be relevant for visitors.

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