Great Scot September 2018 Gt Scot_154_September_online | Page 79

A rousing
start
for the
Melbourne
Tartan
Festival
SCOTCH COLLEGE PIPES AND DRUMS PLAYING IN THE BLOCK ARCADE AS PART OF THE INAUGURAL MELBOURNE TARTAN FESTIVAL
A flash mob performance by the Scotch
Pipes and Drums under the dome of
Melbourne’s historic Block Arcade on Thursday
19 July set the scene most spectacularly for the
inaugural Melbourne Tartan Festival, held from
19 to 22 July. Those lucky enough to be present
were treated to a rousing performance which
almost raised the roof and brought shoppers
running from all directions, cameras at the
ready. The Age was so impressed that it ran a
two-page spread the following day.
That evening few people stayed seated
when Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club took to
the stage at the historic Abbotsford Convent’s
Rubina Auditorium. Even heavy rain didn’t deter
the 145 people on hand, some experiencing
a Ceilidh dance for the very first time. (Ceilidh,
pronounced ‘kay-lee’ is a version of Scottish
country dancing.) Among the attendees were
people from many cultural backgrounds, as well
as those with Scottish or Celtic heritage.
The four Genealogy Day sessions at the
Genealogical Society of Victoria headquarters
in Queen Street on Friday 20 July were fully
subscribed and very well received. The sessions
introduced participants to family history
research, with guidance from experienced
Genealogical Society volunteer researchers.
Undoubtedly the centrepiece of the festival
was the Gala Dinner in the Melbourne Town
Hall on Saturday 21 July. The 300 guests were
piped into the red carpeted entrance, where they
enjoyed drinks and canapes before entering the
main hall for the dinner and concert. Victorian
Scottish Heritage Cultural Foundation (VSHCF)
Chairman, Hamish Tadgell (‘85), welcomed
guests, which was followed by an address by
guest speaker, the Hon Ted Baillieu. The Victoria
Police Pipe Band, the Melbourne Scottish
Fiddle Club and singer Fiona Ross entertained
guests throughout the evening, and the final act
performed by Celtic rock band Claymore had
everyone on their feet dancing at the front of the
stage. Two large screens and lighting effects
contributed to the ‘concert’ feel; one guest
commented that it was ‘like being at a concert
with fabulous food as a bonus’.
The festival wrapped up on Sunday
morning with a Kirkin’ ‘o the Tartan service,
celebrating Scotland and Scottish heritage, at
the Scots Church in Collins Street, attended by
upwards of 800 people. Two pipers from the
Presbyterian Ladies’ College Pipe Band piped
in representatives carrying clan tartans. The
festival’s final event was a City of Melbourne Pipe
Band recital at Gordon Reserve in Spring Street.
The Tartan Festival, which showcases
Scottish culture to the broader Victorian
community, is a joint initiative of the VSHCF and
the Scots of Victoria Coordinating Group. As
the festival grows, it will include arts, literary and
science-based events.
The VSHCF, a major supporter of the
inaugural Melbourne Tartan Festival, was
established through a significant bequest from
Geoff Donaldson (‘31), to support Scottish
culture and heritage in all its forms. The
foundation is administered by stakeholders from
OSCA and the Melbourne Scots.
SCOTT MONTGOMERY ('85)
SECRETARY - VICTORIAN SCOTTISH
HERITAGE CULTURAL FOUNDATION
www.scotch.vic.edu.au Great Scot
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