Great Scot September 2019 Great Scot 157_September 2019_ONLINE | Page 75

TARTAN FESTIVAL
– a rousing celebration
of all things Scottish
What better way to kick off the 2019
Melbourne Tartan Festival than a five-course
whisky dinner at the Westin Melbourne on
10 July?
Executive Chef Matt Greenlaw created
a menu matched to five premium single
malt whiskies from some of the world's
finest distilleries, including the Macallan,
Bruichladdich, and Australia’s own Nant
Distillery. Whisky Ambassador Andrew
Buntine guided guests through this exquisite
whisky journey.
Then followed a week of history,
genealogy and pop-up events in and around
Melbourne’s CBD, including a performance
by Scotch’s Pipes and Drums at the iconic
Block Arcade in Collins Street.
A high energy Ceilidh dance with music
by the Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club was
a sellout, with audiences mainly drawn from
the 20 to 45+ age groups. A great night was
had by all, with many guests commenting
that it was ‘better exercise and more fun
than a workout at the gym!’.
On 13 July there was an all-day
genealogy seminar at the RACV City Club,
while across town the Victorian Solo Piping
Championships were underway, A Hawthorn
Pipe Band Concert, ‘Taking Flight’, closed
out the evening with an outstanding line-up
of guest artists.
Traditional Scottish singer Fiona Ross
performed at Kew Courthouse on 14 July
with her concert ‘In the Footsteps of Jean
Redpath – In the Burns Tradition’. Fiona had
performed the show in Scotland in March
at Culzean Castle to much acclaim, and its
Australian debut did not disappoint.
The premier event of the festival was the
Gala Dinner and Concert at the Melbourne
Town Hall, held on the evening of 20 July.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp welcomed guests,
and a traditional Address to a Haggis by Fiona
Ross followed. Victorian Scottish Heritage
Cultural Foundation Chairman, Hamish
Tadgell (‘85) addressed guests, thanking
them for their support. Hamish spoke of
the work undertaken by the VSHCF and its
key role in support of the Melbourne Tartan
Festival. Hamish also spoke of the many
VSHCF grants to Victorian Scottish highland
gatherings, pipe bands, pipers, dancers
and community events made possible by the
work of the foundation and donor support.
Guests were then treated to a night
of excellent food, with outstanding
entertainment by the Melbourne Scottish
Fiddle Club, the Hawthorn Pipe Band and
Scots/Italian singer John Carlo Bellotti with
Celtic rock band Claymore closing out the
evening. Claymore once again had everyone
up dancing and rocking to the beat,
including many Scotch Family members.
Sunday morning, 20 July, was a little
more subdued. The final day of the festival
began with a Kirkin’ ‘o the Tartan service
at Scots Church in Collins Street. Tartan
bearers representing a number of clans
presented their tartans for blessing after
being piped in.
On Sunday afternoon, Melbourne
was literally brought to a standstill, as
the Melbourne Tartan Festival Tartan Day
Massed Pipe Band paraded down Collins
Street. Nine bands, many including Old
Scotch Collegians, and Scotch’s Pipes and
Drums took part in what is planned to be an
annual event.
SCOTT MONTGOMERY ('85)
SECRETARY - VICTORIAN SCOTTISH
HERITAGE CULTURAL FOUNDATION
www.scotch.vic.edu.au Great Scot
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