The Session Trail will feature guest-led sessions and singarounds in The Harbour Bar, The Westcliffe Hotel, The Royal Hotel, The Vaults & Flynn’s Boatyard. The Wee School Art Space in the Old Invergarven School is available till 5:00pm on Saturday and Sunday for quiet tunes in an alcohol-free environment.
The Session Trail will feature guest-led sessions and singarounds:
Friday 1st May
- Welcome session with Morgan’s Men & Christina & Tim in The Westcliffe from 5:00pm
- Songs of all stripes in The Westcliffe bar from 7:30pm with Girvan Folk & Music Club
- The Barstools Big Session in The Westcliffe from 8:00pm
- Evening session in The Vaults from 9:00pm with the Roving Pedlars & pals
- Songs & tunes into the wee hoors with Morgan’s Men in the Catholic Hall from 10:30pm
Saturday 2nd May
- Scottish tunes in The Royal with the Kirkpatrick & Pennycook families, 2:00pm
- Tunes & songs in The Vaults from 2:00pm with with the Roving Pedlars & members of Feannag.
- Songs & ballads after the Bobby Robb Concert in The Westcliffe Dining Room from 5:00pm
- Songs & tunes in The Westcliffe Dining Room from 7:30pm with Girvan Folk & Music Club
- Irish session with Mick O’Brien & Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh in the Vaults from 9:00pm
- Songs & tunes into the wee hoors with Morgan’s Men in the Catholic Hall from 10:30pm
Sunday 3rd May
- Ballads & songs with Steven Clark & Aileen Carr in the Westcliffe following the Ballad Bus
- Tunes with Tim Edey & Festival friends in The Vaults from 2:30pm
- Tunes with Fiddle & Fret in Flynn’s Boatyard from 2:00pm
- Tunes with the Roving Pedlars in the Harbour Bar lounge from 6:00pm
- Songs & tunes with Girvan Folk & Music Club in the Westcliffe Hotel from 7:30pm
- Farewell session in the Westcliffe Hotel 11:00pm till close.
What tunes are played at Girvan?
We’re sometimes asked for a list of tunes that are played at the Girvan sessions.
The problem is, there is no typical Girvan session. One session might be wall-to-wall jigs and reels from the Irish tradition while another is non-stop West Highland 2/4 marches.
However, as folk keep asking we’ve decided we could start making up a list of tunes that would fit well in most of the sessions, so here goes…
Hoddom Castle
A criminally underplayed classic from South West Scotland.
Eilidh Shaw & Russell Hunter play Hoddom Castle
Union Street Session
A great session reel from the Cape Breton tradition from fiddler, tunesmith, publisher and retired lightousekeeper Paul Cranford.
Learn Union Street Session on the North Atlantic Tune List.
Sean Smyth plays Union Street Session with Carlos Sweeney McCartin