Festival of Small Halls heading to Whiporie

RICHMOND Valley residents will get the opportunity to embrace the magic of live music and celebrate the beauty of small communities as Australia’s largest regional music tour makes its way to Whiporie next month.

Supported by Richmond Valley Council and getting underway at 6.30pm on Saturday 27 January in the Whiporie Community Hall, The Festival of Small Halls, now in its 37th year, is a unique celebration of music which brings talented artists to intimate venues in charming small towns and rural communities.

The Richmond Valley community can expect a fun night of entertainment from Ryan Young and Alana Wilkinson, who are this year’s features to the 2023-2024 Summer Tour Festival of Small Halls.

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Focusing on traditional Scottish music, Ryan Young brings new life to old, often forgotten tunes by playing them in his own unique way. His fiddle playing brims with fresh melodic ideas, an uplifting rhythmic drive and a great depth of dynamics and precision.

“I have long wanted to tour in Australia and see this model of grass roots touring as a wonderful way to get a real sense of the communities, landscapes, cultures in beautiful NSW,” he said.

A huge crowd packed the Russell Island Recreation Hall to enjoy great live music – Photo source from Festival of Small Halls.

“I am really excited to share the traditional music of Scotland with audiences and I look forward to learning from and sharing with all those we encounter along the way.”

Combining delicate melodies with disarmingly insightful vignettes about the human condition, Alana Wilkinson is a smiling assassin. Her songs skewer ex-lovers, would-be suitors, ridiculous social norms and the absurd challenges of a suburban upbringing in a merciless, yet strangely affectionate way, leaving audiences feeling like they’re sitting in her living room, chatting about life over a steaming cuppa.

“I am over the moon to be heading out on the Small Halls Tour; something special happens when music veers off the beaten tour track and settles into regional towns,” she said.

More than just a series of concerts, the Festival of Small Halls is a celebration of community spirit. Join locals and visitors alike in embracing the warmth and hospitality of small-town life, creating lasting memories and forging new connections.

Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased from Richmond Valley Council’s offices in Casino and Evans Head, the Whiporie General Store, or online at festivalofsmallhalls.com

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