Singing in the Rain at St Andrew’s Night Party
The Scottish Executive-sponsored “One Scotland Many Cultures” party to mark St Andrew’s Day attracted an estimated 2,000 – 3,000 spectators over the course of the nine-hour event at Falcon Square, Inverness, despite constant heavy rain and strong winds.
The music of Scotland provided the heart of the show with local band Schiehallion topping a varied bill that featured local youth bands Twist of Fate, Fade2Black, Deviate and the Inverness Traditional Music Programme’s TMC Folk. Each of the bands brought something different to the show but still managed to have the crowd dancing.
The square was filled with many families looking at the giant images projected on Falcon Square. Video Artist John McGeoch of “Arts in Motion”. Evanton, has been commissioned to produce a film montage featuring residents and the cultural diversity of modern Inverness.
The montage featured pupils of Crown Primary School, Inverness, who had been chosen in recognition of their success in winning the City’s Junior Highland Games and the warmth of welcome they have given to children from other countries who have moved to their school.
Also screened was extracts from the Highland Muslim Educational Association's new film ‘I'm quite unique’, which showed young people of many different origins working together to create a multicultural fashion show in Inverness and this year’s City of Inverness Highland Games.
The event started at 1pm with a 3-hour live broadcast of Moray Firth Radio’s “Knoxy in the Afternoon” show. Diane Knox then handed over to Host DJ Andi “Candoo” Stephen, who played dance music from 31 countries throughout the evening.
The Highland Council’s Events and Promotions Officer Gerry Reynolds, said : “The Scottish Executive challenged us to try and make the Inverness event as memorable as possible. Thanks to the weather, the performers and especially the crowd who gathered in the shallow end at Falcon Square determined to have a great time, I don’t think anyone will be forgetting this party in a hurry."