Summer 2008

Hi everyone,

Finally I can stop long enough to write this and catch up on all that's been happening.

On the last blog I posted a photo of Auld of Clunie Farm. Since then I've downsized to a great wee cottage in a nearby village along with my cats Twilights and Hope. (See posted photo) Sadly one of my goats Paloma died while I was in the US but Rishlin is happily ensconced in her new home - a farm near Stirling where she shares a field with some pet sheep and a horse. I've had reports of her wandering to neighbour's farms to say hello!

Caim

We have had an exciting year so far. We toured Wisconsin in the Spring, which means Wisconsin under several feet of snow! Our friend and storyteller, Colleen Sutherland, organised great gigs for us in a variety of libraries which was interesting for me as I work as a relief library assistant in Perthshire when I'm off the road. We were also privileged to sing to patients in a hospice outside Madison and we returned to Cup O Joy, Christian coffee House in Greenbay for another concert with harpist Jeff Pockatt.

Leaving Wisconsin we travelled to North Carolina to meet our my space friend Suz. Suz gave us a fabulous week of sightseeing, meeting her family and sampling a different eating place each mealtime. We did a fair bit of singing too in her church, at a school for orphaned children and in Asheville. We hope to be back! Thank you Suz!! (The photo posted above is the view from Grandfather Mountain near Blowing Rock, North Carolina)

Our next visit to Wisconsin which will take in Missouri and Michigan, including Sault Ste Marie with Dunkeld poet Kenneth Steven, is being planned by Colleen for April 2009.

As I write, Jacynth has just left my wee cottage for Belfast after a Caim mini tour in England, taking in a church near Uttoxeter, a couple of birthday parties and the reason for the tour - a Caim ceilidh and singing at worship for the Community of Aiden and Hilda's weekend retreat at Redhill Christian Centre, Stratford upon Avon.

At the latter we heard a talk on Burma from Ben of Christian Solidarity Worldwide and two Burmese Christians, which sowed the seeds into each of our minds for Caim to become involved somehow with the refugee camps on the Thai/Burmese border. We have since emailed Ben and will be discussing with him Caim fund raising concerts for the camps and perhaps travelling to the Thai border and singing to the refugees there. We are excited about the possibility of using our music in this way and will keep you informed, especially as we may need to raise funds for our travel to Thailand.

Meanwhile next on our agenda is a return visit to Muskoka in Canada at the end of August and on the same trip, as we have airmiles to use up, to Florida for the first two weeks in September. Looking forward to catching up with friends and sunshine on that one! Our visit should coincide with the release of Caim's single "Healing God" to the Christian media in the States. At concerts we will have the single for sale along with our first DVD.

Heather Innes

Margaret Gillies Brown and I gave our third annual performance of poetry. prose and song at the A.K. Bell Library Theatre for Perth Festival of the Arts at the end of May and are now working on next year's program.

A highlight for me was singing a couple of songs during the program with Seoirse O Dochartaigh from Donegal. Seoirse and I recorded the songs while he was here at Red Barn Studios for a forthcoming CD from Margaret and myself which will be available next year. I began my folk singing career in a duo with Seoirse called Donegal Folk Weave which later became the Dulaman band. It was wonderful to sing together again and we are thinking about a joint Scots/Irish Gaelic project for the future.

Heather Innes & Ciaran Dorris

Ciaran, Kate Kramer and myself toured for the Council for Music in Hospitals in Guernsey in January/February where we all had our first taste of Spring weather for the year. Leaving the snow and ice of Scotland behind we stepped out of the airport to warm air, daffodils and birdsong. The longer the tour the better as far as we were concerned - actually it was 2-3 weeks. As in all our touring, friends made on these trips are the highlight and we look forward to returning and renewing the friendships.

Ciaran and I continue to gig regularly in Scotland for Music in Hospitals, including the occasional few days tour to Aberdeen. Ciaran has a great radio program of his own in Glasgow every Sunday between 5pm and 7pm. Have a listen to him at http://www.celticmusicradio.net/

Al Ponting Music

Finally, I have had a listen to Al's single "Valley of Love" at Right Real Records Studios and am really pleased that the choir backing is as Al would have wanted. The release date through Christian radio in the States is very close. (See www.CMPMagazine.com ) Meanwhile, "Valley of Love" is being sung by other Christian singers in Yorkshire.

I will be travelling to Right Real Studios in August to work with Chris on Al's CD "Full Vision" which will be available from http://www.cluniemusic.com/ , proceeds to Habitat for Humanity.

That's it folks! Thank you as always for supporting our music.

God bless

Heather