LAURINBURG — Scotland High School will host a Scottish cultural arts performance in October by the Highland Echoes, a nonprofit group that focuses on promoting the awareness of Scottish traditions.
The event, which will be held on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 8 p.m., will be presented as a partnership between the Highland Echoes and Scotland County Highland Games. It will include a program put together by Patrick Mangan, musical director of “Riverdance, and Jennifer Licko, winner of the Celtic Album of the Year and president of Highland Echoes.
“This two-hour dance and music extravaganza contains a wealth of talent derived from all areas of Scottish life,” Licko said. “The show includes a cast of Highland dancers, a step dancer, live musicians, Gaelic and English female vocals, bagpipes and fiddle tunes.”
She added that the 2019 tour features new music, more dancing and new costumes to reflect both the traditional and modern use of the tartan.
In addition to the performers with the Highland Echoes, those who attend the Scotland High event may also see some local talent on stage.
“All of the Highland Echoes performances have a community-based concept, in that we invite area Scottish Highland Dancers to perform in a few of the traditional dances in the show,” Licko explained. “Our audiences get a chance to see what is happening on a local level and how they could get involved in desired.
“We also invite any local Scottish organizations to have a table with information for our audiences to learn more,” she added.
Licko said the Highland Echoes performance is a perfect addition to the annual Scotland County Highland Games weekend, which will be held Oct. 4-6.
“Highland Echoes is a show that takes Scottish cultural arts off the Highland Games field and onto a stage where the artists express through performance,” she said. “Audiences get a chance to experience the awesome power of these traditions that continue to thrive.”
Overall, Licko said the Highland Echoes have a mission to establish opportunities for youth and families to get involved in Scottish cultural activities.
“To entertain and inspire audiences to travel to Scotland, to learn Scottish dance, to play the pipes or even to investigate their own Scottish heritage is at the center of our performance & educational goals,” she said.
Tickets for the Oct. 5 performance can be purchased online at www.highlandechoes.com/tour or by calling 910-338-0787.
W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-506-3023 or [email protected].
