A newly commissioned work which explores the importance of family through the use of music, film and historical recording is set for its inaugural performance in the Highlands of Scotland.

‘KIN’, a new commission by renowned Scottish musician Duncan Chisholm, is to be performed as part of this year’s Blas Festival which is staging 53 shows across 48 venues in the Scottish Highlands from 31  August to September 8. It is an exciting new work which audiences in the region are looking forward to enjoying.

Duncan Chisholm said: “I’m very much looking forward to taking KIN to the people of the Highlands. The Blas Festival is very important to the culture of the region and it’s highly rewarding artistically to be taking part. I’m hoping that audiences appreciate the multi media production of KIN and that they will enjoy this new approach to the theme of family through the mediums of music and film.”

Festival Director Donna Cunningham said: “KIN will be a major highlight of the Blas Festival which will host an array of home grown and internationally-renowned musicians. KIN will be performed Grantown, Drumnadrochit, Resolis, and Glengarry.

“We are extremely pleased someone of Duncan Chisholm’s calibre will be featuring as part of this year’s Blas Festival and we expect our audiences to be thrilled by his show.”

The main sponsor of this year’s festival is the Clydesdale Bank. Alan Holland, Managing Partner of the Bank's Financial Solutions Centre in Inverness said: "Clydesdale Bank are delighted to support BLAS during 2007, Scotland's Year of Highland Culture. Clydesdale Bank has a long history of supporting community events and activities throughout Scotland and we are delighted we now have this partnership in place with a flagship project, throughout the Highlands, which will benefit locals and visitors alike."

‘KIN’ will feature at the Grantown Grammar School on Monday 3 September at 7.30pm; Glen Urquhart Public Hall, Drumnadrochit on Tuesday 4 September at 7.30pm; Resolis Memorial Hall, Resolis at 7.30pm; and at Glengarry Community Hall on Thursday 6 September, also at 7.30pm.

Information about Blas Festival events is available from the website www.blas-festival.com

Tickets are available by telephone hotline: 01463 782213; from venues staging the festival shows; or on-line at www.thebooth.co.uk

The BLAS Festival primary sponsor is Clydesdale Bank. Other sponsors and supporters include The Highland Council, Highland 2007, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Scottish Arts Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Fèisean nan Gàidheal, Jacobite Cruises, Highland Flying School, Highlander Music, BBC Radio Scotland and Live Music Now Scotland.

For more information and photographs please contact:

Peter Kane - 01463 871600 / 07742 308213 / info@kanecommunication.com

www.duncanchisholm.co.uk

Notes to editors:

1. The festival director is Donna Cunningham and the artistic director is
   Brian Ó hEadhra.
2. The Blas festival is run by Fèisean nan Gàidheal in partnership with the Promoters’ Arts Network.
3. The BLAS festival is in its third year. It was created as a result of The Highland Council’s desire to create a new festival for the Highlands which would match the vitality of Cape Breton’s Celtic Colours Festival.
4. The BLAS festival makes a virtue of featuring home-grown talent alongside internationally-renowned traditional musicians. Gaelic plays a very prominent part in every BLAS event.
5. The festival is supported by a network of promoters and volunteers from local Fèisean and PAN promoters, approximately 400 in number.
6. The Blas Festival will stage events in Inverness, Lochaber, Skye & Lochalsh,
   Ross-shire, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey, Sutherland, and Caithness.