Marymass Samba party

IRVINE will get a taste of Brazil at this year’s Marymass Festival.

For the first time ever, the Marymass Parade will welcome Glasgow-based award-winning SambaYaBamba with its 25-piece drum Bateria, a stomping 10-piece brass section, and boundless energy. Crowds will enjoy the infectious Brazilian rhythms fuse with ska, hip-hop, funk and reggae to create an inimitable sound that took Europe by storm when they toured and is sure to have the parade dancing its way to the Moor and the crowds of revellers lining the streets.

With less than 100 days to go until Marymass Saturday, Irvine can also look forward to welcoming more than 100 pipers, mainly members of The Pipes and Drums of Canada, who will provide a spectacular and stirring lead for this year’s Marymass Parade on Saturday, August 22.

Led by Pipe Major Ross Baxter, the Pipes and Drums of Canada, who will also be visiting Glasgow and other major Scottish festivals and events, will be joined by local pipers from the Irvine and District Pipe Band and other local bands in a parade that will provide a greater variety of musical style from marching bands than ever before.

The Irvine and Dreghorn Brass Band will play as usual at the Crowning Ceremony but will also form part of the parade that leads the townspeople and others to the traditional horse racing on Irvine Moor, along with Marymass regulars, New Town Defenders Flute Band.

Because of the building work taking place around the Townhouse, this year’s Crowning Ceremony will be moved slightly along the High Street towards The Cross. With all this year’s added extra’s it’s sure to be bigger and better than ever.

Prior to the Crowning Ceremony, crowds thronging the High Street between The Cross and the Townhouse will be entertained by musicians along with some surprise guest musicians from a similar genre of traditional Scottish music.

Pat McPhee, Chair of the Marymass Festival Committee, said: “The Marymass Parade and the Crowning are managed by the Irvine Carters Society which is very much at the heart of this ever-popular community festival but we have worked very closely with Danny Kerr and his team to add a little extra sparkle to this year’s event.

“Early indications from local community groups and businesses suggest that this year’s parade will be bigger and better than ever and that is good news for the thousands who flock to the centre of Irvine for what is the town’s biggest day of the year.” Danny Kerr, the current Captain of Irvine Carters’ Society said: “Marymass is simply unique not just as an Irvine event but as a Scottish event. Other towns may have parades that are as large but none have a parade that is exclusively horse-drawn or horse-driven and that is what makes Marymass different and very special.

“This isn’t about nostalgia, it’s more about respecting these beautiful animals and what they have contributed to our community until not so long ago. In our ranks, we still have men who were working carters with horse-drawn vehicles and it is important that those traditions, and associated skills, are maintained and preserved.

“At Marymass this year, we are introducing working blacksmiths who will demonstrate how horseshoes are made and how horses are shod; people will be able to see the skills required to drive horse-drawn carts and we invite them to join us on the Moor near Sandy Road to watch the horse-driving events; and, of course, there is probably no more thrilling sight in horse-racing than to see - and hear - the huge Clydesdales racing at Marymass”.

Over the next 90 days the Marymass Festival Committee will be applying the finishing touches to this massive annual event now organised and managed entirely by volunteers. A guide to what’s on will be available on the re-vamped web site - www.marymassfestival.com - but there are still many opportunities for individuals and companies to become involved in this year’s event.

Pat McPhee said: “Marymass is no longer simply a local festival but one that attracts interest and visitors from many other parts. It is a massive event that lasts for 12 days but its success depends on people stepping forward and becoming involved.

“However, our real need is to generate the additional funding needed to ensure that Irvine gets a quality event and I hope that, as happens elsewhere, local companies will consider sponsoring some of the events that are of such importance maintain that quality.

"Being identified with local events is widely recognised as very cost-effective marketing and we are happy to discuss possible sponsorship at any time. Marymass Festival Committee is very flexible and happy to tailor events to suit the aspirations and objectives of sponsoring companies, particularly those of local companies." The 48th Marymass Festival Opening Ceremony is on Thursday, August 13 in Bridgegate. Opening Saturday this year is August 15 when the Fourth Port Parade and the Harbourside Torchlight Parade take place, immediately before the spectacular fireworks display at the Beach Park.