For the third time now the children of the primary school of Amaliendorf together with the Woodquarter Blues-legend Zappa will open the Wackelsteinfestival. Look forward to their shining eyes, their laughter, and especially the enthusiasm that the children have for music. What could possibly express better what this festival is all about: the delight in music and in life in general?

The evening's main program starts off with four young South Tyrolians, who have earned themselves a good reputation in Vienna's session scene over the last years. Elegantly their music extends over melodies from Ireland, Scotland, Galicia, Asturia, from the Balkan tradition and from Brittany. Carried by the driving rhythm fiddle and flute woo each other in dance. Drop your shoes and feel the ground beneath your feet, today we folk!

Kathi Schwärzer - fiddle, vocals

Matthias Jud - contrabass, bodhrán

All among you who can look back on a visit to Bavaria, will have come across the word "fei", which the Bavarians use in a multitude of variations to, in a short, emphatic way, express things that can be said only very cumbersomely in standard German.

Thus the very old Bavarian saw "Fei Scho" goes deeper than one could think at first. It is a philosophy somewhere between "Sein" (German for the state of being, existence) and wine, between here and beer. The five musicians of Fei Scho seize on exactly that philosophy, therefore being exactly right at our festival. Be it Volksmusik, Folk or Funk - Fei Scho makes you, in Bavarian terms, feel "sauwohl" (meaning bloody well).

Angela Lex - fife, transverse flute, flute

Martin Lidl - percussion, guitar

This Friday it's the Chris Stout Quintet that will bring us a bit closer to Scotland, its music, its culture - to be more precise: closer to the Shetland Islands, on which Chris Stout grew up. To leave it at this short, slightly stereotyped description would do that intriguing band injustice.

Therefore, in a little different, hopefully more accurate words:

Fervid, akin to fire the Quintet creates, in pangs of beauty, in laughing tears, a resounding image, in which forebears paint their modern dreams. With your eyes open you'll see five fantastically playing musicians, who virtuously incorporate influences from Shetland and Scandinavian Folk, from Jazz and World Music into something new and unique. With your eyes closed you'll feel how in this music the longing, hope and love of long forgotten days has persevered to this day by means of traditionally passed on tunes, enriched and beautified by each step, each generation along the line.

The Musicians:

Chris Stout (Fiddle, Viola)

Neil Harland (Double Bass)