Falkirk dancers and musicians celebrate 50 years of German friendship

In just over three weeks a large group of dancers, singers and bands from Falkirk will travel to Germany by coach and ferry to take part in the Schottische Nacht celebrations at Schlosshof Erbach.

It’s a return visit that follows a trip by German musicians to Falkirk, which included a performance in Falkirk Trinity Church.

Falkirk group the Odenwald Association, together with its German counterpart the Schottland Vereinigung, has put together a celebration programme that will feature the Jenkins School of Highland Dancing, the Falkirk Junior Gaelic Choir, the Tonkerers, Glenbervie Folk Duo, and Lads wi’ Gear.

A spokeswoman for the group said: “The choir and dancers have been hard at work raising funds for their trip, in between attending (and winning) competitions all over Scotland, and some choir members meeting Her Majesty the Queen when she visited their school in Cumbernauld in June.

“Other fundraising events have been taking place over the past few months.

“A concert in Falkirk Trinity Church during the Tryst Festival with the Spielmannszug FF flute and percussion orchestra from Fränkisch-Crumbach raised over £200, and a concert at Grangemouth Town Hall at the end of May, which featured all the groups going over in August, boosted the funds even more.

“With help from the Odenwald Trust Fund and the Odenwaldkreis in Germany, the cost of the performers’ travel and accommodation should be almost covered”.

As well as performing at the anniversary concert the dancers and choir will take a ride on the Sommerodelbahn, a toboggan run in Wald Michelbach, and join the rest of the party in visiting the historic towns of Erbach and Michelstadt.

They’ll also enjoy an evening with German friends at one of the many traditional restaurants in the region.