Finalists Ready to Rock!

Finalists Ready to Rock!
Dunedin (Friday, 22 January 2016) – The finalists in the annual Robbie Rocks competition have been found and are ready to entertain the crowd in The Octagon this Sunday.

Inspired by well-known Scottish poet and songwriter Robbie Burns, the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum-organised competition sets an interesting challenge. Entrants choose one of Robbie Burns’ songs and reinterpret it for a modern audience.

Museum Curator Seán Brosnahan says the finalists have been selected based on their video entries in each category of the competition – Youth and Open. The finalists are:

Youth Section

•Eddie Sherronie (Joss Grills and Noah Linscott) with Jamie Come Try Me.
•Joshua Larkins with My Love is Like a Red Red Rose.
•Glitch (Hamish Phillips, Lalu Hartmann, JT Thompson and Sam Uitermark) with Ye Jacobites By Name.
•Th_ (Thunderscore) (Rachel Wilson, Blake Macdade, Ollie Meikle and Chelsea Guthrie) with A Man’s a Man for A’ That.
•LPHS group (George Sabonadiere, Benny Holloway, Silas Wyn Laegan, Lucan Willis) with My Love is Like a Red Red Rose.
•LPHS groups (Cuba Rust, Rikke Kakkawa McLeod, Mary Locker and Neive Strang) with Ae Fond Kiss.
•LPHS group (Jack Wing, Reuben Bosworth, Silas Wyn Laegan, Quinn Hardie) with Auld Lang Syne.

Open Section

•Bridget Telfer with her version of Afton Water.
•Elena Berg with her version of Jamie Come Try Me.
•Matthew Rhodes and Chris Butchard with their version of Ye Jacobites by Name.
•Morgan Barrie with his version of My Love is Like a Red Red Rose.
•Paper Mountains (Eden Smith) with their reinterpretation of Parcel of Rogues for a Nation, entitled Parcel of Votes.
•The Partial Fancies (Alex Gilks, Barbara Power, Aidan Fraser and Jonny Gilks).
•The Willie Waughts (Heike Cebulla-Elder, Phil Glassey, Ben Glassey and Liam Elder) with their interpretation of Ye Jacobites by Name entitled Ye Dunedinites by Name.

Mr Brosnahan says the finalists in each category will give a live performance in the upper Octagon from 2pm on Sunday, 24 January. Winners will be announced at the end of the concert and there will also be a prize for the audience favourite. The winners of the open and youth categories will play at the Burns Dinner at the Museum on Monday, 25 January.

"We encourage everyone to get along and enjoy this free concert, cheer on the local musicians and perhaps learn more about the great poet and songwriter whose statue watches over our city's centre," Mr Brosnahan.

"The Robbie Rocks competition seems to increase in popularity each year and this year it even features in the annual Burns Chronicle – an international publication summarising the world of Robbie Burns' appreciation."

In the event of inclement weather, Sunday's concert will be held in the Josephine foyer of Toitū Otago Settlers Museum.

ENDS

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