Another chance to play with real people – the nyckelharpa sounded great with two autoharps, and we had the fiddle and a melodeon as well. So lovely to be able to do this again.
Another session with REAL PEOPLE!
Category: Fiddle
Session with REAL PEOPLE!
Sunny Easter!
We had a great week in Dumfries and Galloway over Easter, with glorious weather. The wicker horse was decorating Kirkcudbright centre, I fitted in a couple of bike rides in the sunshine, we visited MacLellan’s Castle, the savings bank museum and kirkyard in Ruthwell, and I had my first sea swim of the season (cold water though, only about 9C I think!). I also found a rather glorious mediaeval goblet in the shop at MacLellan’s Castle! And of course I forgot to add when I first put this up – we went to the lovely session at the Steam Packet Inn in Isle of Whithorn, where the nyckelharpa had a great time as always (joined by the fiddle on this occasion!).
Continue readingA fiddly 2019?
Yesterday I went to my first fiddle evening class for a while. I’ve rejoined the class at the Scots Music Group, as the Fiddle 7 tutor is now Mairi Campbell and I really enjoyed her workshops on improvisation and Cape Breton music at the Fiddle Festival in November. The Greenbank Buskers have some stuff coming up too, and of course I won’t be neglecting the nyckelharpa – I’m going to one of Vicki Swan’s workshops near Morpeth in February. Then of course there are lots of sessions to go to …
Fiddle Festival 2018
Another great Scots Fiddle Festival. We went to all three concerts, every one was excellent.
The Friday evening concert started with Ryan Young and Jenn Butterworth. Simply fabulous. We have seen Ryan before as a competitor for young traditional musician of the year at Celtic Connections – sadly he didn’t win either – but he’s a really great fiddler.
Busking at a wedding
The band played at a wedding this evening in Borthwick Castle – not our usual type of venue (church halls, community centres …)! It was great fun as ever, the bride and groom were lovely (he played the pipes too!).
Buskers at Greenbank Ceilidh again
I enjoyed playing with the Greenbank Buskers again for the annual youth ceilidh. The fiddle needs its exercise! Here’s the best photo of the band (until the Facebook link breaks).
The band personnel always depends on who’s available, but it’s always good fun to play with these great people.
Boda Bar evening session
I enjoyed a great session in the Boda Bar this evening hosted by Alice Thorsell. Lots of great tunes (pretty international, though lots of Swedish and Scottish) and good to see other session friends there. I will be back! For a change, I took the fiddle – nice to give it some exercise, and I played a few Swedish tunes on it that previously I have only played on the nyckelharpa. G minor is very good for my fingering 🙂 No photos, sorry.
Blazin’ Fiddles 20th anniversary concert
We rarely get to Edinburgh festival or fringe events – but found out this year after returning from France that Blazin’ Fiddles are finishing off their 20th anniversary celebrations with a series of concerts, two in the Queen’s Hall – so we went along. It really was a fantastic concert, they were truly on form, and also had Karen Matheson singing a few sets. We were surprised to find only a couple of people there we knew – there are usually lots on well-kent Edinburgh fiddle people at these gigs!
String Sisters concert
We enjoyed a great concert at the Queen’s Hall this evening – the String Sisters were performing. Lots of great tunes – and lots of fiddle friends and acquaintances were there. Great to catch up with people.