Fiddle 2012, Edinburgh's annual fiddle festival, is back at the Queen’s Hall this month Friday 16 – Sunday 18 November 2012
This year’s line-up for the two main concerts features two of the finest Irish/American fiddlers.
Here's all the details from the Fiddle festival:
"Our seventeenth consecutive annual festival, for the second time at the Queens Hall, combines concerts by the very best performers from the world of traditional fiddle-playing along with a whole week-end of all things fiddle, recitals, workshops, talks, cabarets, ceilidhs, stalls, food & drink, open stage, youth events and much more.
Last year, the Festival not only survived its relocation onto several sites, our audiences actually increased.
This year, we have fine-tuned (we’re fiddlers, that’s what we do) the way that we will use the two main venues (Queens Hall and Kings Hall), to ensure that non-stop music-making opportunities continue throughout the day. The Kings Hall will host a wide range of stalls, with food and drink, and a session that’s free for all-comers.
Friday 16 November Concert
From the USA, Celtic Fiddle Festival featuring Kevin Burke, Christian Lemaître and André Brunet on fiddle and Nicholas Quemener on guitar.
Kevin Burke is a world-renowned Irish fiddler whose formidable career includes the seminal Irish groups The Bothy Band and Patrick Street. A founding member of Kornog, Christian Lemaître honed his skills playing the hypnotic Breton melodies. André Brunet is a wonderful young French-Canadian fiddler playing the infectiously rhythmic tunes of Quebec. Along with acclaimed guitarist Nicholas Quemener from Brittany, the quartet combines their talents, musical traditions, and spontaneous humour for an evening of dazzling energy and subtle grace
From Shetland, Kevin Henderson, joined by Swedish guitarist Mattias Perez. Their album. 'Fin Da Laand Ageen,' beautifully illustrates the often made point that traditional tunes need only to be played, not played about with, to maintain their currency, charm and power. (The Sunday Herald, album review)
Saturday 17 November Concert
Liz Carroll, from Chicago with Irish parents, all-Ireland Fiddle Champion, who has toured as a solo artist and with several ensembles, most notably partnering John Doyle. She's featured on nine albums and has appeared on many more. A recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship Award, the first Irish-American musician nominated for a Grammy, the first American born composer honoured with the Cumadóir TG4, Ireland's most significant traditional music prize.
Rant, featuring four of Scotland’s finest fiddlers, Bethany Reid, Jenna Reid, Sarah-Jane Summers and Lauren MacColl. Using just their fiddles, they weave a tapestry of melodies, textures, layers and sounds. Delightful ... a quartet which should enrich both the traditional and classical music scenes in future
A pupil of two of the above, Frank Rochford, a Campbeltown youngster who has been playing the fiddle from the age of 5. Frank has competed in many competitions over the years winning at the Royal National Mod, The Oban Music Festival, Fleadh Cheoil and the Glenfiddich 2011 fiddle championships. Frank will delight with West Coast/Highland slow airs and pipe marches.
Daytime Recitals on Saturday 17 November
- Barrule: the unique sound of traditional Manx music is the Celtic World’s best kept secret. Barrule fuses three distinct musical forces - gifted fiddler Tomás Callister, accordion wizard Jamie Smith and Adam Rhodes on bouzouki - to create a powerful and wholly distinctive sound. Barrule will be performing a selection of traditional and contemporary music from the Isle of Man from rousing marches, jigs and reels, to sorrowful slow airs and beautiful songs sung in the Manx Gaelic language.
- Pete Clark: A tutor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the director of the Niel Gow Festival, Pete Clark loves fishing as well as fiddling and annually combines his two passions on “The Troot Tour,” a week-long extravaganza of “tunes and troots” in the far north of Scotland, along with fellow musician and fly fishing addict Gregor Lowrey. This piscatorial partnership is celebrated in their new album “Caught & Released."
- Friel Sisters: Born and brought up in Glasgow with their family roots firmly entrenched in the Donegal Gaeltacht, multi-instrumentalists Anna, Sheila and Clare Friel play a mixture of music interspersed with songs, many from their family repertoire and strive to maintain this tradition. They achieve a close blend on fiddle, flute and uilleann pipes approaching their music in a style inspired by many encounters with great musicians and singers throughout Ireland, UK and America.
- Corran Baa: Kath Bruce (Piano/ Vocal), Janet Lees (Fiddle), Jenny Smith (Fiddle), Robbie Leask (Guitar/ Fiddle). Originating from Shetland to London, this quartet’s intertwined musical paths eventually converged on Taransay in 2005. The inspiration of those all night, midsummer, musical sessions led the band to take its name from a landmark of the island’s stunning coastline. Heavily influenced by the traditional music that has flowed across the North, Atlantic and Irish Seas, expect moving melodies, lush harmonies, soulful vocals and inventive accompaniment.
- Amy Geddes Trio: Galloway-born fiddler Amy Geddes has been a stalwart of the Edinburgh session scene for years and is now at the forefront of contemporary Scottish fiddle playing. Amy presents a new trio with Kevin MacKenzie (guitar) and Tom Lyne (double bass). The shared intimacy of these players brings a new sound to the Scottish fiddle scene mixing traditional and contemporary compositions.
Daytime Recitals on Saturday 17 November
- Mairearad Green and Anna Massie: Multi-instrumentalists and award winners, Mairearad Green (accordion and smallpipes) and Anna Massie (guitar, banjo, fiddle) are a captivating duo, providing a highly energetic performance with a warm and friendly stage presence. They will be showcasing new material from their second album, due for release early next year. “...the camaraderie and sheer fun of musical collaboration is plainly evident and infectious.” Songlines
- Up in The Air - Jonny Hardie (fiddle and guitar), Gavin Marwick (fiddle),Davy Cattanach (percussion and guitar): This trio is back together 15 years after the initial release of their much loved “Up In The Air” album, a selection of traditional Scottish reels, jigs and airs largely taken from nineteenth century collections, given a modern setting and lightly mixed with other influences. Gavin is now playing with Bellevue Rendezvous, Jonny is touring the world with the Old Blind Dogs, and Davy has been song writing and performing with bands in the north-east like The Pictones. Their new album is available soon.
- Daniel Thorpe with Innes Watson (guitar), James Lindsay (double bass), Blair McMillan (drums): Daniel Thorpe, 2010 BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year, was born and brought up in the North East of Scotland. Having studied at the National Centre of Excellence for Traditional Music, he then gained a BA Hons in Scottish Music from the RSAMD. Heavily involved in music education as well as performing, he released his debut record "The Curiostity Shop" in 2011. Recently, he has been touring the UK, Europe and USA with 2011 MG Alba Folk Band of the Year, Malinky.
- Glasgow Fiddle Workshop Juniors Meets Riddle Fiddles and have taken this opportunity to establish both musical and social links between the two groups. For both groups, the emphasis is on having fun playing music and meeting people. They will each perform music from their individual repertoires, and then the two community groups will perform together in a musical collaboration.
- Emma Sweeney & Matheu Watson: Emma Sweeney is an Irish fiddler whose flair, grace and integrity belie her young age. A former finalist at the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award in 2003, Emma has had the privilege of sharing stages with fantastic traditional musicians including Cara Dillon, and she has performed as part of The Future Trad Collective on occasion. Emma is joined by multi-instrumentalist and composer Matheu Watson who won the “Best Up and Coming Artist” award at the 2010 Scots Trad Music Awards
Other Musicians Appearing Throughout the Weekend in Workshops and Talks
- Pete Clark’s Fiddle Walk
- Bruce MacGregor
- Patsy Seddon
- Allan MacDonald snr
- (And more)
- Ceilidhs on Friday and Saturday evening
- Full programme of Youth events The Youth Gaitherin
- Late night Festival Club
- Sessions
- Free events in the King’s Hall Main Hall
- Food and Drink
- Friendship and Good Company on tap all week-end
Book tickets
From the Queen’s Hall Box Office 0131 668 2019 www.thequeenshall.net
In Person at The Queen's Hall, 85 - 89 Clerk Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9JG
Open Mon – Sat 10am - 5.30pm
Contact the Festival at 0131 555 7669 [email protected]
www.scotsfiddlefestival.com Twitter: @scotsfiddlefest Facebook: scotsfiddlefest "
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