Northern Streams Festival of Nordic & Scottish Music, Song & Dance 18-20 April 2025 at the Scottish Storytelling Centre (on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh) with concerts, workshops (including a family friendly one), ceilidh, free music & song session plus Vikings & Pirates in our 20th year!
Our aim is to invite artists new to Edinburgh audiences, we have Christine Kammerer (Song, Story, Lyre, Piano) - Denmark; Joss Cameron, Amy Dudley & Steve Tyler (Song, Story, Piano, Guitar) – Scotland; Gro-Marthe Dickson (Song & Piano) – Norway; Kristina Leesik, Anna Whiteford & Rose Logan (Fiddle, Accordion, Hardingfele) – Sweden & Scotland.
THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME IS:
Friday 18 April
Songs, Shanties, Sagas & Stories about Vikings, Pirates and the Sea Evening Concert,
7.00-9.30pm, The Scottish Storytelling Centre, Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 1SR
Featuring:
- Christine Kammerer (Song, Lyre, Piano) - Denmark
- Joss Cameron, Amy Dudley & Steve Tyler (Song, Piano, Guitar) - Scotland
Saturday 19 April
Workshops:
10.30am – 11.45am
Joss Cameron Pirates, stories and songs of the high seas– Family Workshop
Join Joss for a sea-faring workshop with hands on experience that brings maritime history & songs to life. With her expertise in maritime history, sea shanties and storytelling, the immersive experience welcomes all sailors and explorers to join in!
10.30am – 11.45am
Rose Logan From Shieling To Støl
From the Isle of Raasay to the mountains of Norway, explore & learn the music which accompanied traditional farming life at summer grazing pastures.
12.00pm – 1.15pm
Kristina Leesik Swedish Tunes
Kristina is a "Riksspelman" (national folk musician) of tunes from Södermanland in Sweden. In this workshop you'll be learning tunes from Kristina's repertoire, with focus on Swedish fiddle techniques and groove.
2.15 – 3.30pm
Christine Kammerer Viking & Danish Songs & the lyre
Christine specialises in early music/Viking Age music. This workshop will take you back to the Viking Age with songs and tunes on the Lyre as well as Danish folk songs of today. No prior knowledge of the Danish language is required!
3.45 – 5.00pm
Joss Cameron Trad Songs & Sea Shanties
Joss is a traditional Scots singer from Leith, known for her deep connection to her traveller cultural roots. She has performed internationally sharing her rich heritage of traditional music with audiences around the world. Her repertoire often includes folk songs, ballads and more recently - Sea Shanties - a breadth of knowledge she will share in this workshop.
Evening Concert & Ceilidh
7.00-10.30pm, The Scottish Storytelling Centre, Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 1SR
The Concert features:
- Gro-Marthe Dickson (Song & Piano) - Norway
- Kristina Leesik, Anna Whiteford & Rose Logan (Fiddle, Hardingfele, Accordion) – Sweden & Scotland
Finishing with a Ceilidh in the Storytelling Court with the Trio above playing for dances being taught from Scotland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark (possibly Viking ‘steps’) plus we expect a few songs from the guest singers at the Festival.
Sunday 20 April
Workshop
12.30 – 1.45pm - Gro-Marthe Dickson Songs and singing of Norway
Join this inspiring workshop and get a glimpse of the rich traditions of Norwegian folk music. Learn how to bring ancient melodies to life through voice and storytelling. We’ll also explore the beauty of traditional vocal style called kveding, and you might find a few similarities to Scottish folk music as well. No prior experience is needed — just curiosity and a passion for music. Perfect for anyone eager to explore the soul of Norwegian folk traditions.
Open Music & Song Session 2.00 - 5.00pm – Storytelling Court FREE entry
Round off the festival by playing, singing, maybe dancing or simply enjoying great music made together. Free entry *!
(*NB: If venue capacity is reached we may have to restrict entry. Donations are welcome to help cover the room hire costs)
For more details of the Northern Streams programme, guest artists or for direct booking links, visit www.northernstreams.org.
Other ways to get details are by email: [email protected] or tel: 0795 191 8366, or Facebook – TMSAEdinburgh&Lothians
Tickets are being sold by our venue, the Scottish Storytelling Centre (SSC). They are available online www.scottishstorytellingcentre.com; phone 0131 556 9579 or at the Box Office. There is a booking fee of £1.50 per transaction (not per ticket) for online and phone bookings. In person sales at the Box Office do not attract a booking fee.
Concessions are TMSA Members; Over 60; Student; Unemployed; Young Scot Card; People under 18; Arts Workers; People with disabilities – an accompanying carer is free if booked at the same time. Please note that we may ask for evidence of the concession at the time of booking or venue. Children under 18 attending must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
The Northern Streams festival is organised on a voluntary basis by the Edinburgh & Lothians Branch of the Traditional Music & Song Association of Scotland (TMSA).