FiddleFolk, based a the Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop, has put on a number of concerts this year in different locations inside and outside the National Park area of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.

Seven of these concerts have been part of their ‘Hands Across the Seas’ concert series, which have brought a flavour of international music to the area to benefit local communities and to boost tourism.

Musicians have included players from Scotland (of course), but also performers from the Netherlands, USA, France, Ireland, Sweden and Denmark.

Although different strands of folk and traditional music have been the main focus of many of the concerts, FiddleFolk has also been keen to give people the opportunities to hear different genres of music, and have added jazz, blue grass and ‘old time’ music into the concert mix.

Performances have been held in Lochgoilhead, Strachur, Lochgilphead, Kirn, Tayvallich and Strathlachlan. In all 1,200 residents and visitors have attended their concerts this year – the 400 or so extra tourists being a great boon to local businesses.

Although best known outside the immediate catchment area for their concerts, the small FiddleFolk group of volunteers and one employee also arrange fiddle teaching in five local schools and hold weekly workshops for adults. Their Gaelic arm, Fèis Cheann Loch Goibhle runs an annual 10-school tour; puts on residential music and outdoor activities weekends; and this year the Feis arm also arranged an ambitious Ceilidh Trail concert tour over two weeks in Ireland and Argyll.

In 2009 a total of 3,300 people  benefited from FiddleFolk’s projects, including 1,200 children. For many of these children it will have been their first opportunity to play a musical instrument or to hear top quality live music.

Mark Morpurgo, Folk and Traditional Music Editor

In addition to the photograph at the top, of an audience at one of the gigs, the images accompanying this summary piece show, from the top and, as necessary, reading form left to right:

• Jarlath Henderson is a four time All-Ireland Champion’ Uilleann Piper and the only Irish musician to win the prestigious BBC’s ‘Young Folk Musician Of The Year’
• Dutch Jazz fiddler Tim Kliphuis blended Gypsy Jazz, Classical, World and Folk into a stylish musical event at the cooperative venture with Cowal Music Club in Kirn.
• Wisconsin born Kim Robertson combines innovative techniques with a passionate sense of tradition. Kim and Abby played with Scots Singer of the Year Mairi Campbell.
• San Francisco based Stairwell Sisters, with their zany take on old-time and bluegrass music, had the best turn out of the year at Strachur Memorial Hall.
• Brian Ó hEadhra from Dublin is an accomplished singer in Gaelic and English and an acclaimed song-writer and guitarist
• Danish duo Madsen and Graubæk were ideal for the series, covering energetic polkas and atmospheric ballads from Cape Breton, Shetland, Ireland, and Sweden.
• Abby Newton has been at the forefront of the movement to restore the unique richness of the cello to traditional American and Scottish music.
• Netherlands –born Marieke was classically trained, but moved to Scotland because of a growing love of traditional music. She is the singer and bodhran player with Rallion.
• Habbadam, the Danish/Swedish trio played tunes and sang songs mainly from the small Baltic island of Bornholm, an area rich in folk traditions.
• Breton singer/harpist enthralled the audience at his cross- cultural collaboration with Young Trad Musician of the Year Finalist Ailie Robertson.

Related Posts

• Fèis Cheann Loch Goibhle’s Gaelic music schools tour (1)
• Rallion rally the faithful at Strachur (0)
• Hear the diaspora: international concert at Strachur (1)
• Pipes and More gig at Lochgoilhead (1)
• Blue Grass at Strachur with the Stairwell Sisters (0)

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