Workshops
All workshops are £22.00 per person, per workshop for over-18s.
Youth workshops are £15.00 per person, per workshop. (Under-18s only)
Click on the hyperlinks under each listing to find out more about the workshop leads.
Saturday workshops - 21 November
10.00 am to 11.30 am
1. Graham MacKenzie - Cape Breton Tunes
Intermediate +. Strathspeys and reels with a focus on bowing and ornamentation. Pentland Room.
2. Isla Ratcliffe - Tradifying Vivaldi
Advanced. Learn some trad-style tunes from Isla’s The Scottish Four Seasons.Ochil Room.
3. Niall Murphy - Chopping Techniques
Advanced. Focus on the percussive technique known as ‘The Chop’ with some bluegrass tunes. Highland Room.
12.00 noon to 1.30 pm
4. Seamie O’Dowd - Mixed Instrument
Intermediate+. Work on melody and chords using tunes from the Sligo tradition. Pentland Room.
More about Seamie
5. Emma Tomlinson - How to play trad viola
Intermediate +. Learn viola-friendly tunes and how to adapt tunes for viola. Ochil Room.
6. Cathal Hayden - New Tunes
Advanced. Learn a couple of Cathal's own compositions while exploring his distinctive style, phrasing, and musical approach. Highland Room.
2.00 pm to 3.30 pm
7. Gordon Gunn - Tone, Ornamentation, and Technique
Intermediate +. Improving your tone, adding ornamentation, dynamics and bowing technique. Pentland Room. More about Gordon
8. Natalie Haas - Accompany Fiddle Tunes on the Cello
Intermediate +. How to add groove and chordal backing from a cellist’s perspective. Ochil Room.
9. Stephen Hayden - County Tyrone Session Tunes
Intermediate +. A chance to learn about the County Tyrone fiddle style through session tunes. Highland Room.
4.00 pm to 5.30 pm
10. Dylan Cairns - The Alternative Tune
Intermediate/Advanced. A look at variation and decoration through tune deconstruction and reassembly. Pentland Room.
11. Elisabet McConnell - Old Time Tunes
Beginner/Improver. Explore old-time tunes and their Scottish crossover through technique, bowing, and style. Ochil Room.
12. Naomi Priestnall - Arranging & Accompanying as a Fiddler
All Levels. Creating arrangements for multiple fiddles, exploring ways to accompany other instruments. Highland Room.
Sunday workshops - 22 November
10.00 am to 11.30 am
13. Nigel Gatherer - Mixed Instrument
Intermediate +. Learning and arranging Scottish tunes in a mixed instrument ensemble. Pentland Room.
14. Ruth Morris - European Folk Tunes
Intermediate +. Nyckelharpa led workshop for strings. Tunes will be taught by ear with sheet music provided at the end. Ochil Room. More about Ruth
15. Gavin Marwick - Quarterdays Tunes
Intermediate +. Looking at tunes from the Quarterdays series tune book. Highland Room.
12.00 noon to 1.30 pm
16. Breanna Wilson - Tune Building
Beginner/Improver. Learn a tune and build a group arrangement, exploring harmony, rhythm & texture. Pentland Room More about Breanna
17. Sarah Northcott - Step Away from the Tune
Improver+. Working on accompaniment or harmony lines with arrangement, dynamic and tone tips. Ochil Room. More about Sarah
18. Celine Donoghue - Beginner Scottish Tunes
YOUTH WORKSHOP (Under 18s only). Learn some fun Scottish session tunes with focus on ornamentation and bowing. Highland Room. More about Celine
2.00 pm to 3.30 pm
19. Graham Rorie - Starting (or Restarting) the Fiddle
Beginner. A few basic pointers for those interested in starting to play the fiddle or who have not played for some time but would like some guidance getting back in to it. Pentland Room.
20. John McCusker - Fiddle Hang
Advanced. A hands-on workshop exploring the art of tune writing; where the group will work together to create and shape a brand new piece of music from first ideas through to a finished arrangement. Ochil Room.
21. Gica Loening - Klezmer Fiddle
All levels. Dip into the joy and energy of the klezmer fiddle idiom and pick up some tips on ornamention, style, and technique. While aimed primarily at fiddle players, other string players are very welcome too. Highland Room. More about Gica
4.00 pm to 5.30 pm
22. Matt Tighe - How We Make The Sounds We Want To Make
Intermediate+ We’ll explore some fundamental facts about playing the fiddle but mostly I’ll be led by your curiosity. Pentland Room. More about Matt
23. Ruby Smith - James Hill Tunes
Intermediate/advanced. Dive into the traditional tunes of James Hill's Tyneside Fiddle. Ochil Room.
24. Kirsty Harrison - Orkney Tunes
Beginner. An introduction to traditional Orcadian melodies and techniques. Highland Room. More about Kirsty