Hadhirgaan

Hadhirgaan


Hadhirgaan are a group of young musicians from Kirkwall Grammar School led by instrumental instructor Douglas Montgomery (The Chair, Saltfishforty). The group, whose members range in age from 14 to 18, play modern and traditional tunes, as well as a number of their own compositions.

Since forming in 1998/9 for the Canadian Homecoming to Orkney, the group have gone from stength to strength in the last ten years. The original line-up toured Canada in the summer of 2000 and released their self-titled debut CD. However, being a school-based group, the majority of these players were soon to leave, to be replaced by newly emerging talents from the school. Back up to full strength, Hadhirgaan released their second CD, Keep It Up, in 2002, which received critical acclaim from national publications. This propelled them into gigs on Mainland Scotland, including the Scots Trad Music Awards ceremony in 2004.

The following year Hadhirgaan made a return visit to Canada, this time with the KGS Theatre Company, where they toured with a production showcasing Orkney's historical links with Canada - Gaan tae the Nor'Wast. A performance of this show was recorded in Calgary and released as a DVD/CD combination. Recent festival appearances have included the Scots Fiddle Festival, Celtic Connections, St Magnus Festival and Orkney Folk Festival. 

A fantastic flock of fiddlers backed by a solid rhythm section, the group never cease to amaze with their own, unique gutsy sound.