The Scottish Fiddle Orchestra

The Scottish Fiddle Orchestra evolved from the popular “Fiddlers Rallies” held throughout Scotland. Founded in 1980, the Orchestra appointed as its Principal Conductor and Director of Music, John Mason, M.B.E., FSA Scot, an Orcadian, but living and practising as a Solicitor in Troon in Ayrshire. At that time John held a similar position with the “Strings of Scotland” (Ayr & Prestwick Strathspey and Reel Society) which toured Orkney’s Mainland, North and South Isles on a number of eventful occasions during which the musicians made new and lasting friendships with their hosts.

Since 1980 the Orchestra has appeared in every major Concert Hall in Scotland as well as many venues in England. Tours abroad are common and TV and radio recording events are too numerous to list so its pedigree in the Scottish Music world is internationally renowned.

The Orchestra repertoire is, for the most part, traditionally based although many of the arrangements principally for the professional singers are not restricted to Scottish and include Classical, Modern and music from popular London Shows. It is its own articulate treatment of Scottish marches, reels, jigs etc. which sets the SFO apart. For the most part however it is the Orchestra’s interpretation of such beautiful Slow Airs as “The Heroes of Longhope” by Orcadian composer Ronnie Aim following the Longhope Lifeboat disaster, Scott Skinner’s “Flower o’ the Quern” as well as “Highland Cathedral” and John’s own “Old Man of Hoy” which makes it a much requested feature on radio. It is hoped that his new piece “Orkney Sunset Song (Afore the Grimleens) may be featured during the Orchestra’s visit.

With the Orchestra will be Yla Steven of Edinburgh, a Golden Fiddle Award Winner and one of Scotland’s finest Classic styled fiddlers renowned for her interpretation of Gow, Marshall and Scott Skinner. She is joined in duets by Stewart McCreath, the Leader of the Second Violin section, with wonderful effect.

Accompanying the SFO will be a professional tenor, a professional mezzo-soprano, Piper Keith Easdale who now lives and works in Italy but is flying back for the Orkney venue and the compère is Jim McColl M.B.E. of BBC Beechgrove Garden fame, a most amusing and entertaining chairman and no stranger to Orkney. – www.sfo.org.uk

Solas

Solas have been loudly proclaimed as the most popular, influential, and exciting Celtic band to ever emerge from the United States. And the group’s popularity has been very successfully exported back across the pond. The 2006 Solas Reunion album and DVD has brought the band huge acclaim and exposure over the past two years. Listen out for exquisite vocals and some of the most energetic and well-crafted sets of tunes you’re ever likely to hear. – www.solasmusic.com

Crooked Still

Crooked Still are one of Americana’s premier groups from Boston. Blessed with the amazingly smooth Alison Kraus-like vocals of Aoife O’Donovan and an outstanding display of blue-grass style banjo and cello interplay, they create an intoxicating display of fine musicianship. Headlined at Shetland last year, we just couldn’t resist the opportunity to bring them back to the northern isles. – www.crookedstill.com

Martin Simpson

Martin is a man whose soulful guitar playing will instantly have you bewitched. Two times winner of the Musician of the year at the Radio 2 Folk Awards. Hailing from the North East of England, he has recently featured on Jules Holland. Widely acknowledged as one of the finest acoustic and slide guitar players in the world, his interpretations of traditional songs are masterpieces of storytelling. His solo shows are intense, eclectic, spellbinding and deeply moving. – www.martinsimpson.com

Karine Polwart, Corrina Hewat & Annie Grace

Karine Polwart, Corrina Hewat & Annie Grace are a new trio made up of three of the finest scots singers from each corner of the country. They’ve all been here before as part of Malinky, MacAlias and The Iron Horse, but this time they have forged a new partnership, building on their outstanding vocal talents. Karine Polwart alone is one of the most recently successful scots singers, have won many accolades and plaudits for her recent work. – www.myspace.com/girlytrio

Dòchas

We’ve been trying for a good few years to get them, and their time has finally come. Featuring a heady mixture of accordions, pipes, whistles, bodhran, bouzouki and song these guys are a formidable highland outfit. A near all girl line-up, they boast the talents of star Shetland fiddler Jenna Reid and the truly wonderful Julie Fowlis on whistle and vocals. – www.dochas.co.uk

Moishe's Bagel

Rip-roaring, foot-stomping, jazz-inflected klezmer and Balkan music from some of Scotland's finest musicians. An intoxicating mix of Eastern European dance music, Middle Eastern rhythms and virtuoso performances, Moishe's Bagel bring passion, soul and irresistible energy to Jewish world music. Traditional music as you've never heard it, as well as startling original compositions and improvisations. "Exhilarating, full-flavoured stuff, often breath-takingly intricate but played with jubilation . . . the Bagel acquires the momentum of an express train" (Glasgow Herald) Last in Orkney for the St Magnus Festival, their style of eastern European grooves will surely go down well at the Folk Festival. – www.moishesbagel.co.uk

Bellevue Rendezvous

Formed in 2006, as a result of a mutual love of beautiful, quirky and varied tunes from all over the world, Bellevue Rendezvous are an acoustic trio featuring an unusual combination of instruments - including the nyckelharpa which is very rarely seen in the UK. Described as vibrant, dynamic, exciting, original, sensitive and lyrical, the line up is Gavin Marwick (fiddle), Ruth Morris, (nyckelharpa) and Cameron Robson (bouzouki). In their current repertoire they have many original tunes, as well as music from all over the UK, Serbia, France, Brittany, Macedonia, Poland, Canada, Finland and Sweden. Featuring members past or present of Cantrip, Iron Horse, Unusual Suspects, Deaf Shepherd and Zabalka, they released their first album, ‘Tangents’, in May 2007. – www.myspace.com/bellevuerendezvous

Stramash

Traditional songs will be covered well by this group, fronted by the indomitable Adam McNaughtan . Their performance at Glasgow's Celtic Connections Festival 2007 earned the following review: "A big hearted outpouring of traditional music that shared memories with long standing followers, yet speaks engagingly to the uninitiated, and a bear-hug full of wit, wisdom and vintage music" – Mary Brennan - The Herald

Paul Anderson & Shona Donaldson

Paul is no stranger to our shores having performed at festivals in the past and been one of the fiddle tutors for the Orkney Traditional Music Project Summer Schools. Paul is an exceptional player and has won numerous awards for his virtuoso performances. Singer and fiddler Shona Donaldson is one of Scotland’s leading young tradition bearers, having appeared in the Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year final in 2003 and 2004 and the Radio 2 Young Folk Awards 2006. – www.tarlandfiddler.info

Ivan Drever and Duncan Chisholm

Ivan Drever with his Fiddle playing partner Duncan Chisholm will be in attendance in 2008. Ivan making a return 'home'. Always good to see this excellent duo perform. Ivan's honey vocals are complemented beautifully by Duncan's exceptional playing. Duncan is generally acknowledged to be one of the world’s finest fiddlers. – www.firefly-productions.co.uk/duncanivan.html

Wingin' It

Adam Bulley - Guitar, Mandolin & Chas Mackenzie - Guitars are a fresh and dynamic acoustic duo. Winners at the Celtic Connections '07 'Danny Kyle' Awards, and have since performed at festivals all over Scotland. We were lucky enough to have the boys take part in the 'Island Hop' to celebrate the 25th Orkney Folk Festival in 2007 where they proved to be one of the 'gems' of the festival. They did not get a chance to perform on the Mainland so we had to ask them back! - www.myspace.com/wungit

Alison McMorland & Geordie McIntyre

Alison was born in Renfrewshire into a musical family. Since then she has enjoyed a long involvement in traditional music on various levels: singer, collector, broadcaster, author and tutor on the Scottish Music course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow. Since 2001 she has recorded a solo album 'Cloudberry Day' followed by and in partnership with Geordie McIntyre 'Rowan in the Rock' and 'Ballad Tree, classic Scots ballads'. Alison particularly enjoys working with young singers and introducing them to the rich Scots song tradition. Geordie McIntyre is a Glaswegian of Highland and Irish descent, his lifetime involvement in song, ballad and poetry is reflected in his singing, collecting and songwriting. His early years as a radio and television technician and later as a Modern Studies teacher, coupled to his passion for the outdoors have in diverse ways fuelled and complemented his central interest in folk music. – www.alisonmcmorland.com

Fergie MacDonald

The legendary Fergie MacDonald will be leading some of the dances on the weekend. His 'take no prisoners' attitude to Scottish Country dancing will surely keep the dancing going to the usual Folk Festival standards. Fergie is a button accordion player and an extraordinary ceilidh band leader and has been performing for over 40 years. He is at the top of the ceilidh band music scene and has recorded over 23 albums. He is a regular performer on B.B.C. Scottish dance music programmes and was the first Scottish band leader to broadcast ceilidh music. – www.fergiemacdonald.co.uk

Braebach

Scottish firebrands Breabach are one of the most talked about new acts on the folk scene. Their innovative celtic style, blending double bagpipes, whistle, fiddle, song and Scottish stepdance, brings to the stage, flare, excitement and diversity rarely seen from such a young group. Shortly after forming, Breabach won a Danny Kyle Award at Celtic Connections 2005. This proved to be the spring board from which they launched into 2006, signing to Vertical Records, being nominated for ‘Best Up and Coming Act’ at the Scots Trad Music Awards and most recently, signing to Active, Scotland's leading international music agency. Breabach have generated great momentum in their short history, and with 2007 seeing the launch of their debut album ‘The Big Spree’ and first UK tour, they are ready to create a storm in the world of traditional and roots music. Great music and fabulous entertainment! – www.breabach.com

The Anna Massie Band

Winners of the “Best Folk Band” Award at the 2006 Scots Trad Music Awards, The Anna Massie Band is a young, dynamic trio finding a very warm welcome amongst Scotland’s top bands. Featuring Anna Massie (Young Trad Musician of the Year 2003), on fiddle, mandolin, tenor banjo and flat-picking guitar, Jenn Butterworth on guitar and vocals and Mairearad Green on accordion and border pipes, the band has made a considerable impression on the international folk scene.
With a “friendly, engaging and highly musical stage presence,”  this band is on the up, as their increasing array of nominations and awards proves: nominated for “Best Up and Coming Act” at the 2004 Scots Trad Music Awards, Anna’s nominations for the “Horizon” award at the 2005 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and “Best Instrumentalist” at the 2005 Scots Trad Music Awards, and “Best Folk Band” at the Scots Trad Music Awards in 2006. Great to see them back in Orkney after their very successful visit in 2004. – www.annamassie.com
 

Maggie Adamson & Brian Nicholson

"What happens when, arguably the most talented and exciting young fiddler in Shetland today, links up with the islands most gifted and diverse guitarist. Well I could fill this space with expletives and detail, but that would probably still not do it justice.
To put it simply Maggie is a quite awesome young fiddler for her age, already a winner of many national competitions and titles, while Brian was said by no less a guitarist than Albert Lee himself to be “world class”. Need I say more?" – David Gardner
Maggie recently won a Danny Kyle Award at Celtic Connections and she won our Open Stage event held at OFF 2007 so we are delighted to have her and Brian return for 2008. Maggie's trophy cabinet will be requiring an extension soon having recently won Shetland Young Fiddler of the Year 2008, a fantastic achievement when you consider the wealth of talented fiddlers Shetland boasts.

Laeverick

Three excellent singers from Burra Isle in Shetland are Jenny Keldie, Rhonda Simpson and Mhari Pottinger, accompanied by first class musicians Gordon Tulloch on Guitar and Ivor (Fred) Polson on Bass and Mandolin. This vocal powerhouse formed in 2006 to take part in the annual Burra event, The Thomas Fraser Concert. So well received were the lasses, they were persuaded to perform again the following year and have taken part in the Shetland Folk Festival also to great appreciation.
Jenny (who now lives in Orkney) is well known for her amazing vocals and has performed on a few albums. She is also a very accomplished fiddle player, winning Shetland Young Musician of the Year in 1988 at the tender age of 11 (the youngest player to ever win the award). She has played in various bands over the years but is probably best known for playing and singing in the Sheila Henderson Band.
Rhonda is a fine singer also with quite a pedigree of musical family members before her. Rhonda's mother is May from the well known Shetland country duo May & Mackie and Rhonda's grandfather was the one and only Thomas Fraser. Clearly Rhonda has inherited her family's musical abilities.
Mhari also comes from a very musical family - the seven Pottinger brothers are all musical but perhaps best know to Orcadians would be Mharie's uncle Arthur. Mharie's voice has a sweetness of tone which compliments Jenny and Rhonda's very well and the three together are indeed a sound to behold.

Éamonn Coyne and Kris Drever

Éamonn Coyne from Ireland and Kris Drever from Orkney, both highly skilled musicians in there own right, have come together to form an exciting duo. Kris and Éamonn met through there mutual session participation on the Edinburgh music scene and have played together at various venues and event over the years whenever they could.
Éamonn's varied musical interests has seen him play with a variety of prominent musicians; Sharon Shannon, Eileen Ivers, Alison Brown to name but a few. He also plays with the international band Salsa Celtica.
Kris left Orkney in 1995 to follow his musical interest and soon became an established face on the music scene. He has played with many groups but is probably best known for playing with Aidan O'Rourke and Martin Green in the band Lau. Kris' solo album Black Water was released in 2006 to great critical acclaim. - www.eamonncoyne.com/hts.htm

Bob Sharp

Glasgow born Bob has been involved in the folk music scene for around 40 years. From humble beginnings in the early sixties, he could be found most week ends at the Glasgow Folk Centre in Montrose Street and it was there where he first performed and sang.  During the seventies until 1989 he was part of the north east of Scotland singing group Steamfolk. Performing regularly in pubs, clubs and festivals and eventually touring Western Australia with the band kept him busy. In 1994 he formed The Makarakit Ceilidh Band (www.makarakit.co.uk) which he still plays in today. The band play all over Scotland in the busy ceilidh/wedding market with a few festival appearences here and there, from the Orkney Folk Festival in the mid 90's to his own village festival Speyfest over the past few years. During the last year Bob has returned to his roots and is singing either solo or with his Stromness born wife Lizzie and daughter Hannah at various folk clubs and sessions around the north east. He has also just  formed another band "The Loft Dwellers" in the last month and is looking forward to the future to see what direction this  band will take him. - www.makarakit.co.uk

Alive & Jiggin

Gary Forrest is a young accordionist extraordinaire from Jedburgh in the Borders. He’s featured on Robbie Shepherd’s Take the Floor several times, and plays a wide variety of styles. The band has an Orkney connection in the form of drummer George Drever. They promise a good night of dancing and exciting tunes.