Calum MacKinnon Visits in November

Calum caught having a good time at Folk Life a few years ago.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to get your haggis on in November, as Calum MacKinnon, our retired music director, will visit and teach some old tunes that he taught over 10 years ago, when the club first got started.  Plans are to visit a set of tunes in G minor (Ewie with the Crooked Horn, Le Chat Noir, Sir John Lockhart Ross, maybe more!) and perhaps we’ll get some technique tips as well..

The session with Calum will start at 2:00, so please arrive ahead of time to get yourself a good spot, and be ready for some tunes!  After our Calum teaches, we’ll have some time for a session and more great tunes, and of course, a potluck!

See you soon.  Address is 725 Driftwood Lane, Edmonds, 98020

Mark Your Calendar for the First Gathering!

The cool, cloudy, dampish weather can only mean one thing: Time to get some Scottish sessions going! Come join us Sept. 16, at 2:00 pm. Where? 7728 21st Ave. NW, Seattle, 98117.   It’s a pot-luck, and there’ll be plenty of tasty tunes and goodies for all.  Please feel free to come by and visit, share a few tunes, or just listen in!    See our calendar for other regular session/meeting dates.

Registration for 2019 Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas Workshop Opens August 1

No matter what size instrument, or how many instruments you play, they’re welcome at the workshop!

Just a quick reminder, August 1st registration begins and you can save $25/registration on the lodging and all meals plans. This discount is only available through August, so don’t delay. Pricing details can be found here.

Also, there will be scholarships available to non club members this year– see the Scholarship Application page.

Also introducing our new registrar, Rachel Knight!  Many of you may remember her from a few years ago when she served on the board of NWSF, and her daughter, Niki was in the teen band. You can write to her at rachel_knight@comcast.net with questions regarding your registration, how to register, etc.

We are delighted to have Rachel Knight join us as Registrar this year!

Lots of great improvements, and plenty of the favorite things you look forward to every year!

 

NWSF 2017-18 Wrap-up and Concert

It was a great year, with guest instructors Calum MacKinnon and Susan Burke, and our 10th annual Alasdair Fraser/Natalie Haas workshop. Tunes and ideas learned throughout the year were part of the final concert of the year at the Everett Public Library on Mother’s Day.  We had a great turnout considering it was Mother’s Day.

We’ll be taking the summer off, but looking forward to meeting again in the fall.  Club meetings are generally on the third Sunday of the month: September 16, October 21, November 18, December 16.  2019 dates are: January 13 (second  Sunday), February 17, March 17, April 21, and May 19.  We will continue to invite and recruit guest instructors, and of course, have the annual Whidbey Island workshop with Alasdair and Natalie, on January 18-20, 2019.

Here’s some scenes from the library concert:

 

Mother’s Day Concert Coming Soon!

The Northwest Scottish Fiddlers will once again take the stage at the Everett Public Library on May 13th, Mother’s Day.  The concert will be dedicated to mothers, and we hope we’ll put a smile on mom’s in our audience, and get their toes to tapping!

The doors open at 1:30, but seating fills up quickly, so plan to arrive as early!  The club will feature many of their old favorites, along with some newer sets, including the set taught by Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas at the past Whidbey Island Scottish Fiddle Workshop. Another new set, arranged by club members, will include tunes written by Calum MacKinnon, our former music director, combined with The Bloody Fields of Flanders/Freedom Come All Ye, The Ale is Dear and Clean Pea Strae.

Guinevere Saenger will have a solo set on piano, along with Flora Cummings who will be featured on a solo fiddle set as well. The Cumming’s family will also delight the crowd with singing and dancing by the Elinor and Flora.

Free admission and parking!  See you there!

Nordic Bloc Fiddlers Concert and Workshop- April 28 and 29!

Here’s a chance to see a great concert presented by an amazing Skandia band that’s making more and more trips to Seattle in recent times. Not only will they be in concert on Saturday,  April 28th, they will also teach workshops on Sunday (April 29th) morning.

WORKSHOPS: Start at 10 AM! All workshops are within a 5 minute walk from each other. Address information available by email, but will also be made public closer to the date of the workshops. 

10am – 11:15am   Kevin Henderson- Hosted by Bill Boyd

10am – 11:15am    Olav LuksengÃ¥rd Mjelva

11:30am – 12:45pm    Anders Hall

Location: North Seattle (Ballard / Loyal Heights)

Cost: $30 for Skandia and SFS members (for two workshops), $35 nonmembers

or $20 members for only one workshop, $25 nonmembers, 18 and under $10. Cash or checks, no cards. 

For address and info email:  music@skandia-folkdance.org

Also visit http://www.skandia-folkdance.org/special-events.html or  http://www.seafolklore.org/wp/concerts/

Flora Cummings at More Music at the Moore- March 16

Our very own Flora Cummings, member of the fiddle club since she could hold a fiddle (well, almost), will be one of the featured performers at this year’s More Music at the Moore. Flora auditioned and competed with over 90 musicians, up to 21 years old, and was selected for one of 12 spots! Way to go, Flora! The website describes the event as follows: The 17th annual More Music @ The Moore features exceptional young musicians mixing up diverse music styles. The performance celebrates the rich musical talent of youth in our community and provides musicians.

HOW TO GET TICKETS: This is very important, as Flora will actually get a percentage of the ticket sales, and you’ll pay no service fees. Use this special link: https://www.stgpresents.org/groups/participant  Also see below:

 

10th Scottish Fiddle and Cello Workshop a Success!

Here’s a few pictures, with many more on the way. 114 musicians, including fiddlers, cellists, violists, harpist, bass, vibraphone, guitar, and flute players! Nearly 300 people crowded into the auditorium for the Sunday afternoon concert- we had a standing room only situation on our hands!  We also had an amazing amount of volunteer support- enthusiastic folks volunteered to help with everything, thanks to recruitment efforts by Jasmin Faulk-Dickerson and Annie Barrett!

Dates for the 2019 workshop will be announced soon!

Sunday morning rehearsal. Learning a song, and then assembling the set! We left decorations up for the concert a few hours later.

Alasdair and Natalie trying out some options Sunday morning for “Sae Will We Yet”. Music below!

Our Sunday morning song- several vocalists sang verses with lovely instrumental choruses. The audience participation put it over the top- truly beautiful.

Friday night opening session – led by The Reds- who got their inspiration from this very workshop, 5 years ago.