DIARY DATE/PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES: North Atlantic Fiddle Convention Launch Concert – Thursday, June 22, 2006 – details below
One of the world’s most talented and legendary fiddlers, Aly Bain, has been announced as the guest performer at the official launch concert of the UK’s biggest fiddle and dance event.
The North Atlantic Fiddle Convention (NAFCo) will bring a host of the world’s biggest names in the fiddle and dance scene to Scotland this summer when the event is held in venues across the North-East and the city of Aberdeen.
The line-up for NAFCo 2006 is the most international to date, with musicians and dancers taking part from as far afield as Canada and the US, to Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, Ireland, and all over the UK. NAFCo is one of the world’s largest events of its kind and takes place over five days from July 26 – 30 at the University of Aberdeen and North-east arts venues.
The Festival is only the second event of its kind, which is set to showcase the sound of over a 100 musicians and dancers from nine countries, offering a fascinating insight into the richness and vitality of fiddle music.
Festival organisers – the Elphinstone Institute at the University of Aberdeen together with partners Scottish Culture and Traditions (SCaT) – are giving music lovers a flavour of what NAFCo will offer when Aly Bain performs at the official launch concert, Celebrating the Fiddle, on Thursday, June 22, 2006, at Aberdeen Arts Centre.
Aly’s well-earned praise from close friend Billy Connolly – ‘I had never heard the clarity of tone or the beauty…I had never heard the passion’ – bolstered his appeal and sealed his national reputation as Scotland’s supreme traditional style fiddler. Aly’s 60th birthday last month was marked by a BBC documentary, True North, which celebrated the internationally acclaimed musician’s life and work.
At the launch concert on June 22, Aly will join forces with Violet Tulloch – the premier piano accompanist for Shetland fiddlers. The duo will perform in a joint programme of traditional fiddle music, including sets of classic Shetland reels. Aly will also be joined by Paul Anderson, recognised as one of the most exciting fiddle players to come out of Scotland in recent years.
Paul is currently undertaking a three-year research project at the Elphinstone Institute with the aim of developing the connection between traditional fiddle styles and those of modern fiddle players. The research, which is the first of its kind in the UK, aims to explore the underlying musical dialects of the North-East fiddle tradition.
Dr Ian Russell, NAFCo Festival Director, said he was delighted to have secured these Scottish artists to launch the festival.
He said: “Aly Bain is a legendary fiddle player, an inspirational performer, and it is a real honour to have him perform at our launch concert. His talents have deservedly taken him across the UK, America and beyond, and earned him a loyal following of fans throughout the world. We are also delighted to have the outstanding Paul Anderson perform at the launch concert, which is sure to be a truly memorable occasion for all involved.”
Tickets for the NAFCo launch concert, Celebrating the Fiddle, are priced at £12.00 for adults and £10.00 for concessions, and are available from the Elphinstone Institute on (01224) 272996 or email: nafco@abdn.ac.uk or phone Aberdeen Box Office on (01224) 641122.
Dr Russell added: “NAFCo is for everyone who enjoys the sound of the fiddle, whether audience or player, young or old. We hope to see you at the June launch concert and at the Festival in July. It will be an unrivalled opportunity to experience the best in live traditional fiddle music and dance.”
* The North Atlantic Fiddle Convention (NAFCo) will be held from Wednesday, July 26, until Sunday, July 30, 2006, featuring big international names and the cream of local talent who will perform in a packed programme of concerts, ceilidhs, and workshops. NAFCo is set to attract upwards of 5,000 visitors to the region and festival organisers are hoping this summer’s event will break all box office records.
NAFCo 2006 Highlights
The talented line-up of traditional musicians participating at the festival includes:
· Alasdair Fraser – a master Scottish fiddler whose dynamic playing and engaging stage presence have created international demand for his solo appearances and concerts. Alasdair has been a major force behind the resurgence of traditional Scottish fiddling in the US and his recent critically-acclaimed album, Fire & Grace, with cellist Natalie Haas, received the Scots Trad Album of the Year Award in 2004.
· Natalie Haas – vibrant young Julliard-trained cellist with a worldwide following.
· Jerry Holland – outstanding Canadian fiddler and recording artist. Many of his own tunes are played in traditional repertoires around the world.
· Liz Doherty – traditional Irish fiddler, renowned teacher and academic.
· Fromseier Rose – one of the biggest traditional groups in Denmark whose album, Contradiction, won international acclaim.
· Annbjørg Lien is the star of fiddle music in Norway. Described by Pop Matters magazine as “moody, sometimes dark, folk music, punctuated by beautiful musicianship and artistry” and as “hauntingly absorbing” by The Washington Post, Lien is a truly world-class musician.
And many more highlights from other countries including Lithuania, Sweden, England, and Wales. The Scottish line up includes: Paul Anderson, Iain Fraser, Aonghas Grant, Christine Hanson, Carmen Higgins, Douglas Lawrence, Catriona Macdonald, Pete McCallum, Lauren McColl, Mats Melin, Sara Reith, Karen Steven and Lori Watson.
Other confirmed artists are available on the NAFCo website at: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/elphinstone/nafco/