September Singing Session cancelled

Due to another booking in the downstairs of the Canon's Gait pub where we usually meet for the Tuesday session (next one was to be 10 September) and not being able to find out if we would be able to meet upstairs instead, we have had to cancel it. Apologies for the short notice and to anyone who had been planning to come along. We hope to have things sorted for next month (8 October) so keep an eye on this website for updates.

The summer fun continues!

Our Tuesday singing session takes a break in August - but there's plenty trad music, song and dance happening around the city during the Festival such as Folk at the Oak, the Canon's Gait, Queens Hall and of course the Acoustic Music Centre (AMC) to name but a few locations.

If you like Irish dance and music I will shamelessly make a plug for the 'Absolutely Legless' concerts on Sat 10 August at the AMC (which I will be appearing in). And if not, there's certainly many other trad flavours in the programmes. Not to mention some occurring out of town, away from the Edinburgh madness, at spots such as Innerleithen, Mull of Kintyre and early September in Kirriemuir, then Linlithgow!

We resume our second Tuesday evening of the month singing sessions at the Canon's Gait, Royal Mile, 8pm onwards, 10 September. Hope to see you there!

Summer Singing Season starts!

We had an interesting session at the Canon's Gait this week - Swiss chocolate, cutlery percussion and waylaying an interested person fom the function downstairs!

Our next gathering is Tuesday 9 July at The Canon's Gait, 232 Canongate, Edinburgh, EH8 8DQ - usually downstairs from 8-11pm.   We then take a rest for August as there's the usual feast of folk music, song and dance at the Royal Oak, Acoustic Music Centre to name but a few Festival locations. And of course there are also the out of town attractions such as TMSA Keith and Loanhead Festivals this weekend; The Falkland Traditional Music Festival with the new TMSA Fife Branch running competitions at the end of the month; Innerleithen Festival and many more - check out the Events page at www.tmsa.org.uk for details.

We will return on Tuesday 10 September if you want to note this date in your diaries.

Jiving into June

Great to see some new people including visitors from up Aberdeen way at our May session this week. 

Our next gathering is the regular Singers Session, Tuesday 11 June, in our new venue - The Canon's Gait, 232 Canongate, Edinburgh, EH8 8DQ. Usually we are downstairs but it looks like we may be upstairs this time around - check it out when you get there. It's from 8-11pm. All are welcome on every second Tuesday of the month (except August as it's Festival time!). Any updates we will post here.

What's on next?

Thanks to all those who came to Northern Streams as performers, volunteers, participants and audience members - there were many memorable moments - even if not all of them were planned!

Our next gathering is the regular Singers Session in our new venue - The Canon's Gait, 232 Canongate, Edinburgh, EH8 8DQ: downstairs bar (buy drinks upstairs) from 8-11pm. All are welcome on Tuesday 14 May, and due to the date it is part of Voluntary Arts Week (11-19 May 2013). Visit www.voluntaryartsweek.org for more details!

And from then on, the session is on every second Tuesday of the month except during August.

One week to go until Northern Streams!

Don't miss out on the great line up of artists we have this year:

• Marit Fält and Rona Wilkie (BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2012) 

• Irmelin - Swedish folk singing trio - Eva Rune, Karin Ericsson Back and Maria Misgeld, 

• Danish Folk Award winners - Hal Parfitt Murray & Nikolaj Busk

• dancing male Danes - ‘3 Men and a Bottle’ (Henrik Johansen, Chris Pedersen and Henning Christensen)  and accompanist, Pia Nygaard.

• Scottish/Swedish fiddler: Kirsty-Jacqueline Lingard

Click through on the Northern Streams logo to the right of this post to get all the details of our concerts and workshops for adults and children, 26 & 27 April in Edinburgh.

New location for our monthly Singers' Sessions from May

The location of our monthly Singer's Session will change from next month - Tuesday 14 May. Our New Venue is The Canon's Gait, 232 Canongate, Edinburgh, EH8 8DQ: downstairs bar (buy drinks upstairs).

Otherwise arrangements will be exactly as before - time: 8.00. - 11.00.pm. All welcome to sing (accompanied or not), tell a story or just listen. As ever, we would be delighted to see any new or returning faces.

It would also be great if any readers who run singing groups or classes could pass the details to their members/students.

Sessions will always be on the SECOND TUESDAY of each month, except in August.

Many thanks to The Royal Oak pub for allowing us to hold sessions there for the last couple of years.

Spring Singing Session

Our next singing session, downstairs at the Royal Oak, Infirmary Street, Edinburgh, is on tonight from 8pm until 11ish. They are every second Tuesday of month except August.

And if you like singing - check our our singing workshops and performances (along with instrumental folk and dancing) at Northern Streams 2013 - click on the logo to the right of this post for more details.

Northern Streams 2013 - one month to go!

Tickets are now available for Northern Streams 26-27 April 2013. We have a mix of new and returning Scottish & Scandinavian performers to delight in both workshops and concerts!

Irmelin return as the full trio of singers from Sweden. Hal & Nikolaj bring their unique fusion of music, foot tapping and song from Denmark and Scotland. The male dancing Danes come back as Three Men and a Bottle with Pia Nygaard - though their publicity photo makes it look like there's alot more bottles! Rona Wilkie and Marit Falt are new to the Festival with their Norwegian/Swedish and Scottish (including Gaelic) mix of cultures and Kirsty-Jacqueline Lingard brings her mix of Swedish/Scottish fiddle and vocals for the first time. It promises to be a great two days of North Sea mixing!

Click on the Northern Streams logo to the right of this blog post to be taken through to the dedicated Festival website with more details on the peformers, events and tickets. Hope to see you there next month.

This is part of the new Tradfest programme (replacing Ceilidh Culture) and supported by the Embassy of Sweden and in kind by Royal Norwegian Consulate General.

Singers Gathered!

Last weekend we welcomed a great group of singers to Linlithgow where they were able to take part in workshops from Sandra Kerr, Barbara Dymock and Aileen Carr, followed by a performance platform for attending singing groups that wanted to show what they have been working on. In the evening, Sandra and Barbara were joined by Natalie Chalmers (TMSA Young Traditional Musician of Merit) and Chris Marra for a cracking concert.

Our next big event is Northern Streams 2013 - click on the button to the right to see details on the dedicated website.

In the meantime, our next monthly singing session takes place dwnstairs at the Royal Oak, Infirmary Street, 8-11pm on Tuesday 12 March - see you there!

Singers Gathering 2013 - this weekend!

A great day of workshops, Muckle Sing and concert at Queen Margaret Hall and Low Port Centre, Linlithgow. The Muckle Sing will be taken by Sandra Kerr, who is tutor at the Newcastle University Trad Music degree course (and of Bagpuss fame), as well as running community choirs including the massively popular Festival Choir at Sidmouth Folk Week for many years. We also have Barbara Dymock and Aileen Carr as tutors. They all will be joined by Chris Marra and Natalie Chalmers (as the TMSA Young Singer of Merit) for an evening concert. Tickets are available for just the daytime events or buy an all inclusive ticket to get the best deal for a great day and evening!

On the Sunday morning we have a special workshop for players of English concertina from Sandra Kerr. Pre-booking is essential. Details of this and all other information about the Singers Gathering 2013 in a pdf is available through this link http://www.tmsa.org.uk/documents/SingersGathering2013flyerfinal.pdf. If you have any problems let us know on eltmsa@yahoo.co.uk or tel: 0795 191 8366.

Get cosy with singing!

Who cares about snow, sleet and wind when you can get cosy in our monthly singing session? Next one is snug downstairs in the Royal Oak, Tuesday 12 February, 8 -11pm. (And to help you plan ahead they happen every second Tuesday in the month except in August).

A Guid New Year!

Start off the New Year with a song or two at our regular session on Tuesday 8 January, 8 -11pm downstairs at the Royal Oak!

Then you can join us at our Singers Gathering 9 February 2013. A day of workshops, Muckle Sing and concert at Queen Margaret Hall and Low Port Centre, Linlithgow. The Muckle Sing will be taken by Sandra Kerr, who is tutor at the Newcastle University Trad Music degree course, as well as running community choirs including the massively popular Festival Choir at Sidmouth Folk Week for many years. (She may not thank me for this but you might also remember her in Bagpuss!). We also have Barbara Dymock and Aileen Carr as tutors. They all will be joined by Chris Marra and Natalie Chalmers (as the TMSA Young Singer of Merit) for an evening concert. Tickets are available for just the daytime events or buy an all inclusive ticket to get the best deal for a great day and evening!

On the Sunday morning we have a special workshop for players of English concertina from  Sandra Kerr. Pre-booking is essential. Details of this and all other information about the Singers Gathering 2013 in a pdf is available through this link http://www.voluntaryarts.org/2012/12/21/singers-gathering-2013/ . If you have any problems let us know on eltmsa@yahoo.co.uk

 

 

Dates for the Diary

After the Branch AGM and Carrying Stream Session on Tuesday 13 November, we are looking forward to our next events.

Next session is Tuesday 11 December - feel free to bring your Christmas and/or Yuletide songs! And we start the New Year off on Tuesday 8 January!

The Singers Gathering 9 February 2013 - One day of workshops, Muckle Sing and concert at Queen Margaret Hall and Low Port Centre, Linlithgow. The Muckle Sing will be taken by Sandra Kerr, who is tutor at the Newcastle University Trad Music degree course, as well as running community choirs including the massively popular Festival Choir at Sidmouth Folk Week for many years. (She may not thank me for this but you might also remember her in Bagpuss!)

We  have Barbara Dymock and Chris Marra lined up and Natalie Chalmers from Aberdeenshire in the Young Trad Singer slot. There is one extra item on the Sunday morning (Feb 10th): for players of English concertina, Sandra Kerr will do a workshop: to be held in a private house in Ecclesmachan (near Broxburn/Uphall). There will be a separate charge for this, and it's not suitable for complete beginners. If interested in this, please let us know on eltmsa@yahoo.co.uk NOW so we can assess potential numbers. Booking information will be available very soon.

Then it's Northern Streams 26-27 April 2013. More details as we confirm our guests but we can tell you that for those who saw them this year, Karin Ericsson Back and Maria Misgeld are definitely returning with the third member (Eva Rune) of their trio, Irmelin. Other acts will be announced as they are finalised.

And in case you have not yet seen information about the Edinburgh Norwegian Christmas Tree Ceremony later this week - here are the details:

The Lighting Ceremony, Thursday 29 November, 5.15pm, The Mound, Edinburgh

The Hordaland County Council gift a lovely Christmas Tree to the City of Edinburgh for every Christmas and the lighting up of the tree is the usual cue for the rest of Edinburgh's Christmas lights to be turned on.

Afterwards is the:

Traditional Advent Concert, Thursday 29 November, 7.00pm, St Giles Cathedral, High Street/Royal Mile

Featuring folk singer Reidun Horvel, Pianist Geir Botnen, Hakon Hogemo on Hardanger fiddle and Roots Choir with the Edinburgh University Chamber Choir. Entrance is free.

There are also events in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Kirkwall - for details check out:

http://www.norway.org.uk/News_and_events/culture/Christmas-Events/Norwegian-Christmas-Trees-in-the-UK1/

New season of sessions off to a 'craic'ing' start

We restarted the singing sessions last night with a cracker session - many old and new faces - and some visitors to Scotland enjoying a great number of songs. Themes ranged the obligatory lost loves, death through to the trams in Edinburgh plus a spot of Scottish Stepdancing to puirt a beul. 

Next session is on Tuesday 9 October - hope to see you there!