Sunshine on Newhaven Flutes

FluteFling returned to Edinburgh with a great full weekend in May, featuring Tom Oakes and Ali Hutton in concert and workshops with Davy Maguire, Sharon Creasey and Tom Oakes.

The sun shone on a sell-out event at our new venue in the north of Edinburgh, the Heart of Newhaven Community, for our first post-lockdown weekend in Edinburgh. Just West of neighbouring Leith, it proved to be the perfect setting. (See this blog post for peek behind the scenes).

Friday

Tom Oakes had initially been invited to perform at the cancelled 2020 event, so we were delighted that he was able to take to the stage with Ali Hutton in a new duo. Support came from Sharon Creasey on her Böhm system flute, with Tom’s delicate bouzouki underpinning her strong, brilliant sound as she treated us to some of the tunes from The FluteFling Collection. It’s always a treat to listen to other flute players that we don’t always get to hear, so kudos to Niall Kenny for stepping into the other support slot despite a long shift in his day job as agricultural vet. His tone shone through as he got into the groove.

A tuning issue between Ali Hutton’s pipes and Tom’s flute at warm-up meant a last minute change as Ali took a back seat and accompanied Tom. What followed was a flute masterclass in technique, control and tone, from fast-paced cascades of newly penned tunes in tumbling time signatures to slow airs with minimal foot pedal live effects. (“The best foot pedal control from a non-driver I have ever seen”, according to Ali Hutton). Underpinned by Ali’s sympathetic guitar, sometimes driving, sometimes holding back to provide more space to the music, the packed audience were mesmerised and appreciative. For more of that considered and thoughtful control, see Tom’s album Water Street. Look out for more of Ali and Tom in the future.

Tom and Sharon were to be teaching the following day and third tutor Davy Maguire arrived from Belfast during the concert. He joined them both on stage for a rousing set of tunes to wind up the concert and preface the session in the concert hall that followed.

Saturday

The sun really shone for us on the Saturday, with blue skies marking the end of a cold spring. It contributed to a special day, as we had taken over the Anchor Hub at Heart of Newhaven Community and people were able to spill out into the sunshine at the breaks between the sell-out workshops.

It was great to see so many new and familiar faces, with people catching up with each other, reconnecting and making new friends.

One big difference was the space that we had and in the middle of it all, a desk run by Coralie Mills and Linda Harkness who kept things running smoothly on the ground.

As in previous years, the teaching was rounded off with a talk. Kenny Hadden gave a presentation on the history of the flute in the Folk Revival in Scotland.

Updated from the one he gave at the book launch in Stonehaven in 2022, it was an illustrated form of the introduction he wrote for The FluteFling Collection and introduced many people to a subject that is little known or misunderstood.

One highlight was the presence of Dougie Pincock, who had arrived during the day to give a talk in the evening. As a member of The Battlefield Band, Dougie had a significant part to play in the Scottish flute revival himself.

After a now-traditional group curry, Dougie went on to give a talk and demonstration in the hall on Highland piping and the flute.

Always a particularly engaging and entertaining speaker, Dougie is a contributor to The FluteFling Collection. Take-aways included a better understanding of the role of bagpipes in the Folk Revival, the need to learn correct versions of tunes and the importance of grace notes or articulation in Highland pipe tunes.

Following the talk, the remainder of the evening saw another session take place before we all had to make our ways home.

Sunday

With another return to our previous traditions, brunch was in town near Sandy Bells. Rebecca Knorr joined us and we had a photo opportunity to have a gathering of tunebook contributors. Not the complete set, but the biggest number yet in the same place.

The session in a near-empty Sandy Bells was as good as any previously, with a great sound produced by all in the back space of the pub. As ever, we were joined by Cathal McConnell (also a tunebook contributor) who has become like a patron saint of the organisation.

While people had to make a move for the road home, there was still time for a final fling as a handful of us joined the excellent Waverley Bar session regulars for a short while.

It wound up a fine weekend of music and togetherness, much needed by all of the FluteFling community after the difficulties of the past few years.

Now that we have broken the ice and found a way to do this kind of thing again, we have plans to do so again.

Not only do we have the Aberdeen weekend dates in place (3-5 November), we are already working hard for 2024, which will be the 10th anniversary of FluteFling, which we hope will be very special.

Thanks again, to all of the contributors, participants and well-wishers. In the meantime, sign up to the newsletter to keep up with these and other FluteFling activities.