The Aberdeen FluteFling will take place 6-8 November.

The Aberdeen FluteFling returns to the Elphinstone Institute and features another lineup of some of the finest traditional flute and whistle players.

This year’s guests David Foley (RURA) and Colin Masterton (FRAS) will perform at the Friday concert at the King’s Pavillion and teach at the Saturday workshops at the Elphinstone Institute. Joining them at the concert will be Adam Brown (RURA, guitar), Malcolm Reavell and Dougie Pincock. Sharon Newton Creasey and Kenny Hadden will be the tutors at the Sunday morning workshop.

Workshops: Both tutors will have time with all students and links to any relevant resources will be emailed to ticket holders 2 weeks in advance. All workshops are suitable for flutes, whistles and low whistles.

More details will be added to this page as they become available.

Tickets

Weekend bundle: £105/ £130 plus fees
https://buytickets.at/flutefling/2297732
Friday concert, Saturday workshops, Sunday workshop

Friday concert only: £18/ £20 plus fees
https://buytickets.at/flutefling/2314387
Times: 19:00-22:00 (doors open 18:30)
Venue: King’s Pavilion (View)
King’s Pavilion
University Road
Aberdeen AB24 3DQ
United Kingdom

Saturday workshops only: £70/ £85 plus fees
https://buytickets.at/flutefling/2314423
Times: 10:00-17:00 (registration 09:30)
Venue: MacRobert Building (View )
581 King Street
Aberdeen AB24 5UA
United Kingdom

Sunday-only workshops only: £35/ £40 plus fees
https://buytickets.at/flutefling/2314425
Times: 10:00-12:15 (registration 09:30)
Venue: MacRobert Building (View )
581 King Street
Aberdeen AB24 5UA
United Kingdom

Aberdeen weekend overview

The weekend opens with a Friday concert at the King’s Pavillion featuring the guest tutors David Foley of RURA and Colin Masterton of FRAS, accompanied by Adam Brown (RURA). They will be supported by Malcolm Reavell and Dougie Pincock.

Saturday workshops at the Elphinstone Institute Macrobert Building — as successfully trialled at Aberdeen last year, there will be two groups spending a morning with one tutor and an afternoon with the other. There will also be a talk from Rosa Michaelson of Dundee University on Aird’s Collection and Kerr’s Merrie Melodies. Rosa is a fiddle player and performed in Sprangeen alongside evergreen FluteFling supporter Ann Ward.

The Sunday morning workshop at the Elphinstone Institute Macrobert Building will be in two parts. Sharon Newton Creasey will focus on music from the Oswald Collection and Kenny Hadden on the music of Desi Wilkinson, each taking the group for an hour.

Sessions are planned for Saturday evening and Sunday lunchtime.

Please note that the Saturday evening meal which had become a feature of the weekend won’t be organised this year. While it has proved to be popular, it has also become too impractical for us to arrange.

Please accept our apologies, and instead we encourage everybody to make their own arrangements to socialise before the session.

Here’s a taster from last November’s weekend in Aberdeen, courtesy of Peter Saunders’ Scottish Flute Channel:

Accommodation

We don’t have any deals, but people have found the Holiday Inn Express in central Aberdeen to be suitable, while some people are planning to stay at the Ibis Hotel, also very central and with its own car parking.

Programme

Weekend programme: Subject to changes

FRIDAY CONCERT

Venue: Kin’s Pavilion, Aberdeen University
Doors open 18:30
Concert 19:00-22:00 approx (including interval)

SATURDAY Workshops

Venue: MacRobert Building, Aberdeen University

0930 – 1000: Registration (Room MR055)
1000 – 1100: Morning Workshop – Tutor A or B (1h)
1100 – 1130: Break (30 mins)
1130 – 1230: Morning workshop cont. (1h)
1230 – 1330: Lunch (60 mins)
1330 – 1530: Afternoon Workshop Tutor – B or A (2h; breaks can be included at the discretion of the tutor)
1530 – 1600: Break (30 mins)
1600 – 1700: Talk by Rosa Michaelson (Dundee University) about Kerr’s Merrie Melodies (19th Century)and Aird’s Collection (18th Century)
1700 – 1730: Clean down/tidy up & End

SUNDAY WORKSHOP

Venue: MacRobert Building, Aberdeen University (Room MR055)

09:30-10:00: Registration
0930 – 1000: Registration (MR055)
1000 – 1100: Workshop (1hr)
1100 – 1120: Break (20 mins)
1120 – 1215: Workshop cont. (55 mins)
1215 – 1245: Clean down & tidy up & End

The workshops are open to Boehm system (metal, classical) musicians and those playing simple system wooden flutes (keyed or unkeyed) alike. This is an opportunity to explore and develop your own playing in the context of Scottish traditional music, whichever instrument you play.

Whistlers should be playing whistles or low whistles in D and be beyond the complete beginner stage. There will also be space for Beginner flute players with 1-3 years experience as well as those with more than 3 years experience. These are rough guides only, check out our FAQs or please get in touch if you are not sure.

Topics covered include:

different playing styles
tune types
technique
breathing, phrasing and tone improvement
history

What’s on: Friday concert

David Foley and Colin Masterton (flutes and whistles) in Concert with Adam Brown (RURA, guitar)

Support from Malcolm Reavell (flutes and whistles) and Dougie Pincock (flutes and whistles)

More details coming soon.

What’s on: Weekend workshops

This year’s guest tutors are David Foley (RURA) and Colin Masterton (FRAS) who will both teach 2 groups of 15 students on the Saturday. On Sunday morning, Kenny Hadden (focus on the music of Desi Wilkinson) and Sharon Newton Creasey (focus on the music from James Oswald’s Collections) will each take turns to teach a group of 30 for an hour.

More details coming soon.

Sessions

Details coming soon.

Workshop resources

Any resources supplied in advance from the tutors will be shared with ticket holders approximately 2 weeks before the event.

Venues

The Friday concert takes place at The King’s Pavilion, King’s Pavilion, University Road, Old Aberdeen AB24 3DQ

Saturday and Sunday workshops take place at MacRobert Building, University of Aberdeen, 581 King Street, Aberdeen AB24 5UA

For visitors to Aberdeen, some information about travel in Aberdeen city centre can be found here.

Safety

Safety information will be provided soon.

FluteFling

traditional flutes and whistles in Scotland

Aberdeen FluteFling 2026