Tom Oakes leads a workshop at the Heart of Newhaven Community venue as part of FluteFling Edinburgh weekend 2023.
The Edinburgh FluteFling Weekend took place in May and marked a return to in-person events following the Covid years. With a new venue, a Friday concert added to the usual Saturday workshops, there were many adjustments to make to ensure the weekend was a success.
Returning to in-person events was always going to be tricky as I quickly found out in January, my previous time for getting a March-April event in place. I used to do it over a week, but the post-lockdown world and cost of living crisis has caused amenities to reduce hours or even close, and for prices to rise. It began to feel as if putting on a grassroots event in an increasingly corporate Edinburgh geared up for tourists and big money festivals was no longer an option.
A meeting with Dave Francis of the Trad Music Forum helped to clarify that this issue is part of a wider debate regarding smaller venues, particularly in the capital. Previously FluteFling had been able to avoid these problems, but no longer so it would seem, and we were back to the drawing board.
John Crawford kindly offered to assist as it became impossible to meet our own deadlines and an alternative date in May was settled upon. If it hadn’t been for John, it would be safe to say that the weekend wouldn’t have gone ahead at all. We explored all manner of venues and options, including not holding the event in Edinburgh at all. All of this was useful, but brought us no closer to a conclusion.
In the end, Tom Oakes pointed us towards The Heart of Newhaven Community, which proved to be a perfect venue. Providing spaces for a concert, a workshops hub, talk and sessions in one location, the staff and volunteers couldn’t have been more helpful and the venue was perfect for us. We have already booked next year’s weekend at the same venue, which will take place 19-21 April 2024.
Challenges always present opportunities of course, and of huge assistance over the weekend were Linda Harkness and Coralie Mills, who managed the desks, checked the tickets and ran the raffle. They were invaluable in ensuring that things ran smoothly in a new venue with a tweaked format, and I can’t see how we managed before without them. Particular thanks too must be passed on to Peter Saunders who made himself available on the day.
FluteFling Edinburgh Friday concert. At the door: (L-R front) Linda Harkness, Coralie Mills; (L-R back) Sharon Creasey, Gordon Turnbull. Photo: (c) John Crawford.
Since I began writing this, I see that the Edinburgh Jazz Festival is taking some of its events out of the city centre, so perhaps we aren’t alone in our experience of Edinburgh venues. Going forward though, it is clear that many hands working together can overcome these and other barriers and long may it continue.
Ali Hutton and Tom Oakes perform at FluteFling 2023 (c) Gordon Turnbull
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.
Tunes after the Friday night concert. (c) Gordon Turnbull
Saturday
Flute players going through the paces during an afternoon workshop. (c) Gordon Turnbull
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.
Kenny Hadden speaking on the traditional flute revival in Scotland. (c) Gordon Turnbull
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.
Dougie Pincock then and now, standing in front of a photo taken during his time in The Battlefield Band (c) Gordon Turnbull
Davy Maguire and Sharon Creasey listen closely as Dougie Pincock performs a set of tunes on the Highland pipes. (c) Gordon Turnbull
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
Some of the contributors to The FluteFling Collection. L-R: Rebecca Knorr, Davy Maguire, Sharon Creasey (back), Kenny Hadden (seated), Gordon Turnbull (c) John Crawford
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.
The Sunday session in Sandy Bells. Clockwise L-R: Cathal McConnell, Sharon Creasey, Ann Ward, Martin Duckworth, Davy Maguire, Rebecca Knorr, Gordon Turnbull, Richard Elliot, Kenny Hadden.
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.
The Waverley Bar session: L-R: Davy Maguire, John Martin, Geoarge Duff, Allan MacDonald (c) Gordon Turnbull
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.
The FluteFling Edinburgh Weekend will return in May with a weekend of concert, workshops and sessions that has proved to be successful in the past.
Taking place at Heart of Newhaven Centre, the entire weekend of concert, workshops and sessions will be based in the same location for the first time.
The weekend will open with a Friday concert featuring a new duo, Tom Oakes and Ali Hutton. Saturday tutors will be Tom Oakes, Davy Maguire and Sharon Creasey, with other guests over the weekend to be announced.
This marks a return to in-person events following the cancellation of the 2020 event due to Covid and the successful launch of The FluteFling Collection tune book at Stonehaven Folk Festival last year.
Tickets are expected to go on sale over Easter weekend.
FluteFling NE Tunebook Project: 09 Pipe Major Jim Christie of Wick/ The Rose Amang the Heather/ Bonnie Kate o’ Aberdeen
A session at the Dalriada at Edinburgh FluteFling 2019. L-R Munro Gauld, Harry Mayers, Malcolm Reavell, Melanie Simpson, Orin Simpson (c) Gordon Turnbull
This ninth video in the series features three tune types – a march, strathspey and reel.
For background to the project of 10 sets of tunes being recorded over 10 weeks, and to see the first video, start here. Alternatively, go straight to the videos on my Youtube channel.
FluteFling NE Tunebook Project: Pipe Major Jim Christie of Wick/ The Rose Amang the Heather/ Bonnie Kate o’ Aberdeen
This ninth video in the series features a march, strathspey and reel, all associated with the North and North East of Scotland. These are from the FluteFling NE Tunebook of Scottish session tunes for flute and whistle and I play these on my Rudall and Rose 8-keyed flute in D.
Pipe Major Jim Christie of Wick
Pipe Major Jim Christie of Wick was written by Wick fiddler Addie Harper. Apparently one of Addie Harper’s earlier compositions, it sits neatly in the bagpipe scale and suits flutes and whistles well too. I find the structure encourages a pulse of breath that makes it flow along readily. Look out for variations in the deployment of snaps in the melody.
The Cape Breton fiddler Buddy McMaster helped to popularise this tune in Canada and The Traditional Tune archive has some background information on the composition.
Update: Munro Gauld (pictured, above) was in touch about this tune, with helpful information on different versions and background. In particular, he points out that the version in the NE tunebook is not a common one in Scotland and is usually played in 2/4 time with 4 parts. He said,
It’s a tune I know well as it was a staple of the Plockton session when I lived up north 20 years ago, here in Dunkeld it’s also played most weeks at the session and wherever there is a session with a Borders / lowland / cauld wind piper, it usually gets an airing. But it also makes a great fiddle tune. And once you’ve got the hang of articulating the Strathspey-like dotted notes and octave jumps, it’s great fun to play on the flute.
But looking at the NE Tune book version – I’ve never seen it / heard it played as a 4/4. Any time that I have ever heard it played (or played it myself) it is always as a 4-part 2/4 pipe march (as written for the pipes).
Munro illustrated this by sharing a Pipe band version:
Additionally, here’s a session-like version played by a young fiddler in Wick, Addie Harper’s home town.
Munro continues:
It would seem that the version in the NE Tunes book is taken from the playing of Buddy MacMaster (as found on the Trad Tune Archive). Obviously when it travelled with him over the Atlantic it got smoothened out from its 2/4 Pipe March roots to more like a 4/4 reel. Having said that, I couldn’t find a recording of Buddy MacMaster playing it online, so I may be wrong. I did find this fiddle version from Gus Longaphie from (I think) Prince Edward Island which might give an indication of how Buddy MacMaster plays it.
I’d suggest that perhaps, in a Scottish context, the Cape Breton version of the tune is an outlier – and not one that would be commonly played in Scottish sessions. In your Blog it might be worth mentioning this and if you can easily find it, put in a link to music for the 4-part 2/4 Pipe March version.
Munro adds,
Note that the third and fourth parts are both quite tricky – but lovely to play on the flute.
PM Jim Christie of Wick as published in Ceol na Fidhle, published by Taigh na Teud Music Publishers.
This is a good reminder of how things are often not straightforward in traditional music, with different versions and origins often sitting side by side. This is true, even when the composer is known and the music is published, and my thanks to Munro for drawing attention to this.
From my own perspective, I was surprised that the pipe march only had 2 parts, when 4 is more common. Now I know why.
Munro illustrated the 4 part version with a photo (opposite) from the excellent Ceol na Fidhle music book series published by Taigh na Teud Music Publishers based in the Isle of Skye, edited by fiddler Christine Martin. It can be found in the combined Book 3 and 4 edition and I can recommend these and the related books. To see a list of some publications that have been helpful to us in FluteFling, check out the Resources page.
The NE session sets tune book was compiled by John Crawford from existing session material to be found around Aberdeen music groups. The 2-part version allows us to also play with Cape Breton musicians and there is now an opportunity to broaden the repertoire by adding in the additional parts so that we can play with others. I’ll be adding a bonus video of the 4 part version at the end of this project.
Uncertainty about origins and versions is a big theme for this set of tunes and illustrates the folk process in action.
The Rose Amang the Heather
The Rose Amang the Heather is a traditional strathspey in D. It is known by various titles and was taught by Tom Oakes in 2021 as a Northumbrian tune, The Kielder Schottische. I learned it as The Laddie wi’ the Plaidie and it is a good example of a tune that happily exists in different traditions (link to The Session).
The Traditional Tune Archive gives a different, but related, 2-part tune for The Rose Amang the Heather, from The Middleton Collection of 1870.
However, a search for The Lad wi’ the Plaidie reveals a 2-part version from 1910 and a more elaborate 5-part strathspey, 3 of which are the same as our version.
And here’s a recording of Tom Clough (Northumbrian pipes), Billy Ballantyne (piccolo) and Ned Pearson (fiddle): https://youtu.be/rrQaMMjCczA
I suspect that it is Scottish in origin and originally in two parts, but completely take on board Tom’s assertion that it is Northumbrian. Many tunes are common to both Northumbrian and Scottish traditions as each repertoire leaches over the Border.
In addition, the running triplets in the third part are a strong feature of hornpipes beloved of Northumbrian pipers and others. Harvest Home and The Belfast Hornpipe are two notable and well-known tunes that feature this. However, triplets and quadruplets are also common in strathspeys, which are often played at a hornpipe tempo.
I’ll leave it there with regards to this tune, but in my opinion, Northumbrian pipers’ tune books are generally a rich resource for flute and whistle players exploring different settings of Scottish material. Cross-Border hybridisation is clearly a long and noble tradition and there are many threads to the heritage of this lovely tune.
The three part version is the one I have come across the most and it certainly fits the flute and whistle well. Be sure not to let the triplets run away, find a space in the music to breathe and keep it steady.
Bonnie Kate o’ Aberdeen
Bonnie Kate o’ Aberdeen is a reel in Em and has its own questions regarding origins. A tune and a country dance by that name were published in 1771 by Thomson, but the melody, also known as Bonnie Kate, is different. After a bit of hunting around with little success, I tried playing the tune into the Tunepal app.
Mobile phone screenshots of the Tunepal logo, music score and letter notation in ABC format.
Tunepal is a cloud-powered app developed for traditional musicians by Bryan Duggan and his team. It is available for Android and Apple phones, as well as online. After playing a 12 second clip into the app, it will search the free online databases and suggest matches with different degrees of confidence. For any musician trying to identify a tune from a fragment, maybe heard or recorded in a session, it’s a really valuable tool.
Tunepal suggested an Irish reel, called The Mountain Lark, which I have heard but don’t play. A search on The Session reveals that there are two tunes with that name, both in the same key, but distinctly different from each other. One of those is our version and lesser known.
The tune also has a couple of alternative Scottish titles – The Rakish Highlander and Bonnie Kate o’ Aberdeen. Additionally, the annotation to The Rakish Highlander in The Traditional Tune Archive discusses the interest in Scottish repertoire to Irish fiddlers.
On The Session page linked above, FluteFling’s own Sharon Creasey, aka The Archivist and a specialist in Fermanagh music and older manuscripts, writes:
This tune is in the Gunn Book (Fermanagh 1865) as Boney (sic) Kate of Aberdeen.
What a great tune!
The Gunn Book predates Ryan’s Collection (1883) by almost 20 years and strengthens a Scottish claim.
Sharon herself reintroduced the to Aberdeen, teaching it in her workshops, and hence into this PDF. I’m not aware that the tune is otherwise known in Scotland currently.
From Scotland to Ireland and back again with this reel, a Northumbrian schottische or a Scottish strathspey for another tune, from Caithness to Cape Breton and back for our march. Whichever way you look at it, the connections and cross fertilisation of people, culture and music makes the world a richer place.
Ten weeks of videos
Over a 10 week or so period, I am recording and uploading to YouTube a set of tunes from the PDF roughly once a week. The aim is to introduce the tunes, point out some techniques along the way and then play them as a set as I might play them in a session.
As I go along, I’ll take in suggestions to improve the sound and presentation and get back into the way of teaching again. There is an in-built slow down function in YouTube and the PDF is available to everyone, so why not join me on the journey?
The Sunday session at Ma Cameron’s, Aberdeen FluteFling 2019 (c) Gordon Turnbull
A music project for the Winter
Everyone needs a project for the winter and an idea I had over lockdown has finally clicked for me. Inspired by elements of the Dig Where You Stand movement, I looked at an underused resource that already existed within the FluteFling archives.
John Crawford put together a couple of PDFs of session tunes ahead of the 2019 Aberdeen weekend with the idea that people would learn the tunes and have a few core common tunes for the music sessions. This made sense because people attending come from different areas and have different repertoires.
The result was a useful document containing 10 sets of session tunes that might be expected to be found in NE Scotland sessions. The resources were drawn freely from those already available online and might even be regarded as standards, from Shetland reels to pipe jigs, strathspeys and more. Despite it being a good idea, we failed to promote the idea enough and then the pandemic came along and swept things away.
During lockdown I looked at John’s PDF again and realised that it would be useful to learn those tunes that I didn’t play properly. Recently I also felt I needed a focus for my playing as I haven’t been in sessions for a long time and nor have I been teaching. So my FluteFling NE Session Tunebook Project was born.
Ten weeks of videos
Over the next 10 weeks or so, I will be recording and uploading to YouTube a set of tunes from the PDF roughly once a week. The aim is to introduce the tunes, point out some techniques along the way and then play them as a set as I might play them in a session.
As I go along, I’ll take in suggestions to improve the sound and presentation and get back into the way of teaching again. There is an in-built slow down function in YouTube and the PDF is available to everyone, so why not join me on the journey?
FluteFling NE Tunebook Project: 01 Hurlock’s Reel / Da Rodd to Houl
Two Shetland reels by fiddler Tom Anderson, the first of these I associate with Cathal McConnell’s flute playing with The Boys of the Lough, with Shetlander Aly Bain on fiddle. Composed in 1938, Hurlock was apparently the drummer in the ceilidh band Tom Anderson played with. There is discussion and other settings on The Session website.
Hurlock’s Reel is in A and I use the G# key on my flute. See the video and video notes for some more discussion on the keys I use.
Da Rodd to Houl is in D (not G as suggested in the video). Houl (sometimes spelled Houll) is on the Isle of Whalsay in the Shetland Islands. Shetland has its own language (Norn) and dialect; “da rodd” means ” the road”. This comment on The Session website gives more information:
In “Haand Me Doon Da Fiddle” Tom Anderson says “Dis tun was written in 1936 whin I came up to Unst to visit a schoolmaister friend o’ mine. It happened it dat moarnin wis da prizegiving an I was axed to play at it. I guid fir a walk an da tun cam in me head. Da place I wis walkin ower wis caaed da Houll Road bit I tocht da Road ta Houll soonded better”
