Tag Archives: Scottish Flute Weekend

The Return to Aberdeen

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Aberdeen FluteFling 3-5 November 2023

In Scotland when the clocks are turned back in October, you know you’re getting deep into Autumn, with darker days and longer nights. Which makes the thought of being indoors with others to play music so much more inviting, as it was for the first FluteFling outing to the Granite City since 2019.

Niall Kenny takes a group at the Saturday workshops (c) Gordon Turnbull

Niall Kenny and Munro Gauld had previously taught at FluteFling in Edinburgh but this was the first time Tina Jordan Rees had taught with us, so it was a departure from our previous outings. Indeed, this was the first time that none of the core tutors were teaching.

This year we were based at Ruthrieston Community Centre, with sessions at The Blue Lamp (Friday and Sunday) and at Cults Bowling Club (Saturday). The latter was unusual for us and made necessary by the lack of available venues in the city, a problem we found when organising the Edinburgh weekend in May and part of a wider problem across the country. However, we were made very welcome and had the space to ourselves.

Storms Babet and Ciarán had battered the NE of Scotland and made travel plans for many a bit tricky but we were all there to enjoy a well-attended event — the highest numbers we have had for the Aberdeen weekend.

The Friday night session at The Blue Lamp in Aberdeen. (c) Malcolm Reavell

With familiar faces gathering at the Friday night session, we eased ourselves into remembering what these gatherings are all about. Where else can you be in the company of such great flute players and fellow aficionados without apology? Digging out the musical gems from the back of the mind, sharing knowledge and news together. It was an informal way to warm ourselves up and reorient ourselves to the flute world.

Saturday

FluteFling at Ruthrieston Community Centre, Aberdeen (c) Gordon Turnbull

The Saturday venue at Ruthrieston was new to us and well-scouted by John Crawford, who once again had done a great job to ensure that a FluteFling weekend could go ahead. Sadly, John wasn’t able to attend in person until the final session, but we hope he is on the mend and in good fettle for the next outing. Kenny Hadden was of course on hand throughout the day and Coralie Mills returned to the front desk to ensure everything ran smoothly from registration to packing up and all things in between.

Tina Jordan Rees leads a workshop. (c) Gordon Turnbull

Once again, we rotated three groups around the three tutors so that everyone got a range of different perspectives and focus. The longer breaks were a great chance to catch up, try out flutes and clarify teaching points. We were joined just before lunch by flute maker George Ormiston, who was great company and had brought some of his flutes and a whistle for people to try.

George Ormiston during on the breaks between workshops (c) Gordon Turnbull

We were struck by the fact that almost all of those attending the weekend were playing modern flutes and only a handful of older flutes were being played. It’s a sure sign of how flute making has come on in recent years that so many high quality instruments are now available to musicians. We didn’t do a survey, but as well as numerous Ormistons, there were examples by Aebi, Gabriel, Windward, Lehart, Thomson, Wilkes and certainly others. Maybe next time we should do a survey.

Munro Gauld (L) and Dougie Pincock (R) in conversation. (c) Gordon Turnbull

The talk at the end of the day was an interview with Munro Gauld led by Dougie Pincock. The focus was Munro’s work in exploring some of the vast archives of Scottish traditional music, in particular rediscovering the lost music of the Gàidhlig Highlands.

In particular, Munro stressed the importance of connecting the music to place, people and story. This roots the music in history and directly connects the present day musician and listener to people, events and emotions of the past, giving it an additional depth and heft that might otherwise be missing. Munro went on to describe how we can all do this for ourselves, digging where we stand. It is clear that there is much to be unearthed and brought to light, and that many were clearly inspired to do so.

Personally, I felt that there was possibly a natural synergy in rediscovering forgotten Scottish music on flutes, an instrument long forgotten in Scotland, now becoming remembered.

I have been aware of Munro’s work for a while and his talk was originally going to be at Edinburgh in 2020, which of course fell foul of Covid. For those who were not there on this occasion, the interview was recorded by Peter Saunders for The Scottish Flute Channel on YouTube and will be published in due course.

The evening session was slightly out of town, where Cults Bowling Club made us feel very welcome, giving their space over to us entirely. Lots more tunes, some Bb flutes and an A flute as well.

The Saturday session at Cults Bowling Club (c) Gordon Turnbull

Gordon Turnbull (L) and Peter Saunders (R) playing Bb flutes. (c) Chris Cracknell

Overall, there was a good turnout from Aberdeen and the surrounding area, but people had also travelled from Inverness, Stirlingshire, Dunbar, Edinburgh, Perthshire, Glasgow, Lancashire, Germany and Sweden. It was particularly delightful to finally meet Joel Hagen from Gothenburg, who had been trying to attend a FluteFling weekend since 2020. Joel plays with the Swedish group Jaerv, which are definitely worth checking out. As hoped, he treated us to some Swedish tunes, while Chris Cracknell introduced us to some German tunes as we made common cause with the flute as a lesser-known instrument in other traditions.

The Sunday Survivors’ Session at The Blue Lamp (c) Gordon Turnbull

The Sunday Survivors’ Session was well attended, with two sittings. Making the most of the daylight for driving meant that I only briefly saw John Crawford to thank him for the successful arrangements, and was literally heading out of the door when Peter arrived with George Ormiston and Munro, fresh from interviewing for the Scottish Flute Channel. From conversations with Peter, I think we are in for a treat over the rest of the winter as the interviews are published.

Thanks to everyone who helped to plan the weekend and ensure that it ran smoothly, in particular John Crawford, Peter Saunders, Kenny Hadden, Coralie Mills, Lorna Aucott, Dougie Pincock and George Ormiston, plus of course the three fine tutors themselves. Thanks too, to all of the venues for accommodating us so well.

Postscript:

Munro has since shared a link on Facebook to a blog on some of his work. He writes:

Here is the second blog of research from the An Cuinneachadh project looking at C18th music connected with Fort Augustus. This episode focuses on the then owners of the land at the southern end of Loch Ness – The Lovat Frasers. Their story is “colourful” and encompasses bigamy, treason and beheading, as well as Royal recognition and great honours for victory in the battles of Britain’s emerging empire. These events were captured at the time by music and song (the social media of their day). Playing these reels, strathspeys, marches and Gaelic songs helps us journey back 250 years to get a sense of a very different Scotland …
The blog is available in either English or Gaelic.

 

Other traditional flute events coming up in Scotland

The next FluteFling Weekend will be in Edinburgh to celebrate our 10th Anniversary 19-21 April at the Heart of Newhaven Community. We’re already making plans and I’m sure it will soon be upon us.

Wintertrad

Wintertrad, led by FluteFling supporter Tom Oakes with Shetland fiddler Ross Couper, is 24-26 November in Edinburgh, again at the Heart of Newhaven Community and around Leith Walk. Highly recommended, with great concerts, workshops and sessions. Flutes are a big focus of course.

 

Tradwinds

Tradwinds afternoon workshop on Saturday 2nd December 1-4pm. Come along to work on Scottish tunes and techniques for flute and whistles with Gordon Turnbull. Some experience is needed, but it is a mixed and supportive group, teaching material supplied in advance. Fisherrow Community Centre, Musselburgh.

The Road to Edinburgh 2023: behind the scenes

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The Road to Edinburgh 2023

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.

FluteFling Edinburgh 2023: sunshine on Newhaven

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Sunshine on Newhaven Flutes

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

A row of flute players playing flutes.

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.

FluteFling in person events return to Edinburgh

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FluteFling Edinburgh Weekend 2023 12-14 May confirmed

FluteFling Edinburgh 2023 tutors (top-bottom): Tom Oakes, Davy Maguire, Sharon Creasey.

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.

UPDATE: Tickets are now on sale. See the event page for details.

 

 

Remembering Boxwood Aberdeen

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Scottish Flute Weekend 16-18 Nov 2001: Twenty Years of Scottish Traditional Flute

Malcolm Reavell in Ma Cameron’s snug, Aberdeen. (c) Gordon Turnbull

November 2021 marked twenty years since Boxwood Aberdeen took place, a weekend that sowed the seeds for FluteFling and inspired many others to further explore the flute in Scottish traditional music contexts.

Organised by Malcolm Reavell for Scottish Culture and Traditions, here he describes the background to the event, which was possibly the largest such gathering in Scotland.

Publicity for Skyedance performing and teaching in Banchory

Publicity for Skyedance performing and teaching in Banchory

In 1997, representing Scottish Culture & Traditions organisation (SC&T) I contacted Duncan Hendry who was at the time managing the Aberdeen Alternative Festival (now at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre) to see if he would help us arrange to get Alasdair Fraser’s band Skyedance to run a day of workshops for traditional musicians. The lineup at that time was Alasdair on fiddle, Eric Rigler on pipes, Peter Maund on percussion, Paul Machlis on piano, and as American/ Canadian flute player Chris Norman had joined the band, we could have flute a workshop as well.

The workshop was held on a snowy January day in Banchory Academy. Chris Norman had previously held workshops at Celtic Connections in Glasgow, attended by just a couple of people, so when he walked into the room, he was pleasantly surprised to be confronted by about a dozen flute players.

Flute players in Banchory

Flute players in Banchory. Chris Norman is front row, in white. Malcolm Reavell to the right of him.

Chris advertised the Boxwood week he ran, and so that was where I went for my holidays the next two years – Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. It was an inspiring event, and I really wanted to do something like this in Scotland, and I got the chance in 2001. Chris got in touch about coming over to Scotland, I jumped at the chance to try and organise something.

I thought it would be good to try out the format Chris used for Boxwood with three tutors covering different styles and traditions. As well as Chris I invited Eddie McGuire whose reputation as composer as well as flute player appealed to classical flute players, and from Limerick, Niall Keegan, who was pushing the boundaries of traditional Irish flute playing.

Flyer for the Boxwood Aberdeen Weekend

Flyer for the Boxwood Aberdeen Weekend

It was going to cost a bit of money to put on the event. We could not run it for a whole week as Chris did in Lunenburg, but a weekend seemed achievable.

At this time I was still working shifts as an aircraft engineer, so I had days off during the week which I could devote to SC&T (in fact SC&T took up most of my spare time anyway).

I investigated Scottish Arts Council funding and luckily Dave Francis pointed me in the direction of a new funding stream for which few people had applied.

I submitted the grant application and budgeted for about half of the amount I put in the application (that’s kind of normal for such applications). The Scottish Arts Council approved the whole amount. This was not supposed to happen! I had to then revise the programme and remove all the cost saving I had incorporated to use up all the money we were getting (you can’t give it back – you must spend it!).

So… venues for workshops, evening concerts, sessions, accommodation for artists, publicity, leaflets, press releases, flyers, catering,… the machine was set in motion. It wasn’t all plain sailing, I had several weeks, and a few frantic days, sorting out last minute international work permits with the UK Home Office.

Organising it under the SC&T banner gave us access to volunteer resources of the SC&T committee and helpers. The Elphinstone Institute under the auspices of Dr Ian Russell became involved, and Ian gave a talk on the flute bands of NE Scotland. (a photograph of one of the flute bands was used by Chris on his album cover for The Caledonian Flute).

Kenny Hadden helped put out the word to all the flute players we could find in Scotland, and by some magic, we managed to attract participants from the south of England, and one lady (who I had met at Chris’s Boxwood event in Lunenburg) that decided to come all the way from Wisconsin in the US.

The workshops took place in the Aberdeen Foyer. We had an evening concert in Cowdray Hall, and one in the Lemon Tree, and Friday night session in The Globe.

(Left to Right) Chris Norman, Robin Bullock, Niall Keegan, Malcolm Reavell, Dr Ian Russell, Eddie Maguire

The weekend was the first time this number of traditional flute players had gathered in Scotland and acted as inspiration to continue from there. A young Calum Stewart was even in the audience, (although he told me recently, at the time, he didn’t play much flute).

Niall Keegan, Chris Norman and Eddie Maguire performing

I can’t remember how many participants we had at the weekend, (data protection means I no longer have access to enrolment details), but I seem to have the number 45 in my head.

As for names… well, have fun looking through some of these pictures and try putting names to faces, and a video of the weekend was made by Dr Ian Russell and we hope to make some of it available in the future.

Eddie Maguire and the Whistlebinkies with the participants. Notice the animated music stand. (c) Malcolm Reavell

Aberdeen Press and Journal. Some weel kent faces here: Rebecca Knorr (left) and a young Mhairi Hall centre left, Ann Ward just behind them, a young Calum Stewart (partly hidden behind Mhairi), Munro Gauld and Gordon Turnbull (back right). The lady in the Fairisle pattern sweater is Ann Huntoon from Wisconsin. Apologies for not being able to recall other names at present.

Aberdeen City Evening Express a few days later: Kenny Hadden, Rebecca Knorr and Ann Ward front and centre.

A workshop with Chris Norman. Pete Saunders back, right.

Some more faces to spot, this time with Eddie Maguire.

Chris Norman in a workshop

Niall Keegan with a group

The participants at the end of a full day animated and ready to listen to the three tutors.

(c) Malcolm Reavell 2021