FluteFling Edinburgh Weekend 3-5 April 2020

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to the ongoing Covid-19/ Coronavirus pandemic, the organisers have taken the decision to postpone this event. All workshop ticket holders will be contacted directly. We will continue to monitor the situation and announce a rearranged date when the situation becomes clear. We apologise for the inconvenience but hope that everyone understands the need to keep everyone safe.

Flutes at FluteFling Edinburgh 2019

The 7th FluteFling Edinburgh Weekend will place 3-5 April in Portobello, with Workshops taking place on Saturday 4th April and sessions all weekend.

This year’s tutors are Davy Maguire (Belfast), John Gahagan (ex-Battlefield Band, Glasgow) and Sharon Creasey (Dumbarton). Munro Gauld (Perthshire) returns as a special guest in conversation and Gordon Turnbull (Edinburgh) will also be on hand throughout the weekend.

Come and be part of the traditional flute and whistle revival in Scotland, with sessions, workshops, talks, performances and more.

The weekend programme includes:

a full day of workshops featuring three tutors
special guest discussion with Munro Gauld
concert featuring Tom Oakes and Company
Guided Tour of St Cecilia’s Hall and Music Museum
sessions each day, including informal performance spots
optional group meals

Tickets

Museum tour | Friday 3rd April 14.00-16.00: Free, limited to 15 | tickets soon

Workshops | Saturday 4th April: Standard: £50/ Concessions: £40 (£55/ £45 on the door) | Now on sale

Buy tickets for FluteFling Edinburgh Flute Weekend All-day Workshop 2020

Please note that tickets are for the workshops and tuition only. When purchasing your ticket, please include your playing level and instrument so that we can allocate the right group for you.
As you purchase your ticket, you will be sent a link to add your name to those coming to the meal, which is is both optional and separate.

Tom Oakes and Company in concert Saturday 4th April 18.30-19.30:

Tickets: £10/ £12 Children under 10 go free when accompanied by an adult.
FluteFling workshop attendees will be able to use a discount code for a special rate.
Doors open 18.00
Drink is allowed on the premises, but there is no bar, so feel free to bring your own.

Sessions: free and open to all.

Saturday Workshops | Bellfield | 10.00-16.30 (registration from 09.30)

The weekend once again centres on a day of workshops on the Saturday. We return to our usual format of three tutors and three groups, with the groups rotating between between all of the tutors.

Suitability: The workshops are intended for simple system wooden flutes in D, Boehm system flutes and whistles and low whistles in D. While not suitable for complete beginners and best for those with at least 1-2 years experience (this can vary), we do welcome those returning to the instruments after a break. More information can be found here.

Tutors

This year’s tutors will be Davy Maguire (Belfast), John Gahagan (Glasgow) and Sharon Creasey (Dumbarton).

Davy Maguire teaches at BelfastTrad and is one of the most significant flute players of his generation, known not only in Belfast, but on the European continent for his dynamic and powerful style. He has travelled regularly to Britanny and formed a strong playing partnership with the Breton flute player Jean Michelle Veillon. Davy is equally well-known for his humour and teaching ability and he is respected as one of Belfast’s finest musical sons.

Davy Maguire previously taught at the first Aberdeen Weekend and we are delighted that he is able to teach in Edinburgh this year.

John Gahagan is a flute and whistle player, formerly a member of The Battlefield Band. One of the longest-serving flute and whistle players in Scotland, he will be teaching in Edinburgh this year following his popular teaching classes in Aberdeen in November.

As he devotes his time to his art, this is a rare chance to hear and learn from him beyond Glasgow, where he normally plays and teaches.

Sharon Creasey (c) John Crawford

Core tutor and co-founder Sharon Creasey returns to Edinburgh with her experience of playing traditional music on Boehm system flute, piccolo and whistle. Sharon’s teaching is essential for anyone, but particularly for those crossing over into traditional music on the Boehm system flute.

Her extensive knowledge of the music of Fermanagh and interest in digging into old music collections and manuscripts always produces rare and unusual material to the workshops.

Special guest Munro Gauld is a Perthshire flute and whistle player who has been playing traditional music for over 30 years in ceilidh bands, sessions and gigs. Munro returns to the FluteFling Edinburgh Weekend as a special guest to talk about his current projects.

These include digging into the hidden music of Perthshire musical and folklore traditions of the 17th-19th centuries and putting tunes in their historical context of time, place, people and historical events.

Expect to hear something of his approaches to exploring the technical intricacies and requirements of playing Strathspeys, pipe marches and other Scottish music on flute. A thoughtful musician, he likes to dig deep into the music, some of which he has recorded.

Tom Oakes & Company | Bellfield | 18.30-19.30 approx (entry from 18.00)

Join traditional flute player and Scots Trad Musician of the Year nominee Tom Oakes for a memorable early evening acoustic concert with BBC Radio 2 Folk Musician of the year Tim Edey.

Edinburgh-based Tom Oakes is one of the most admired younger flute players in Scotland and many will have been taught by him or seen him perform at previous FluteFling events. He is a dynamic musician with a rich, powerful tone and a wide repertoire influenced by his many musical travels, from India, North Africa, Finland, Ireland and of course Scotland.

Tom was a Scots Trad Musician of the Year nominee last year and is well known for his guitar playing as one half of a duo with Shetland fiddler Ross Couper. He is currently working on a solo flute album, so this is a sneak preview of some of what is in store.

Tim Edey is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist who has performed with many of the best in traditional music, including Sharon Shannon, Natalie McMaster and Session A9, Dougie MacLean and The Cheiftains. His live solo shows are a stunning mix of world music inspired instrumental virtuosity and passion with a strong Celtic theme, to audience – chorus lines and above all a highly entertaining night of musical genius.

Tom Oakes and Company in concert Saturday 4th April 18.30-19.30:
Now on sale

Tickets: £10/ £12 Children under 10 go free when accompanied by an adult.
FluteFling workshop attendees will be able to use a discount code for a special rate.
Doors open 18.00
Please note that the concert will last approximately 60 minutes and there will be no interval.
Drink is allowed on the premises, but there is no bar, so feel free to bring your own.

Workshop and concert venue and location

With good cafes, bars and restaurants, art galleries and nearby beach, Portobello is an attractive location and base for the weekend. There is also a good range of hotels, guest houses and Air BnB.

Workshop and concert venue: This year we will return to Bellfield in Portobello, for flutes and whistles by the sea. All events on Saturday are in walking distance of each other. Address: Bellfield, 16B Bellfield Street, Portobello, EH15 2BP

Sessions will be in The Dalriada Bar, on the sea front in Joppa.
Address: 77 the Promenade, Portobello, EH15 2E

Bus and rail: Portobello is just a Lothian Buses 26 bus ride away from Waverley Station and St Andrew’s Square. Contactless payment is available. Other routes and First Bus routes to East Lothian also go through or near Portobello. Lothian Buses and First Bus have free apps to help plan travel.

Bike: There are lots of quiet cycle routes around Edinburgh. Use the Edinburgh Cycle Streets web site and app to plan your journey.

Car: For people travelling by car, Portobello is well connected. There is mostly free parking, but do check on restrictions. Please do not park on Bellfield Street, which can become busy for local residents. Instead, amble on-street parking can be found just a block or two away in the direction of Joppa/ Musselburgh e.g. Pittville Street, Abercorn Terrace etc.

FluteFling

traditional flutes and whistles in Scotland

FluteFling Edinburgh Weekend 2020