Autumn workshop dates confirmed

Posted on September 7, 2018 by Gordon

FluteFling flutes and whistles in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen

Traditional flute workshop with Sharon Creasey at FluteFling Edinburgh Weekend 2018 (c) Gordon Turnbull

If you’ve signed up to the newsletter, you will probably know that the dates and tickets for workshops in Glasgow with Sharon Creasey and in Edinburgh with Gordon Turnbull are up and running.

Be sure to book in advance as spaces are limited and the September events are just a week and two weeks away respectively.

If you’re coming to the Edinburgh events, remember you can get a discount by booking all three in advance.

The 2nd FluteFling Aberdeen Weekend will now take place 16-18 November, with three tutors, including a special guest now confirmed, plus an expanded format that includes whistles. The event last year was very well attended and those on the mailing list will get the details and ticketing opportunity first. There is now a dedicated page for the event, so be sure to check back there for updates.

Whichever events you are interested in, we hope you can make it and look forward to seeing you.

Flutes and whistles in the Autumn

Posted on July 31, 2018 by Gordon

Autumn dates and plans for FluteFling to be announced

Another view of the BBQ music with added whistle. Via @millscoralie #portobello #edinburgh #telferton

A post shared by Gordon Turnbull (@gordontheflow) on Jun 9, 2018 at 3:27pm PDT

The rain may have returned, but it’s still the Summer and the Edinburgh Festival is about to kick off. However, it is a timely nudge for organising Autumn events and I am pleased to say that there will be a few FluteFling things happening. Dates and tickets are still being finalised, but here’s a quick look at what is coming up.

New monthly workshops in Partick

Sharon Creasey begins FluteFling West, a monthly trad flute and whistle workshops in Partick Burgh Hall Lesser Hall on Saturday afternoons 2-4pm. Sharon is still putting together ticketing details but her dates are:

15 September
20 October
10 November

This looks to be is the first workshop of its kind in the Glasgow area and is a great opportunity for anyone in the west looking to work on their music. Sharon’s dates won’t clash with the Edinburgh ones either, so it would be possible to maximise your flute and whistle time and attend both or pick and choose. As soon tickets etc are set up, we will let you know.

Monthly FluteFling workshops in Edinburgh from September

Gordon Turnbull’s monthly Saturday afternoon workshops resume in Portobello, Edinburgh on 22 September, remaining dates tbc at this stage but they will not be the same dates as Sharon’s. These will take place once more on Saturday afternoons 1-4pm at Tribe Porty. Dates so far:

22 September
October date tbc
November date tbc
December date tbc

Tickets to be arranged very soon, once the Aberdeen weekend is finalised. Talking of which…

FluteFling Aberdeen weekend 2018

Aberdeen FluteFling weekend will return for second year, with added whistles. Details to be confirmed at this stage but hopefully early November. Again, an announcement will be made as soon as we have things in place.

Watch out for updates on these events and also more going into 2019. If you haven’t already, sign up for the newsletter to hear the announcements directly. There’s a lot to look forward to. Until then, enjoy your music and the rest of the Summer.

Friday night flute. The old Rudall and Rose sounding good. Trying out Tomnahurich jig in keys of A G and F and seeing it it will go with the other tune of the same name: Maybe. F is lovely and rich but a beast left handed in a right handed flute. G is powerful, A is bright. A work in progress. #flute #scottish #traditional

A post shared by Gordon Turnbull (@gordontheflow) on Jun 8, 2018 at 1:11pm PDT

Into the Summer

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Gordon

Flutes and whistles in the Boda Bar during FluteFling Edinburgh 2018

Summer in Scotland is an exceptionally busy time, particularly so in the traditional and folk music calendar. Every weekend from May onwards there is a festival of some sort and the longer days and better weather rightly draw everyone to Shetland, Ullapool, Orkney, Moniaive, Girvan and everywhere in between. And that’s just for the music.

So it’s no surprise that numbers regularly tail off in May and June and for that reason the end of term session on Saturday 16th June is cancelled. My apologies if you had intended to come, but it makes the most sense. Once workshops resume after the summer I will look to put on something to replace it, but clearly now is not the right time.

I hope everyone has a great summer, with as much enjoyable music as they could wish for. I’m meeting Sharon Creasey, Kenny Hadden and Munro Gauld over the weekend to share ideas and explore dates for future gatherings over the next year, which promises to be an exciting one for fluters and whistlers in Scotland.

Regular FluteFling workshops in Edinburgh will resume in the Autumn, so look out for news of these and the other weekends over the coming weeks.

A Big Thank You and Summer Workshops

Posted on May 7, 2018 by Gordon

Success for 5th FluteFling Edinburgh Weekend

First of all, a Big Thank You to everyone who was involved or attended the Edinburgh Weekend a couple of weeks ago. This was our biggest event yet and we were very close to being sold out.

Regulars Sharon Creasey and Kenny Hadden (basking in his new-found honour) provided our core continuity, with Niall Kenny as guest tutor and Claire Mann as guest speaker bringing in their own takes on the music and instruments. Feedback has been very positive and there was a real buzz about the place all day and into the evening.

FluteFling Edinburgh under way!

A post shared by Gordon Turnbull (@gordontheflow) on Apr 20, 2018 at 2:46pm PDT

A special thanks to the City of Edinburgh Methodist Church for hosting our event again – it really is a lovely venue with great acoustics. A big thumbs up to the Boda Bar on Leith Walk for hosting Friday night with such enthusiasm and to the Mercat Bar on West Maitland Street for sympathetically and efficiently sorting us out for Saturday. Very different venues to each other, but both highly recommended. Anyone looking to put something on should consider them as potential venues.

And of course Sandy Bells looked after us well on the Sunday lunchtime as always. One or two of us also made it to the Waverly Bar afterwards, where a great session was also to be had. A pantomime Booooo! however, to the session venue that let us down badly at very short notice (see the archive). I will try and do a more comprehensive round-up very soon, but I am now in the throes of report writing for school.

Summer workshops

After the April break, May and June workshops return this month. These will be the first since returning from Cruinniú na bhFliúit (Flutemeet) in Ballyvourney, County Cork and also since the FluteFling Edinburgh Weekend, of course, so I hope to share some ideas that I picked up over that period. NB Dates now corrected below – thanks to David Flett for pointing out the error.

Saturday 19 May 1-4 pm | Back at Tribe Porty, this will be suitable for everyone as I intend to focus on slowing things down, getting into the tunes further and helping with playing by ear. Tickets now on sale.
Saturday 16 June 1-4 pm | This will be a more sociable event and include a slow session that will utilise the FluteFling back catalogue. Venue and tickets tbc.

There will be a summer break over July and August, but there will definitely be further events from September, which will be announced just as soon as they become finalised.

FluteFling Edinburgh 2018 weekend details

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Gordon

More details of the weekend. For the lineup and background, see the event page.

URGENT UPDATE: change of session venues

Unfortunately, for reasons outwith our control we have had to change session venue for Friday and Saturday at very short notice and have had to make alternative arrangements. Other parts of the weekend are unaffected.

Both bars are on main bus routes and the Mercat is within walking distance of Haymarket Station and tram stops

Friday night session from 7.30pm until late

Boda Bar

229 Leith Walk

Edinburgh, EH6 8NY

Phone: 0131 553 59 00

http://www.bodabar.com/boda-bar/

A very small bar, with some space reserved for us at the back, round the corner.

Saturday night session 8pm until late

Mercat Bar and Kitchen
28 West Maitland Street, Edinburgh EH12 5DX
Tel: 0131 225 8716
https://mercatbar.co.uk/

We have a room booked downstairs.

Both web sites have maps and they should be straightforward to find, although they both have small shop fronts. Boda Bar is on a corner and Mercat Bar is near a corner. Parking is easier around Boda Bar, but it is possible to park not too far away from the Mercat.

Friday | 20.04.18

Meet and greet Session

Boda Bar
229 Leith Walk
Edinburgh, EH6 8NY
Phone: 0131 553 59 00
http://www.bodabar.com/boda-bar/