Aberdeen FluteFling 1-3 November 2024

The Aberdeen FluteFling took place 1-3 November 2024 and featured workshops with Claire Mann, Freya Rae and Laura MacKenzie, plus Dougie Pincock in conversation with flute maker George Ormiston.

Thanks to all participants, guests and organisers! FluteFling will return to Aberdeen in November 2025.

Tickets

Event now ended.

Tutors

Claire Mann

Claire Mann will be teaching flute and whistle at the Aberdeen FluteFling 2024.

All-Ireland champion Claire Mann has been a great supporter of FluteFling. Claire has been a guest speaker and performer, taught in Edinburgh in 2018 and also online for FluteFling during Lockdown.

More recently, she appeared in Aberdeen at the Alex Green weekend, playing wooden flute, whistle and fiddle, but this will be her first time at the Aberdeen FluteFling.

Claire has performed in different lineups and has several recordings to her name, including this one.

Freya Rae

Freya Rae will be teaching flute and whistle at the Aberdeen FluteFling 2024.

FluteFling is delighted to introduce Freya Rae, who is a new tutor for us, but is in demand as a teacher and performer in Edinburgh. Freya plays Boehm flute, whistle, fiddle and more.

Hailing from Jedburgh, Freya plays in various lineups and performed at the Edinburgh FluteFling in April with harpist Siannie Moodie.

Find out more about Freya from her website.

Laura MacKenzie

Award-winning multi-instrumentalist Laura MacKenzie will be teaching at Aberdeen (c) Laura MacKenzie

A second new tutor for us this year is Laura MacKenzie. Laura has been a long-time supporter of FluteFling, so we are delighted that she is able to step in at short notice.

Laura brings a wealth of experience in the performance of music in the cultural heritage melting pot of her homeland and will be introducing FluteFling to music from the Swedish flute revival.

Like Scotland, Sweden is known for its fiddle music, but has a much-neglected simple system flute tradition. This tradition includes arrangements for two flutes, as is common for Swedish fiddle music, so be prepared to try out some tunes with wonderful and mesmeric countermelodies. Please check the event teaching resources for sheet music.

You can find out more about Laura and listen to her music on her website.

Henrik Norbeck’s website has some background to the flute in Sweden.

Here’s some Swedish flute from Ralsgård & Tullberg to whet your appetite:

Teaching resources

Teaching resources provided by the tutors in advance are provided to ticket holders. The password-protected page can be found here. All ticket holders will have been sent the password via Brown Paper Tickets. If you cannot locate it, please check your Spam folder in the first instance.

Programme & venues

A printable PDF containing timings, locations and local transport is available here: AFF 2024 INFORMATION PACK v4 (3.3MB)

Programme	Venue
Friday 01 November Welcome Session: Time 20.00-midnight Free, open to all instruments	The Blue Lamp 121 Gallowgate, Aberdeen AB25 1BU
Saturday 02 November Workshops Time: 1000-1700, registration from 0930 Tutors: Claire Mann, Freya Rae and Laura MacKenzie Guest: George Ormiston Tickets: £72/ £48 in advance 0930-1000: Registration 1000-1115: Workshop 1 1115-1145: Break (30 mins) 1145-1300: Workshop 2 1300-1400: Lunch (60 mins) 1400-1515: Workshop 3 1515-1545: Break (30 mins) 1545-1700: Talk with George Ormiston 1700: End	Ruthrieston Community Centre 532-536 Holburn Street, Aberdeen AB10 7LL
Saturday 02 November Evening Session & performances: Time Time 20.00-midnight approx Free, open to all instruments	The Blue Lamp 121 Gallowgate, Aberdeen AB25 1BU
Sunday 03 November Farewell Session: Time 13.00-16.00 Free, open to all instruments	The Blue Lamp 121 Gallowgate, Aberdeen AB25 1BU

Workshops format

The workshops format is 3 groups of up to 12 students will rotate between all of the 3 tutors. Where possible, groups will be comprised of similar abilities and instruments, but this is dependent upon numbers and cannot be guaranteed. There will be breaks between workshops and for lunch, with light refreshments provided. The day will end with a talk focused on George Ormiston’s experiences as a pioneering flute maker.

Sessions

FluteFling sessions are friendly and informal affairs, with experienced musicians there to keep the music going and support whoever wants to start a tune. We haven’t had the need to put together session etiquette guidance, but this page by fiddler Ros Gasson has sensible advice. If in doubt, ask.

For repertoire, there isn’t a set list as such. However, tunes from The FluteFling Collection are likely to be played. Additionally, John Crawford put together a North East tunes PDF that Gordon Turnbull has recorded as a project. Find out more about this and download the PDF here.

Safety

To be updated soon. In the meantime, please refer to FluteFling’s previous health and safety guidance.

Venues and public transport

Details on locations and venues coming soon.

The Sunday session at Ma Cameron’s, Aberdeen FluteFling 2019

Further details

Come and be part of the traditional flute and whistle revival in Scotland, with sessions, workshops, talks, performances and more. This is a great opportunity for students to experience different styles and approaches to learning and performing traditional music on flutes and whistles in this much-anticipated event.

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, please get in touch if you are not sure.

The workshop is 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 playing in the context of Scottish traditional music, whichever instrument you play.

Topics covered will include:
different playing styles
tune types
technique
breathing, phrasing and tone improvement
history

FluteFling

traditional flutes and whistles in Scotland

Aberdeen FluteFling Weekend 2024