The first NW Scottish Fiddler’s meeting is coming up soon folks!  Get your fiddles out, rosin up that bow, and be sure to get in on all the activities- starting September 14th, at 2:00 p.m., sharp,  if you’re an adult… 1:00 p.m. if you’re a member of the youth band!

We will be holding meetings at the same location as last year, in the Fireside Room, at the Calvin Presbyterian Church- http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?cp=47.76552~-122.3612&where1=Calvin%20Presbyterian%20Church&FORM=SNAPST

Most likely, we’ll be treated to a new tune or two from Calum, re-visit an old set or two, and have time for a jam session as well. **Remember to bring something tasty to share for our potluck after the meeting!

See you there soon!!!

Scottish Fiddling in the Fireside Room

You should trying fiddling blindfolded– you never know what great revelations may occur!

Well, almost! Now that we have your attention, here are next year’s fiddle club meeting dates. They have been confirmed with the church, so they’re official!
2014:
September 14th
October 12-
November 9
December 14

2015:
January 11
Feb. 8
March 8
April 12
May 17

Northwest Scottish Fiddle club members and friends will be on hand to entertain the crowds at Folklife this year, even if the club itself was not selected to play.
Catch some great playing by these folks: (Please feel free to add more folks and gigs in the comment section below!)
Calum and Friends (Vienna, Christina, Niki and Guinevere)-Monday, 2:50-3:20 – Trad Stage
Bill Boyd: Saturday (with Hale Bill and the Bopps-Scandinavian) Saturday at 12:30 at Cornish
Bill Boyd with Susan Burke: Sunday, at 1:15, at Cornish
Evan and Elise Snoey with Hot Cider: contra dance- Friday 5 p.m., at the Roadhouse
Judy Laub with Ms. Behavin: contra dance –Friday, noon, and also, Judy with the Fab Girls : contra dance -Monday- 11 a.m.
For the complete schedule, go to:
http://www.nwfolklife.org/festival/complete-2014-schedule/

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, who belong to our club, or support the youthful members of our club! We will not meet on Mother’s Day – but we will see you on May 18th! Please note we will also meet in the activities room- at the other end of the church, the entrance is still from the same parking lot area. NOTE TIME CHANGE!! We will start the general meeting at 1 PM. Calum will possibly teach a tune, we’ll review tunes we learned last month, and a jam of great proportions will follow- with some eating and socializing in between!

Calum telling a story!

Vienna and Flora start off Coilsfield House.

Guinevere Saenger playing her recently composed set.

How did we all get on stage? There are people on stage you can’t see from this angle!

“Hot Cider”

Youth band members

Calum has a solo!

Our latest gig at the Everett Public Library on March 30 turned out to be the library’s fullest house yet this year! Estimated attendance at this year’s concert was nearly twice what it was the previous year, with many folks standing on the sides and in the back for the two hour-plus concert!

One very pleased concert-goer commented that she was going to Scotland soon, and seriously doubted she’d find anything better than what she saw and heard that afternoon.

Soloists, group, and family acts brought fresh material and amazing talent into the mix of traditional Scottish medleys. Many thanks to Guinevere Saenger, Vienna S., the “Youth Band”, the Cummings Family Band, and “Hot Cider”!

Thanks to Susan Barkan for organizing this! Thanks to the Everett Public Library for hosting us, and most importantly, thanks to Calum MacKinnon and all the musicians that made this afternoon one to remember!

Just a quick reminder that March’s meeting will be March 16th, rather than the 9th, due to a schedule conflict! Sorry about the change up! It will make the month seem sooo long before we have a meeting! See you soon!

Here’s a great video, thanks to Barry Rix, our great “sound guy”- who set up the microphones, and all the rest! This is Northwest Scottish Fiddlers – all 20 minutes of it, performing our opening act! We shall remember it also, as the day the Seahawks won the playoff, won’t we?!

Opening act, with Calum requesting a wee favor from the audience.

Early on in the show- Calum gets us going on some reels.

Youth band with Vienna, Sam, and Flora.

Guinevere Saenger, piano, Dale Cummings on guitar and Jason Thumma on string bass! What a combo!!!

Never seen a Scottish kilt paired with a silk Chinese smoking jacket? You missed your chance if you weren’t at Gung Haggis Fat Choy in Seattle February 16th. China Harbor restaurant displayed a large collection of clan flags, as you can see, and the Canadian flag was up as well. About 400 people in attendance made it “interesting” trying to hear ourselves at times, but, when all was said and done, everyone agreed it was a fun gig! Not a dull moment!  Thank you Cindy Scheyer for some great photos!

Working out some choons in the gymnasium after the infamous raid on the cellos!

So, at our meeting today, we played through the tunes we learned at our recent Alasdair Fraser/Natalie Haas Scottish fiddle workshop. We want to keep these tunes alive and well, and a part of our repertoire! Here’s a great way to get the tunes in your head— try out this video! 

Here’s a great look at some of earlier Scottish fiddlers. https://www.nfb.ca/film/celtic_spirits
There is some great footage of Hector MacAndrew and Scotty Fitzgerald. It’s a feature-length documentary.
…Also Jerry Holland in the final concert which looks like it was in the hockey stadium in Sydney, NS.