It was a great year, with guest instructors Calum MacKinnon and Susan Burke, and our 10th annual Alasdair Fraser/Natalie Haas workshop. Tunes and ideas learned throughout the year were part of the final concert of the year at the Everett Public Library on Mother’s Day.  We had a great turnout considering it was Mother’s Day.

We’ll be taking the summer off, but looking forward to meeting again in the fall.  Club meetings are generally on the third Sunday of the month: September 16, October 21, November 18, December 16.  2019 dates are: January 13 (second  Sunday), February 17, March 17, April 21, and May 19.  We will continue to invite and recruit guest instructors, and of course, have the annual Whidbey Island workshop with Alasdair and Natalie, on January 18-20, 2019.

Here’s some scenes from the library concert:

The Northwest Scottish Fiddlers will once again take the stage at the Everett Public Library on May 13th, Mother’s Day.  The concert will be dedicated to mothers, and we hope we’ll put a smile on mom’s in our audience, and get their toes to tapping!

The doors open at 1:30, but seating fills up quickly, so plan to arrive as early!  The club will feature many of their old favorites, along with some newer sets, including the set taught by Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas at the past Whidbey Island Scottish Fiddle Workshop. Another new set, arranged by club members, will include tunes written by Calum MacKinnon, our former music director, combined with The Bloody Fields of Flanders/Freedom Come All Ye, The Ale is Dear and Clean Pea Strae.

Guinevere Saenger will have a solo set on piano, along with Flora Cummings who will be featured on a solo fiddle set as well. The Cumming’s family will also delight the crowd with singing and dancing by the Elinor and Flora.

Free admission and parking!  See you there!

Want to be on our mailing list? 

Write to m.thumma@mac.com.

Please indicate what you’d like information on:  our club? or our Alasdair Fraser/Natalie Haas workshop?

Also include your first and last name. We’ll send you an email confirmation.

Here’s a chance to see a great concert presented by an amazing Skandia band that’s making more and more trips to Seattle in recent times. Not only will they be in concert on Saturday,  April 28th, they will also teach workshops on Sunday (April 29th) morning.

WORKSHOPS: Start at 10 AM! All workshops are within a 5 minute walk from each other. Address information available by email, but will also be made public closer to the date of the workshops. 

10am – 11:15am   Kevin Henderson- Hosted by Bill Boyd

10am – 11:15am    Olav LuksengÃ¥rd Mjelva

11:30am – 12:45pm    Anders Hall

Location: North Seattle (Ballard / Loyal Heights)

Cost: $30 for Skandia and SFS members (for two workshops), $35 nonmembers

or $20 members for only one workshop, $25 nonmembers, 18 and under $10. Cash or checks, no cards. 

For address and info email:  music@skandia-folkdance.org

Also visit http://www.skandia-folkdance.org/special-events.html or  http://www.seafolklore.org/wp/concerts/

Our very own Flora Cummings, member of the fiddle club since she could hold a fiddle (well, almost), will be one of the featured performers at this year’s More Music at the Moore. Flora auditioned and competed with over 90 musicians, up to 21 years old, and was selected for one of 12 spots! Way to go, Flora! The website describes the event as follows: The 17th annual More Music @ The Moore features exceptional young musicians mixing up diverse music styles. The performance celebrates the rich musical talent of youth in our community and provides musicians.

HOW TO GET TICKETS: This is very important, as Flora will actually get a percentage of the ticket sales, and you’ll pay no service fees. Use this special link: https://www.stgpresents.org/groups/participant  Also see below:

Here’s a few pictures, with many more on the way. 114 musicians, including fiddlers, cellists, violists, harpist, bass, vibraphone, guitar, and flute players! Nearly 300 people crowded into the auditorium for the Sunday afternoon concert- we had a standing room only situation on our hands!  We also had an amazing amount of volunteer support- enthusiastic folks volunteered to help with everything, thanks to recruitment efforts by Jasmin Faulk-Dickerson and Annie Barrett!

Dates for the 2019 workshop will be announced soon!

Sunday morning rehearsal. Learning a song, and then assembling the set! We left decorations up for the concert a few hours later.

Alasdair and Natalie trying out some options Sunday morning for “Sae Will We Yet”. Music below!

Our Sunday morning song- several vocalists sang verses with lovely instrumental choruses. The audience participation put it over the top- truly beautiful.

Friday night opening session – led by The Reds- who got their inspiration from this very workshop, 5 years ago.

Come join the NW Scottish Fiddlers and their workshop guests for an exhilarating concert featuring “cutting-edge fiddle and cello explorations of Scottish and global music”, according to the Boston Globe.

For more information on Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, who have played together for nearly twenty years,  visit their website.

To buy tickets in advance, go to Brown Paper Tickets. Tickets are also available at the door the day of the concert.

Other concert questions may be directed to Marcia Thumma, by email, or at 425-334-7951.

See you there!!!

We’ve been hard at work to make this year’s workshop the best.  Among special treats, will be a t-shirt!

Many thanks to Maggie Neatherlin, from Olympia, for creating artwork for this year’s special 10th workshop celebration!

Price: $18. Shirt comes in 5 colors and various sizes.

ORDERS must be placed by Monday, Dec. 11th!

T-shirts are available via special link– PLEASE NOTE: we aren’t doing mail-order at this point, but if you can figure out how to get to a fiddle club meeting, or contact Marcia Thumma for help!

It’s official.  We are at maximum capacity for the workshop! Registration is closed, but never fear!  You can get on the waitlist, and the sooner the better!  Just write to m.thumma@mac.com, and indicate if you need lodging and or meals.  We also need to know if you’re looking for one spot, or more.

The concert is also a great option if you don’t get in- Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets, or at the door, on January 14th- Auditorium A, Casey Conference Center in Coupeville!

Just TEN short years ago- Alasdair and Natalie at our first Whidbey workshop.

Yes! Registration for our January workshop with Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas is now open!  Go to our workshop pages for more workshop information and when you’re ready to register, go to our registration page for details!