Workshop  TUTORS
May 31st & June 1st 2008
 
Liz Doherty (fiddle)
Desi WIlkinson
(flute)
Lori Watson
(fiddle)
Junior Davey
(bodhran)
Susie Kelly
(song)
Lillias Kinsman Blake (whistle / flute / mixed instruments)
Mairi Campbell (song)
Innes Watson
(guitar)
Carly Blain
(fiddle)
Rachel Cross (fiddle)
Dianne Newman
(Irish step dance)
Graham Dolan (guitar)
Liz Doherty. (fiddle) Donegal fiddler Liz Doherty was brought up in Buncrana, Inishowen, in Ireland's most northerly peninsula. Having been introduced to the fiddle by local maestro Dinny Mc Laughlin, she moved to Cork to study with Micheal O Suilleabhain, graduating from the Music Department of University College Cork in 1991.
Liz was awarded a PhD in 1996 from the University of Limerick for her research on Cape Breton with a dissertation entitled The Paradox of the Periphery - Evolution of Cape Breton Fiddle Tradition c 1929-1995. Liz has lectured in traditional music in the Music Department of University College, Cork for the past seven years, and has been a guest lecturer at many institutions and events throughout Ireland, the U.K. and Canada, as well as having several publications to her credit. In 2001 she decided to resign from her full-time academic position to pursue her fiddle playing. She is currently Traditional Music lecturer at the University of Ulster
http://www.lizdoherty.ie/                                             
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Desi Wilkinson (Flute)
We welcome Desi to the Gaitherin for the first time. Desi is one of the leading exponents of the traditional Irish flute as well a fine singer. Originally from Belfast, he was inspired to get involved in Irish music through the playing of Fermanagh fiddler, Tom Gunn.
Desi has worked and toured with most of the best-known musicians and groups on the traditional Irish music scene, like Dé Dannan, Donal Lunney, Liam O'Flynn, Máirtín O' Connor and Andy Irvine. He is probably best known internationally for his work with the group Cran. He has toured the U.S.A. as guest star with Dé Dannan and has arranged and performed music for the theatre. 
Desi has an M.A. in Ethnomusicology from Queens University, Belfast, where his thesis was on Sligo-Leitrim flute styles and a doctorate (Ph.D) from the Irish World Music Centre in Limerick University where he wrote a doctoral thesis on Breton music. He is also the main researcher for the TV series Banish Misfortune. Desi recently appeared at the Kennedy Centre Washington as part of the Island Festival and is currently a lecturer at Newcastle University Music Department.
http://www.tradmusic.com/artistinfo.asp?artistID=608    Back to Top
Lori Watson (fiddle)   
  Lori Watson's musical life encompasses a myriad of roles. As fiddle player, singer, researcher and composer, she divides her time between regular performances, writing new material, teaching, recording on her family-run music label and, in particular, studying for a PhD in Contemporary Innovation and Traditional Music. 
Lori's research, recording and performing has been a driving force in the current resurgence of Borders music with projects such as Border Fiddles and James Hogg: A Life in Music. But although her musical roots lie firmly in the Borders her understanding and interpretation of Scots and worldwide traditions is undeniably resonant.
An experienced young performer, Lori was a finalist in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician in 2002 and 2003, A Celtic Connections Danny Award winner in 2005 and is a graduate of the RSAMD. Her latest album 'Three' released on ISLE Music Scotland features Lori's re-workings of traditional songs and continues to gain critical acclaim.

........And a proud founding member of the Small Hall Band!
http://www.loriwatson.co.uk
http://www.islemusicscotland.com
http://www.borderfiddles.co.uk                              Back to Top
Mairi Campbell (Song)
Mairi has just been awarded Scots Singer o
f the Year 2008 by the Traditional  Music Award. She has been the Musical Director and Arranger of songs for Sangstream, a Community folksong choir, and a winner of 'Burnsong', the national songwriting competition in 2007. 

She is also a highly accomplished fiddle player and as been playing for dancing, mostly ceilidh, for 15 years, with an additional interest in Cape Breton fiddle style and Stepdancing.
' Campbell's voice is one of the greatest sounds of Scottish Folk Music'. Mairi Campbell has a gorgeous voice for Scots song but she can also tackle more contemporary material. Mairi & husband Dave Francis are the multi-talented Scottish duo known as The Cast, whose inventive use of vocal and instrumental harmonies brings a fresh approach to the most venerable traditional material. Their  latest CD - 'Greengold' is a fine and well-balanced mix of both traditional and contemporary material.
Vhttp://www.musicscotland.com/acatalog/MusicScotland
_The_Cast___greengold_6025.html
                              
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Junior Davey (Bodhran)  Junior Davey, who hails from near Gurteen in South Sligo is a wonderful musician and a compelling performer. FIVE TIMES All-Ireland champion and Ireland’s most successful bodhran player, Junior Davey, has been with us at The Border Gaitherin for the last two years. Guesting with Junior on his album, 'A Sound Skin' are seven other musicians all from the Sligo  locality, including flautist Damien Stenson who tutored at the Gaitherin last year.
The album has an excellent selection of tunes in the true tradition of south Sligo and it includes a multi-tracked bodhran piece, which showcases Junior Davey as a soloist and a true master of the bodhran.
Junior Davey’s family has a deep rooted affiliation with Irish traditional music coming from an area rich in traditional music known as ‘Coleman Country’. Junior is also a sought-after Bodhran workshop leader at Edinburgh Ceilidh Culture and draws fellow bodhran players from all corners of the UK and beyond.
http://www.ceolas.org/instruments/bodhran/moreperformers.shtml
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Lillias Kinsman-Blake (whistle / flute / mixed instruments)  Lillias  grew up in the Scottish Borders where she began playing flute and fiddle with other musical families as part of the Small Hall Band. She has developed her own distinctive style of playing traditional music on the silver flute and has performed with seasoned musicians such as Cathal McConnell.
Lillias is an experienced tutor who has taught alongside well-known flautists Brian Finnegan, Niall Keegan and Claire Mann and teaches regularly for the organisation Folkworks. She has also written commissioned compositions for stage shows. 
Lillias has played with many different combinations of fine musicians - mostly based in the North East of England having formed their musical friendship at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne Folk music degree course. One of these groups, CrossCurrent, have performed at various major festivals and venues throughout the U.K. and Europe and are all accomplished teachers of traditional music. Lillias is currently much in demand as a teacher and is also working with young musicians in the Folkestra group led by Kathryn Tickell.
http://www.crosscurrent.co.uk                                     Back to Top
Susie Kelly (song)  Susie is currently a Traditional Song Development Worker with Scottish Borders Council as well as an experienced performer in her own right. She has great enthusiasm for delivering sparkling song workshops for 'young at heart' folk of all ages, and has a wonderful rapport with the hundreds of pupils who are fortunate enough to enjoy her company in Border schools.
A founder member of the a capella traditional singing group Straviag, Susie has been active as a collector of traditional songs particularly from Dumfries and Galloway, the area of South West Scotland where she still lives and works.
Stravaig have appeared at Folk Clubs and Arts Centres throughout the UK and Ireland, also festivals throughout the world.
http://website.lineone.net/~suekelly/                                 Back to Top
Innes Watson (guitar) Professional guitarist, fiddler, singer and composer, Innes Watson (Bachelor of Arts in Scottish Music RSAMD) is currently residing in Glasgow / Scottish Borders  working as a full time musician. Innes has chalked up performances at many of the best Scottish music Festivals on the Calendar. 
Among them are The Scots Fiddle Festival, Aberdeen International Youth Festival, The Highland Festival, The Border Gaitherin, Gigha Festival and Celtic Connections.   Playing with some of the best up-and-coming acts of Scotland such as Lori Watson: Three, Border Fiddles, the Treacherous Orchestra, the Trotters. He was also a short-term member of the currently non-touring Fred Morrison Band and Croft No Five! Short-lived legends... Innes was featured on ‘The Clear Stream’ Scottish Guitar CD in 2005 and in addition to recording with Lori Watson is currently working on a solo album which will feature brand new music and concepts in contemporary Scotland.
www.inneswatson.co.uk                                                Back to Top
Graham Dolan (guitar) Graham has been a stalwart session accompanist in and around the Eastern Borders for many years, notably at the excellent Pilot Inn sessions in Berwick. A keen interest in Shetland music along with several visits to the North Isles for tuition have influenced his style of playing in recent years. Graham will help teach some simple chord based traditional style accompaniment to guitar players who already know a few basic chords
He is currently a member of the excellent four piece old time American string band No Strings Attached! based in Berwick and is accompanist with the Borders Fiddle Group and a founder member of the new fiddle band Swains' Kitchen                                             Back to Top
Carly Blain &  Rachel Cross (fiddle) Rachel Cross and Carly Blain are both members of Border  Fiddles, as well as having been finalists in the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards 2004/5.   They were both involved with musician Chris Stout providing music on a Tall Ships trip in 2005.
 More recently they have been performing with their own ensemble 'The House Sisters'. They have supported and taught at the Border Gaitherin for many years and are now in their final year of study on the Newcastle University Folk Music Course.
http://www.borderfiddles.co.uk   http://www.myspace.com/thehousesisters                                       
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Dianne Newman (Irish Step Dance) Dianne has been involved with competitive Irish Step Dance for many years. She leads, choreographs, and teaches the group 'Absolutely Legless'.  They are a dynamic Irish Dance troupe, working closely with their musicians to create an imaginative and exhilarating combination of Irish dance and music.
Remember 'Riverdance' - similar type of dancing!
They work in many combinations to demonstrate the breadth of this traditional art form, and have developed a reputation for exciting and innovative performances. They are frequent performers at International dance festivals having performed most recently in Sicily, Poland, Turkey and Russia, as well as enjoying prestigious national events throughout Scotland.
www.absolutelylegless.co.uk                                       Back to Top
 

 

 

 

All of these artistes will be performing at the Grand Concert on Sunday Night  1st June, 2008  - Be There!

 

Advance booking highly recommended.

Tickets will be available from The Border Gaitherin, 15 Inch Park, Kelso, TD5 7EQ.    01573 224920 (evenings and weekends). No tickets given out without prior payment.

email

border.gaitherin@zen.co.uk

 

Concert, Ceilidh and 'Absolutely Legless' Tickets will be available from Clarke's (previously Moffat's) Newsagents in Coldstream from 1st May, 2008