Northern Streams festival coming to Pleasance

TICKETS are now on sale for an unique festival of Nordic and Scottish music, song and dance based in Edinburgh celebrating its 16^th year next month.

Taking place 26-28 April, Northern Streams 2019, features as guests:

• Kata – a five women group who sing traditional songs based on folk stories and myths from the Faroe Islands in a mesmerising and enigmatic manner http://tutlrecords.com/artists_show.php?l=en&ArtistId=539
• Caolmhar – a group of four young people from Sweden that play a range of Nordic and Scottish music and songs. Three of them come from V-Dala Spelmanslag – acknowledged as Sweden’s longest-running student folk ensemble and three-times student world champions! https://hannahsundkvist.com/caolmhar/
• Jocelyn Pettit with Rav Sira and Ellen Gira – Award-winning Canadian fiddler, stepdancer and singer, Jocelyn Pettit, joins accomplished Norwegian guitarist Rav Sira, and seasoned cellist Ellen Gira in an exciting new collaboration. Studying in Glasgow, these top young musicians enjoy performing both Nordic and Scottish music. This is their first headline concert together. https://jocelynpettit-trio.blogspot.com

Organiser, Fiona Campbell, said: “I really pleased we’ve been able to invite artists from the Faroe Islands as we’ve not yet had anyone perform at the festival from there. Kata have an amazing, enigmatic way bringing old songs to life with intriguing stories from the Faroese tradition.

“I’m also pleased to have some of the young Swedish musicians who delighted festival audiences last year, returning to play and sing in Caolmhar. And it’s great to be able to showcase the talent that Scotland attracts to study here, especially people who have a shared interest in exploring the Scottish and Nordic traditions with the trio of Jocelyn, Rav and Ellen.”

The festival opens with an evening concert on Friday, then a concert and ceilidh on Saturday – to give you the opportunity to try Nordic dances alongside the Scottish ones you are likely to know already. All dances will be called or demonstrated.

There are workshops during the day on Saturday covering tunes, songs and dances from Scotland, Sweden, Norway and the Faroe Islands.

The workshop period ends with the Sharing Session we recently started where all the invited guest performers and participants get a chance to share what they have learnt from the workshops and performances. A second free open session finishes the festival on the Sunday afternoon. (This session inspired the development of a monthly Nordic on the fourth Sunday of the month which will coincide with the festival in April).

All events take place at the Pleasance, 60 The Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9TJ. Ticket prices range from £6 for a workshop – £35 for an all-in-one weekend ticket. Concessions include TMSA members and Young Scot cardholders. 

See www.northernstreams.org to book online and for other ways to buy tickets in advance including in person. (Tickets are only available at the venue during the event).

For more details of the Northern Streams programme, visit www.northernstreams.org or email: eltmsa@yahoo.co.uk or tel: 0795 191 8366, or Facebook – TMSAEdinburgh&Lothians and Twitter @northernstream1.

Northern Streams is organised by the Traditional Music and Song Association (TMSA) Edinburgh & Lothians Branch. Details about the Branch at: www.eltmsa.org.uk and TMSA – www.tmsa.org.uk.

We acknowledge support from the Tórshavnar Kommuna to cover the flights from the Faroe Islands and donations from other sources.