What a great afternoon at the trad session in Leith Depot on Saturday 8th August. I was leading with Siobhan, and we had a strong turnout, with a good mix of tunes and sets. It was encouraging to see new players joining in, and when I spoke to a couple of them afterwards, they said they’d really enjoyed it and planned to come back.
I sang one of my songs, In the Morning from my album Line Up Some Country, which I'd last performed at Tayfest.
I had the opportunity to play two tunes I’ve recently put together into a set — Battle of the Somme followed by Lord Huntly’s Cave.
The first tune was composed shortly after the battle by Pipe Major William Laurie of the 8th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, and the second by James Scott Skinner.
All in all, a really good session, and I’m looking forward to the next one on Saturday 22nd August at 1.00 pm
I love playing my fiddle at the fortnightly Saturday afternoon Trad Session at Leith Depot in Edinburgh.
This has proven to be really popular, drawing in both local musicians and those coming from further afield.
On Saturday 25th July we played an eclectic mix of tunes including jigs, reels, waltzes, marches and polkas. There’s no set list, but I’m always glad when two favourites appear: The Lounge Bar, named after the well‑known pub of the same name in Shetland, and Gordon Duncan’s The High Drive. The session has a great buzz and strong support from The Depot and their staff. New players are always welcome.
I will be leading the next session along with Siobhan Gorrie on Saturday 8th August, 1.00–4.00 pm.
Thanks to Ken Murray for the photo.
I really enjoyed Friday’s trad session at the Pianodrome, Bruntsfield Community Hub in Edinburgh, which has been building towards becoming a regular fixture on the city’s traditional‑music calendar.
The session takes place in St Oswald's Church, brought back to life as a venue for community activities, including workshops and theatre productions.
The venue’s acoustics are open and clear, and the tall church ceiling carries the tunes high into the roof. Unlike in pub sessions, I can always hear my fiddle soaring out among the other instruments. I’m looking forward to the sessions restarting in September.
https://www.pianodrome.org/
