 |
Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club & The Shetland Exchange Program (AKA The Travelling Fiddlership)
We sincerely thank Bill and Diane Sides (J Andersons grandson and friend of the MSFC) for providing sponsorship for this yearly exchange program.
The Shetland Exchange Program 2011
Visit from Chris Stout and Catriona McKay
This year (2011) we welcomed Chris Stout and Catriona McKay to Melbourne as part of our Shetland Exchange program between 1st to 10th April 2011.This included fiddle and harp workshops, Vic country performances by Chris and Catriona, culminating in a SPECIAL CONCERT with us - the MSFC - at MLC in Kew, VIc on 10th April.
You can read the full report written by Judy Turner here.
Friday 1st April - Chris and Catriona were interviewed on the ABC's Bush Telegraph:
Music from Chris Stout and Catriona McKay By Cameron Wilson Friday, 01/04/2011
Shetland fiddler Chris Stout and Scottish harp player Catriona McKay perform live in the studio.
Catriona McKay is from Dundee on the east coast of Scotland and Chris Stout is from Fair Isle, one of the Shetland Islands. The duo have been performing in Tasmania as part of the Ten Days on the Island festival and are now performing the traditional Scottish inspired music on the road across Australia.
To hear the interview, click here.
To go to the ABC site click here.
 |
See Chris and Catriona on Youtube |
How it started: Sometime in 2004, Judy Turner was asked to play at an 80th birthday party - who turned out to be the daughter of a fiddle maker called John Anderson. John had moved to Australia from the Scottish home of fiddling, Shetland, in 1912 to follow his hometown sweetheart, Mary. The couple married and settled in Elsternwick, where Mr Anderson spent his spare time creating beautiful violins, using handmade tools.
It was at this birthday party that Judy and Neil met Johns grandson - Bill Sides. He has now tracked down 26 of the fiddles made by his grandfather. In August 2005 Judy Turner and Bill Sides got together more than a dozen of these fiddles, some still in use, others stored in cupboards or on display as family heirlooms, had them restored by one of the fiddle maker members of the group, Jim Vizard, and brought back to life by featuring them in a concert by the Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Cub at the Hawthorn Town Hall.
Since then Bill and the MSFC have created the annual Melbourne-Shetland Travelling Fiddlership, with Bill providing airfares for a talented Australian fiddler to visit Shetland, and a Scottish fiddler to make a return visit the next year. The first recipient was Melbourne Scottish Fiddler Gus Downing who travelled to the Shetlands in 2010 (see below). This year, Shetland resident Chris Stout is the recipient of the fiddlership, and will perform a tour of Australia with Scottish harp player Catriona McKay from late March to mid-April., or go to melbourne scottishfiddlers.com for more details.
More information:
John Anderson Fiddle Story
Hawthorn Town Hall Concert 2005
Waverley Leader article about the Anderson Fiddles, Bill Sides and the MSFC Travelling Fiddlership
If you think you have one of the Anderson fiddles, phone Mr Sides on 9636 4966 or contact the MSFC.
The Shetland Exchange Program 2010
Angus Downing's visit to The Shetlands
MSFC Shetland Exchange Program
Gus Downing recently travelled to Scotland, taking with him a John Anderson fiddle, as the first recipient of our Shetland Exchange Program. In April 2011 we will be bringing Shetland fiddler Chris Stout and harpist Catriona McKay to Australia.
More information:
Article from The Shetland Times about the trip and the John Anderson's fiddle quest
Gus Downing in the Shetands (Royal Auto)
See it on Youtube:
Da Road to Shetland - The inuaugural Melbourne-Shetland Travelling Fiddlership, a program to build ties between Scottish fiddlers in Melbourne Australia and the fiddle music of Shetland Islands in Scotland.
A John Anderson Fiddle at Flinders Street, Melbourne - Angus (Gus) Downing playing a couple of Shetland Tunes on a fiddle made by John Anderson, a Shetlander who came to Melbourne in the 1920s.
Listen: |
 |
 |
 |
 |
