More Information
Please find following links to other organisations which have further information about specific types of music, instruments, areas and themes.
We note that the links provided on this page will generally take you to other organisations’ websites which the TMSA cannot be held responsible for the content or quality of, or if a link gets broken due to their website being revised or updated. If you need to tell us about a broken link – please use the Contact form to do so – thanks!
LINKS TO RELATED RESOURCES AND ORGANISATIONS
Online Activities
Fiddle 2020 – Scots Fiddle Festival Online
20 November – 22 November
Due to COVID-19, this year’s festival is going online. Visit https://www.facebook.com/scotsfiddlefest or visit the website: www.scotsfiddlefestival.com for more information about and to access the online material. Friday night is a documentary of the history and never seen before footage of the Festival compered by Bruce MacGregor; Saturday night is new performances recorded for the Festival and Sunday will have 2 new workshops especially recorded by Adam Sutherland.
Blas Festival
20 – 30 November 2020
Over 11 days online there will be a fantastic programme of concerts, workshops, lectures and more that will celebrate the music, songs, language and culture of the Highlands. More info and booking for all Blas events: www.blas.scot
SEALL Festival of Small Halls
26 – 28 November 2020
This year’s festival has been altered to comply with COVID-19-related restrictions, with online offerings. Events include: musicians in residency at the Sligachan Hotel from 21-25 November, practising together and making new music for three live-streamed concerts on 26 and 27 November straight from Braes Hall and Dunvegan Castle and Saturday 28 November, the highly popular Small Halls Big Cèilidh will take place live-streamed from the Sligachan Hotel in honour of Scotland’s national day, presented by BBC Radio Scotland’s Gary Innes of Take the Floor fame. For more information, visit the festival website www.seall.co.uk/small-halls.
Garlogie/St Andrew’s Ceilidh afternoon, Facebook live event, featuring many fine singers, raconteurs and music. on Sunday 29 November from 2 pm. From TMSA Aberdeen Branch https://www.facebook.com/AberdeenTMSA
Celtic Connections 2021
15 January – 2 February 2021
The largest winter music festival of its kind every January is digital in 2021. The full programme is due to be announced in early December, Celtic Connections fans can expect top quality performances will be available to view online across the 19 days with some of the biggest names on the Scottish music scene and beyond appearing on screens across the world as part of the festival. More details are available here
The Hands Up for Trad Music Club – upcoming performances include RURA on 27 November and Ímar on 28 November – straight to your living room! Tickets for both events here.
Campbell’s Ceilidh taking place regularly on a Sunday Evening as hosted by Mairi Campbell https://www.facebook.com/groups/1073287133041711/ or email Mairi direct mairi_campbell@hotmail.com
Allan Taylor’s See Ye Sunday live every so often https://www.facebook.com/afc1983
Bruce MacGregor Besides presenting Travelling Folk on BBCScotland, Bruce also has ‘Live at Five’ (a wee show from the virtual MacGregor’s bar) every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday https://www.facebook.com/MacGregorsBars/
Anna Massie daily tunes, great craic and the occasional travel commentary https://www.facebook.com/AnnaMassieMusic/
Folk at Salmon Bothy ‘New & Improved’ Monthly show from the First Friday of next month (2nd October) – details at https://www.facebook.com/bothyfolk/
Edinburgh Folk Club livestream gigs & their Carry On Livestreamin’ Newsletter is a good read https://www.facebook.com/edfolkclub/
Music from Scotland https://www.facebook.com/MusicfromScotland is a new page dedicated to all genres, from traditional Scottish folk music to emerging Scottish artists.
The Traditional Music Forum have a new website with listings of livestream events https://scotlandonline.org
Classes and learning online!
SC&T (Scottish Culture & Traditions) – www.scottishculture.org
Scots Music Group – www.scotsmusic.org
Great for weans & bairns! Claire Hastings has online sessions at https://www.facebook.com/clairesmusicclub
‘Traditional Tunes for Tiny People’ is a Live Music Now Scotland project aimed at teaching families and young people traditional Scottish tunes and songs with many familiar faces taking part: https://www.youtube.com/livemusicnowscotland
Song Resources
A Folksong A Day – A resource created by Jon Boden featuring 365 folksongs, along with introductions to each song written by Simon Holland.
British Library – World and Traditional Music – Explore 90,000 selected recordings of music, spoken word and human and natural environments.
Broadside Ballads, Bodleian Library – University of Oxford – The Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford holds nearly 30,000 songs, many of them unique survivals, printed from the 16th to the 20th Centuries.
Elphinstone Institute – The University of Aberdeen – Established in 1995, the Elphinstone Institute is a centre for the study of Ethnology, Folklore, and Ethnomusicology at the University of Aberdeen.
Irish Traditional Music Archive – collects, preserves, organises and makes accessible the contemporary and historical materials of Irish traditional song, instrumental music and dance.
Mainly Norfolk – An extensive online resource featuring lyrics to over 3000 songs and ballads, contextual ballad information, indexed folksongs, and folk music publications.
Max Hunter Collection – an archive of almost 1600 Ozark mountain folk songs, many of which with Scottish origin, recorded between 1956 and 1976.
Mitchell Library – Special Collections – Collecting since 1874, The Mitchell Library is home to a number of special collections that have been acquired through purchases, bequests or donations.
National Library of Scotland – Word on the Street – The National Library of Scotland’s online collection of nearly 1,800 broadsides lets you see for yourself what ‘the word on the street’ was in Scotland between 1650 and 1910.
School of Scottish Studies – The School of Scottish Studies was established in 1951, at the University of Edinburgh, to collect, preserves, research, and publish material relating to the cultural tradition and folklore of Scotland.
Springthyme – A label set up in 1973, recording and releasing numerous albums of Scots traditional music and song as well as printing lyrics and contextual information.
The James Madison Carpenter Collection Project – An Extensive Collection of traditional songs and folk plays recorded between 1927 and c.1943.
Tobar an Dualchais – Kist o Riches – 40,000 oral recordings of stories, songs, music, poetry and factual information made in Scotland and further afield from the 1930’s onwards.
Vaughan Williams Memorial Library – Founded in 1930’s, the VWML is an essential resource for those interested in the folk arts and features materials such as photographs, broadsides, books, ballad collections, audio cassettes and press cuttings.
Scots and Gaelic Language
North East Scots Language Board – Through advocacy, campaigning, education, public programming, and sustained research, the Board aims to enhance linguistic and cultural confidence in the North-East.
Scots Language Centre – An online resource, created by the Scots Language Centre, to promote the Scots language. Features news, Scots Songs, information on dialects and more.
Scots Radio – A programme that speaks about the culture and the on-going plans of people who use Scots in their working world.
Opportunities and Learning
Barga School of Traditional Song, Music and Dance, and Storytelling – Learn and share Scots and Gaelic traditional song, music and dance in Tuscany.
Commun na Gaidhlig – The Royal National Mod – Founded in Oban in 1891, it has supported the teaching, learning and use of the Gaelic language and the study and cultivation of Gaelic literature, history, music and art for over 100 years.
Dee and Don Ceilidh Collective – Celebrating and promoting local music, song, poetry and dance through weekend long gatherings at community halls in Upper Deeside and Donside.
Folkworks – Sage Gateshead’s Folkworks programme aims to develop interest and practical involvement in traditional music, song and dance.
GFW-Glasgow Fiddle Workshop – Based in Glasgow, GFW offers classes teaching a variety of musical instruments and song, mainly through the medium of traditional Scottish music.
Grace Notes Scotland – Handing on traditions to new generations, all of our projects document, conserve, nurture and promote Scotland’s languages, and dialects, traditions and skills, oral history, songs, tunes and stories.
Fèisean nan Gàidheal – The organisation which supports the development of community-based Gaelic arts tuition, and festivals throughout Scotland.
Fèis Rois – Enables people of all ages to access, participate in and enjoy the traditional arts and Gaelic language through a diverse programme of activities in Ross & Cromarty, across Scotland and beyond.
Hands up For Trad – Promoting Scotland’s’ rich musical culture to the public and the media, delivering a number of projects and events including Distil Showcase, Tinto Summer School, BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year and MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards.
Hands up For Musicians – A website, delivered by Hands Up For Trad, listing a comprehensive directory of opportunities for musicians, development and learning opportunities.
Halsway Manor – The National Centre for Folk Arts at Halsway Manor is a charity and the only residential centre in the world concentrating on the varied folk heritage of England.
Junior Conservatoire of Music – Running for 50 years in Glasgow, The Junior Conservatoire offers a Traditional Music programme, with many graduates going on to study BMus Traditional Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Merlin Academy of Traditional Music – Based in Melrose, The Merlin Academy teaches traditional folk, blues and acoustic music to all age groups and abilities.
Plockton Music School / Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd – A residential project based at Plockton high school, where students follow a normal comprehensive education in addition to world class tuition and an all-round, in-depth experience in traditional music.
RCS North East Arts Hub – A collaboration between the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Aberdeenshire Council, the hub supports people in Aberdeenshire of all ages and stages with interest in various art forms and runs its Traditional Music Band.
Scots Music Group – A community-based charity located in Edinburgh that runs traditional music classes for adults, informal sessions, monthly ceilidhs and other social events.
Scottish Culture & Tradition – An Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire based organisation with the aim to advance the education of the public in Scottish Culture and Traditions.
Smithsonian Folkways Lesson Plans – World Music curricular experiences for music educators.
Southside Traditional Music Ensemble – Weekly Scottish traditional music group workshops for young people (P5-S6) in the Southside of Glasgow.
Showcase Scotland Expo – An organisation furthering the live export opportunities for Scottish based artists working in the genres of folk, traditional, Scots, Gaelic, world and acoustic music.
The Gaitherin – A week long residential workshop culminating in a concert for friends and family held twice a year in Aberdeenshire; for primary and secondary school pupils with an interest in traditional music and song.
Traditional Music and Song Association – Since its foundation in 1966, the TMSA has helped to foster and promote Scotland’s unique musical traditions, through ceilidhs, competition days, festivals and the TMSA Young Trad Tour.
Tolbooth Trad – Traditional music workshops for all levels of experience held at the Tolbooth, Stirling.
Wild at Arts Scotland – Creative Travel experts offering singing holidays, art breaks and creative workshops and courses with the aim to give visitors from all over the world, the opportunity to do art and learn new skills.
Higher Education
BA (Hons) Applied Music – University of the Highlands and Islands – A four year course studying traditional, Celtic, pop, jazz, classical or rock music. The course can be completed through distance learning or on the UHI Lews Castle College campus in Benbecula, Uist.
BA (Hons) Folk Music – Leeds College of Music – A three year honour degree with a global approach to folk music – exploring traditional music from the British Isles and all around the world.
BMus (Hons) Traditional Music – Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – The UK’s only Bachelor of Music degree dedicated to traditional and folk music, exploring Scotland’s unique and dynamic musical traditions over four years.
BA (Hons) Folk and Traditional Music – Newcastle University – A thriving vibrant three year, folk degree taught by multi-award winning staff with performance and group playing at the heart of the course.
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig – Internationally recognised as a National Centre for the Gaelic language and culture, in academic partnership within the University of the Highlands and Islands and provides education and research opportunities through the medium of Scottish Gaelic.
Traditional Music Examinations
RCS – Traditional Music Graded Exams – RCS offers Traditional Music Graded Exams in several instruments from Grades 1-5.
London College of Music – Scottish Traditional Music – London College of Music offers examinations from Grade 1 to Grade 8 in several instruments. The exam board also offers diplomas from DipLCM to FLCM in teaching and performing.
Dance
SOBHD | World Governing Body of Highland Dancing
Scottish Official Highland Dancing Association
Royal Scottish Country Dancing
Miscellaneous
BBC ALBA – National channel dedicated to Gaelic music and culture amongst other content.
Mudcat Café: Traditional Music and Folklore – An online forum dedicated to folk music discussion, featuring lyrics, chords and conversation.
TMF – Traditional Music Forum – The TMF is a key participant in the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Culture, the Music Education Partnership Group, Culture Counts and Head of Instrumental Teaching Scotland (HITS).
TRACS – Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland – Scotland’s national network for traditional arts and culture.
Visit Scotland – Formerly the Scottish Tourist Board, the national tourism agency for Scotland.
Buy
Music Scotland.com – Scottish music, folk & Celtic CD’s and DVDs with mp3 music samples. Sheet music & books, Irish traditional & roots.
If you have any suggestions for appropriate organizations/websites to be considered for this section please use the feedback form to send us the relevant link or information. Please remember to include your contact details so we can get back to you if necessary – thanks!
Non-copyright free material cannot be accepted without the relevant permissions. We reserve the right not to use suggested material.
