Originally from the small Morayshire village of Garmouth, in North East Scotland, Calum Stewart was raised with traditional music in the family home, where the Fiddle and Piping traditions of Scotland were the earliest influences in his playing.

Calum's interest lies in music from well beyond his native Morayshire: looking beyond regional and national boundaries, seeking the territory that hides among both old and new. Traditional roots re-surfacing.

"Stewart's determination to take the flute out of its sonic tram-lines is the main feature of his debut album – a showcase of assertive technique and imaginative instrumental interplay." Norman Chalmers, The Scotsman

"Calum is a musician who manages to combine the search for fresh, new and innovative music with a deep commitment to tradition." Rob Adams

Calum Stewart 3

Tuesday 7th October (£6) reserve tickets

Double bill: The Duplets and Abagail Grey

Tuesday 14th October (£6) reserve tickets

The Duplets describe themselves as plucky, harpy, singy, harmonious, lots of fingers and lovely tunes! Freya Thomsen and Gillian Fleetwood have been friends and harp buddies for a good long time. They play Scottish traditional music, songs and their own compositions with flair, energy and enthusiasm.

Abagail Grey's vocalists Claire Campbell, Steve Obern and Teresa Bendoris deliver the songs through strong melodies and melting harmonies. Freya Thompson and Gillian Fleetwood provide serene elegance and top class musicianship on their harp’s whilst Dougie and Ally Brown give subtle yet powerful backline on bass, drums and percussion. All this is solidified by Songwriter Claire Campbell who fronts the band with vocals, piano, guitar and fiddle.

Gerry and Donal O'Connor (£8)

Tuesday 21st October reserve tickets

Father and son pairing of Gerry and Donal O'Connor bring us a rare opportunity to hear two of Ireland's finest fiddle players.
 
Dónal O’Connor has inherited a great musical legacy of at least five generations of fiddle playing and countless generations of traditional singing. He has toured Europe and the USA extensively from a young age as both a lead and backing instrumentalist with a number of bands including Lá Lugh. Recent collaborations have included tours of Ireland and Europe with Mike McGoldrick (Capercaillie, Flook, Lunasa), live festival performance with Karen Casey, T.V. performances with the legendary Sligo Flute player Seamus Tansey and recording work with Máire Brennan of Clannad.
 
Sparkling' ' Immaculate' and with 'Dazzling Ability' were words used recently by the national Press to describe the music of Gerry O'Connor. His family has played fiddle for at least four generations and Gerry is able to draw on this wealth of music learned from his mother Rose O'Connor and also from hand-written manuscripts passed down through the family.  Later he came under the influence of Joe Gardiner the great Sligo fiddle player, who lived in Dundalk for many years. Gerry breathes new life and intensity into many long forgotten tunes from his home area in the North East of Ireland. His unique personal style and splendidly fluid bow-hand combined with technical virtuosity have brought him to concert stages throughout the world and have earned him international renown.

Sarah-Jane Summers (£6)

Tuesday 28th October reserve tickets

Sarah-Jane, well known as the fiddle and hardanger player in Fribo, has performed all over the world and at festivals such as Womad and Celtic Connections. She has played with many top outfits, including Malinky (with Karine Polwart), Box Club and The Grand Union Orchestra. 
 
She was brought up in the Highlands, steeped in the local fiddle tradition. Add to this a love of Norwegian fiddling and you get a unique combination, described as 'lush Highland fiddle music with a Nordic twist'.  Her latest solo excursion, and her new CD Nesta, is exhilarating and heart-breaking in turns, but always beautiful and intensely moving.

'the distinctive fiddle and hardanger fiddle playing of Sarah-Jane is a revelation - so light and jaunty in one tune, all darkness and brooding in another' (Taplas)