Music

We both like music, especially traditional music, and are quite often at concerts. The Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow is a great treat each year (and their online booking system now works well after a few terrible years!). There are often excellent concerts at the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh.

John mostly plays (sort of) the fiddle, and has been attending classes with the Scots Music Group for two reasons - to force him to practice (it's too easy to pick up the fiddle and play stuff you already know, especially when you learned to play as a child) and also to learn to play by ear properly. He has also started going along to the Edinburgh Shetland Fiddlers who hold a great session twice a month. They are very welcoming but take no prisoners as far as playing speed is concerned!

John has also been interested in harps for quite a long time, and has built both a nylon strung and a wire strung harp. He is a terrible dabbler, and will have a go at other instruments, especially the whistle. He has still to get anywhere near competence on the bodhran or the flute!

Favourite musicians and bands:

Fiddlers' Bid from Shetland

Väsen from Sweden