Dear Viewer! Our projects usually run for 6 weeks. This website represents 4 weeks of a project at Auchenblae that we were then obliged to continue online due the outbreak of COVID 19.
We thought you’d like to know just some of some of the workshop activities during the project…
"Working with ecologist : found sound, meet the trees,(what used for, properties) scots names for trees, information about trees, landscape, tree rubbings.”
"Such fun today with fantastic children- lots of spark and questions, and resources for teachers! Tree names in scots, bark rubbings- artwork to follow! Clarsach, autoharp, bodhran, whistle, guitar, moothie all demonstrated!"
"All classes heard the fiddle and had instrument bank experience of hearing it played beautifully by our student placement musician Fraser Borland. Guitars too were played in all of the classes. We worked from Scotssangsfurschools and offered to to all teachers as a resource."
"Christine played Kubing- children keeping beat. showed them a lap harp and a thumb piano marimba. Fraser, our student placement musician played on fiddle - a reel and two jigs and had them clapping along, and they heard guitar played to the fiddle. Andy facilitated a new song, making tea. He introduced it by showing picture of James Taylor and tea growing in Sri Lanka. Left children and teacher with website to look at and paper copies of templates to make new artwork with- teapot/ teacup!"
If you’d like to see and hear work from other full projects you can start at our www.ceilidhmakers.co.uk where you‘ll find links.
Sending greetings to all at Auchenblae and beyond.
Look! - we’ve been busy - just have a look at these websites and activities!
Want to keep in touch? do contact us by e-mail on [email protected]
The Auchenblae Primary songmaking project is funded by the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative through Creative Scotland, and delivered for Aberdeenshire YMI by Ceilidhmakers. The YMI creates access to high quality music-making opportunities, enables young people to achieve their potential in or through music and supports the development of the sector for the benefit of young people.
We hope you enjoy these songs! For more information please contact Christine Kydd at Ceilidhmakers.
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Christine Kydd is one of Scotland's best-known singers, an experienced practitioner and curator of educational projects. She graduated in 1991 with an ADVS in Voice Studies from RCSSD in London and in 2014 with a Masters (Ethnology and Folklore) Elphinstone Institute, University of Aberdeen. She sits on the board of the Traditional Music Forum. She was tutor at NCETM in Plockton for a decade, till 2010 and has toured as singer since the 1980s, in Europe, Russia, and North America.
Christine has twice been a Scots Singer of the Year Nominee in 2012 and 2018, and entered the NA TRADS Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame, in 2018.
Andy Shanks, like Christine, trained with New Makers Trust. A retired English teacher with a weather of knowledge on all matters Scots, Andy is a highly regarded songwriter who creates beautiful songs about many subjects including the North East coast.
With eclectic tastes, he is best known for his work with Jim Russell on their critically acclaimed ‘Diamonds in the Night’ album and for his songs which have been recorded by many artists, most notably June Tabor.
Andy has toured in Scotland and beyond as far afield as North America and recorded and performed with many fine musicians over the years. He has a keen interest in Scottish writing and culture and appeared in the BBC documentary ‘The Promised Land’ championing MacDiarmid’s ‘A Drunk Man Looks at a Thistle’ and its place in Scotland’s cultural revolution.
Ewan McVicar has written several books on aspects of traditional Scots song, and is one of Scotland’s best-known storytellers. He has created several resource websites and projects around Scotland and in Africa and Russia, including Songmaker in Schools, and The Great Scots Song Treasure Hunt. In 2015, as an acknowledgement of his huge contribution to many diverse aspects of tradition and culture in Scotland, he was given the highest accolade possible from NA TRADS awards-
The Hamish Henderson Award for Services to Scottish Traditional Music.
