Rosin up that bow

Published 12:01 am Sunday, January 9, 2011

Scottish fiddle music’s origins date back to days when music was made beside kitchen stoves and at local taverns.

In the Scottish Highlands, the music developed its own cadence, syncopation, accents and rhymes.

“The Scottish people love to cry. The music is going to express that,

” local fiddler Minda Phillips said. “It’s great music for dance as well.”

Scottish fiddling is at its best when dozens of violinists join together. Add a few cellos, maybe a guitar or a bass, and the blend is as fine as an aged whiskey.

One person picks up a bow to start a tune, and the rest follow. There’s no sheet music. Everyone plays by ear, and the songs soar from the heart.

There’s a revitalized interest in traditional ethnic music, experts say, including Scottish fiddling.

Phillips is a member of the Northwest Scottish Fiddlers, a group based in Edmonds, with members from throughout Snohomish County. It’s a thriving traditional music club that meets monthly.

Next weekend, the group will host the world-renowned Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser and cellist Natalie Haas for a weekend workshop and concert on Whidbey Island.

Fraser is credited with fueling the renewed interest in Scottish fiddling in its homeland and across the big pond in the United States. He has appeared on national television, NPR and alongside Garrison Keillor on “A Prairie Home Companion.” Fraser played a fiddle tune at the Kennedy Center when fellow Scotsman Sean Connery was honored.

Thanks to the efforts of another Scotsman, Edmonds music teacher Calum MacKinnon, there’s enough interest locally to bring Fraser to town (and he has a Whidbey connection through a friend).

The weekend workshop, which is open to all levels, is an opportunity to study with the master, MacKinnon said. There will be group playing, jam sessions, Scottish dancing and a ceilidh (pronounced KAY-lee), the Gaelic word for a social, or open-mike, time.

“It’s really amazing that we have these world-class musicians,” Phillips said.

She attended a similar workshop last year and said she was in awe of Fraser’s talent and enthusiasm.

“Really, you’re just learning how to put the haggis into your music,” she said, referring to the famous — some would call infamous — Scottish dinner staple made of stuffed sheep’s stomach.

More than three-dozen fiddlers, about a dozen cellists and nine guitarists are expected to participate in the weekend workshop, Phillips said.

The entire ensemble will open an afternoon concert on Jan. 16, followed by a performance by Haas and Fraser.

“He just wants to set music free,” Phillips said. “He’s amazing.”

Scottish Music Workshop

Join master Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser for a weekend-long Scottish Music Workshop from Jan. 14 to 16. at Camp Casey Conference Center, 1124 Eagle Road, Coupeville. This is the third year that Snohomish County-based Northwest Scottish Fiddlers has sponsored the event. It’s open to all levels. Instruction for fiddle, cello and guitar will be available. Registration and workshop fees are $170. Lodging and meals are additional. For more information, go to www.nwscottishfiddlers.org or call 360-321-4715.

Scottish Music Concert

Scottish fiddle music with Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, 3 p.m. Jan. 16 at Fort Casey Conference Center, 1276 Engle Road, Coupeville. Tickets are $18 to $23. Buy them at brownpapertickets.com or call 360-321-4715.