A right old ceilidh

Traditional Scottish Fiddle Orchestra playing in Charlottetown on April 3

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra is coming to the Island.

Scotland’s traditional music organization will be touring North America this year, which includes four performances in the Maritimes. It’ll visit Charlottetown to perform at the Confederation Centre of the Arts on April 3.

Under the baton of conductor Blair Parham, the orchestra will present an evening of fiddling, piping, drumming, singing and dancing for the whole family to enjoy.

Formed in 1980, the orchestra’s origins lie in the fiddlers’ rallies which were – and still are – held throughout Scotland. After one of these rallies, a group of enthusiasts met to consider forming a group of about 150 keen musicians who would play together consistently.

They went on to provide a series of concerts across the UK and created the finest possible standard of orchestral fiddle playing without detracting from the genre’s strong tradition. The group has also toured North America, Asia and Australia.

The orchestra will be joined by acclaimed soloists, Yia Steven on fiddle, mezza-soprano Colette Ruddy and tenor Denis Haggerty. It will also collaborate with local groups to perform their unique concert arrangements, such as P.E.I.’s The College of Piping.

“The orchestra are really looking forward to some great nights in the Maritimes, renewing old acquaintances and making new friends,” Parham said. “We plan to have a right old ceilidh so come and join us.”

Tickets for the shows are on sale now. For more information on the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra, visit: http://sfo.org.uk.