Hands Up for Trad

Scottish traditional music for all

Scots Language Awards stars win the night at Glasgow’s Mitchell Theatre

BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award 2020 Semi-finalists announced

Foot Stompin’ Free Scottish Music Podcast No 179 feat Tony McManus & Julia Toaspern, Blazin Fiddles, Aidan O’Rourke and Kit Downes, Gary Innes, Heisk and many more

Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame Services to Community 2019 Inductees Announced

Featured Project

Battle of The Folk Bands 2019

Hands Up for Trad are inviting bands to send in a demo to take part in The Battle of the Folk Bands 2019 competition to be held at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections Festival on Saturday January 19th 2019. If you are in a band or have an idea for a band that you haven’t tried out yet this could be for you! We want musicians to take a chance and make a band that you might never have thought of! Your … Read more

Latest News

Aw Aboard! The fecht for the Scots language stairts the day!

Excerpt from Bella Caledonia. ‘Tae popular acclamation!’ Noo there’s a thocht tae quicken the hert. A roarin croud isnae jist for Hampden when we’re takkin oot a guddle o P.E. teachers an pairt-time posties; but the second tae last place ye’d expect yin (coontin the Mitchell Library an New Douglas Park on a Setturday) is shuirly an SNP conference meetin whaur a motion cawin for a Scots Language … [Read More...]

More News and Opportunities

Vote for Glasgow music teacher Frank McArdle in the Evening Times Community Champion Awards 2019

Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame inductee and music teacher Frank McArdle have been nominated in the Community Champion Awards. Frank has never stopped supporting young people to learn music in Glasgow. For nearly 50 years he has taught 1000s of young people at St Roch’s Secondary in Glasgow. The Irish Minstrels have travelled all […]

New Project Launches Today To Attract More People To Learn Gaelic

Take a fresh look at learning Gaelic Ahead of an ambitious project to attract more people to Gaelic, LearnGaelic has today launched a redesigned website at the University of Glasgow as part of the Embracing change: The Future of Gaelic in a Global & Digital Age seminar for the Royal National Mod.   Created in […]

Gaelic arts organisation to launch new digital resource

Kate Forbes MSP supports online tool to help make Gaelic music tuition accessible to all 29th September 2019, The Minister for Public Finance and Digital Economy, Kate Forbes MSP, attended the Annual Conference of Gaelic arts organisation, Fèisean nan Gàidheal, on Friday 27th September, where she congratulated it on one of its busiest and most […]

The Green Woods Back Home by Ainsley Hamill

This post was originally published hereA song written by Ainsley that appears on her first solo EP release ‘Belle of the Ball’ Listen here Ainsley is an experienced songwriter, singer and step dancer, and is one of the UK’s leading and most diverse folk singers, with various nominations at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music […]

Composers’ Fund (PRS Foundation

This post was originally published herePRS Foundation’s Composers’ Fund is an opportunity for composers with a strong track record; giving direct access to funding at pivotal stages in their career. A contribution of up to £10,000 is available to composers who are already making a significant cultural contribution in the UK and have the potential for […]

Call for Creative Practitioners in Schools (Creative Learning, Aberdeen City Council)

This post was originally published hereCreative Learning are currently planning the Arts Across Learning Festival 2020 and invite proposals from Creative Practitioners to deliver arts-based learning experiences. Each year Creative Learning presents The Arts Across Learning Festival, a celebration and exploration of the arts and their value to learning and teaching in Aberdeen. The festival […]

Gaelic Song Workshop for Beginners (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS)

This post was originally published hereGlaikit Carnyx present an interactive introduction to Gaelic song Glaikit Carnyx present an interactive introduction to Gaelic song, describing some of the main types of Gaelic song and inviting participants to try singing along. This workshop assumes no previous knowledge of Gaelic and guidance is given on pronunciation. A fun […]

Alastair T Fisher’s Farewell to Ardnamurchan composed by Kenneth I MacKenzie

This post was originally published hereI was asked by one of ‘Alistair T Fisher’s’ sons to write a tune in his memory. ‘Alistair T Fisher’ was not only a piper himself but also a Scottish rugby internationalist who was capped twice in 1947. The family have connections in Kilchoan in Ardnamurchan. The tune in this […]

Celtic Connections 2020 Programme Announced

From Thursday 16 January to Sunday 2 February 2020, musicians from across the world will take part in over 300 events in venues throughout Glasgow for the UK’s premier celebration of celtic music. The 18 days of entertainment will brighten up the dark, wet January nights with a mixture of concerts that include a host of one-off […]

How can we get a million people to hear a Gaelic song live?’

How can we get a million people to hear a Gaelic song live?’ – that was the question posed in a meeting at the BBC Alba offices that started the journey that finished with Alba Choir performing on the Eurovision stage. Eurovision Choir had 10 of Europe’s best choirs performing a live song to impress a […]

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