January Workshops – Join us in bringing new songs to life

Our popular Renewing the Tradition workshops are back in January 2016 and we’re looking forward to sharing the new songs we’ve commissioned.

As part of the project, every January we ask renowned songwriters in Scotland to add to our growing repertoire. Penny Stone, David Francis and Mairi Campbell have responded to the brief to take Robert Burns as inspiration and write songs for singers today. Penny’s song, Sing a New Song O, takes lines from The Tree of Liberty as a starting point: “Fair freedom, standing by the tree, her songs did loudly ca’, man; She sang a sang o’ Liberty, which pleas’d them ane and a’, man.” David and Mairi were inspired by A Fiddler in the North (sometimes known as Amang the Trees) and A Man’s a Man for A’ That for their song There’s Some Wad Say.

In Argyll & Bute and the Highlands we’ll be teaching Sennibh bòidhchead (Sing of Beauty), a newly commissioned contemporary harmony song by Eilidh Mackenzie and Anne Frater, which will act as an introduction for non Gaelic speakers, while offering fresh material for those already experienced in Gaelic singing.

All of the workshops are open to choirs and individual singers alike. The cost for the day is £12.50 with a free place offered for each group booking of five places. More information and booking details can be found at the links below.