For 3 days in April, this truly unique festival combines one off concerts with workshops and sessions, bringing the finest in Nordic and Scottish music, song and dance to in Edinburgh – once described as “…something out of the ordinary” by The Herald.

In 2018 we have a wealth of Swedish and Scottish performers exploring their own cultures as well as neighbouring Nordic countries. Guests taking part in the 15th Northern Streams festival are:

• Peter Puma Hedlund – master nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle) player from Sweden
• Paul Anderson – master fiddler & Shona Donaldson – fiddler and singer from North East Scotland 
• Fika Collective – Lachlan Munro, Libby McGugan, Malcolm and Callum Forsyth Glasgow based band playing Nordic and Scottish music
• V-Dala Spelmanslag – Sweden’s longest running student folk ensemble 

Northern Streams 2018 outline programme

• Friday 20 April: Evening Concert @ 7.30-10.00pm Tickets: £12/10
• Fika Collective (Scotland/Sweden) – Blending Nordic and Scottish music, The Fika Collective is a newly-formed Glasgow-based group of fiddlers – Lachlan Munro (hardanger fiddle); Libby McGugan (fiddle); Malcolm Bushby (fiddler, bouzouki player and singer) with guitarist, Callum Forsyth (who has a Swedish grandmother!)

• V-Dala Spelmanslag (Sweden) – Founded in 1961 V-Dala Spelmanslag is the longest running student folk ensemble in Sweden and they are famous for their award-winning (3 times student world champions) joyful and energetic playing styl

Sat 21 April: Northern Streams Workshops 

• Tickets: £8/6 per workshop.
• Choose 1 of the 2 options per time slot (Children aged 9+ are able to attend workshops, as long as they are at the level specified and accompanied by an adult):

11.00am-12.30pm

1. North East Scottish Songs (Shona Donaldson): For all, including beginners OR 
2. Swedish Tunes (Peter Puma Hedlund): For all melody instruments – Intermediate level upwards.

1.30-3.00pm

1. Swedish Songs (V-Dala Spelmanslag): No prior knowledge of Swedish required. For all including beginner OR
2. Scottish Tunes (Paul Anderson): For all melody instruments – Intermediate level upwards.

3.30-5.00pm

1. Swedish Dances (V-Dala Spelmanslag): Learn the dances we’ll be dancing in the evening. For all including beginners OR
2. Scandinavian Tunes & accompaniment (Fika Collective): Learn how Scandinavian musicians accompany their tunes using melody lines. For all melody and chord playing instruments – Intermediate level upwards.

5.00-6.30pm

1. Sharing Session with all invited guest performers and participants to get a chance to share what they have learnt from the workshops and performances. (Free with any workshop or concert ticket)

Sat 21 April: Evening Concert & Ceilidh @ 7.30-11.00pm Tickets: £12/10

• Peter Puma Hedlund (Sweden), Paul Anderson & Shona Donaldson (Scotland): A trio made up of a ‘Riksspelman – Fiddler of the Realm’ nyckelharpa player from Sweden, one of Scotland’s top fiddlers and winner of the Scots Singer of the Year & fine fiddler – can only mean an amazing exchange of cultural delights.
• The Northern Streams Ceilidh Band (Scotland/Sweden): Created from our Festival guest musicians, the Northern Streams Ceilidh Band, will be giving you the opportunity to try out Scottish and Swedish dances – which will be called/demonstrated – during the extended second half of our concert or you can just sit and listen to the Nordic & Scottish sounds!

Sun 22 April: Afternoon Session @ 2.00-4.00pm 
Free and open to all to take part or come along and listen at the Grassmarket Centre cafe – which will be open. We will be welcoming members of the Grassmarket Music Groups to give us a wee taste of their repertoire!

• Provisional Aberdeenshire Concert on Friday 27 April evening, MacRobert Hall, Tarland – with Peter Puma Hedlund, Paul Anderson and Shona Donaldson – details to be confirmed on www.northernstreams.org

Tickets are now available…

• Online
• In person from the Brown Paper Tickets Edinburgh: 4 Miller Row, EH4 3BQ (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm)
• Over the phone through Brown Paper Tickets – 24/7 – freephone 0800 411 8881 (small service charge from Brown Paper Tickets to cover their costs)
• Postal bookings are available by sending details of the tickets you want to Nort
  hern Streams, TMSA Edinburgh & Lothians, c/o 18 Belmont Gardens, Edinburgh EH12 6JH with a cheque payment made out to ‘Edinburgh & Lothians TMSA’ for the relevant amount. Your order and payment must arrive by Wednesday 18 April if you are happy to pick them up at the door. Otherwise the tickets will be available for collection at the venue during the Festival.
• Why not buy an ‘All-in-one’ ticket for the best value at £35/£28 (2 concerts & 3 workshops—save up to £16 and on booking fees!) 
• Usual concessions plus TMSA members & Young Scot cardholders.