As the 20th Scots Trad Music Awards are broadcast live from Dundee on Sunday December 4, Michael Alexander speaks to performers and organisers to find out more about traditional music’s renewed and growing appeal.
Young talented fiddle player Eryn Rae can’t wait to perform at the 20th anniversary Scots Trad Music Awards in Dundee on December 4.
The 22-year-old was named BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician for 2022 in February, and part of the prize was to perform at this year’s awards ceremony.
But when the young musician takes to the stage at the Caird Hall for a 12-minute slot with three other fiddlers, it’ll also symbolise how far the trans-generational appeal of Scottish traditional music has grown.
From a music genre which, in the past, has rightly or wrongly been associated with “beards and Aran jumpers”, Eryn thinks a ‘coolness’ factor now surrounds traditional music as younger bands combine music with technology, while older performers are also honoured.
“I think there’s still definitely a kind of stigma around it,” she says.
“I think people who aren’t involved in traditional music sometimes find it a bit harder to understand.
“But I think now it’s come a long way – especially with younger bands.
“People like Elephant Sessions – they are kind of painting traditional music in a new light and doing completely different things with it.
“Combining it with maybe electronic music or using technology like pedals or tracks and all that sort of thing.
“I think it’s becoming increasingly more appealing to punters definitely which can only be a good thing.”
How did Eryn get into music?
Growing up in Jedburgh and now based in Glasgow, Eryn started learning the fiddle at the age of seven under the tuition of renowned Shetland fiddler, Catriona Macdonald.
Eryn’s sister, who’s 10 years older than her, was getting lessons with Catriona at the time and she used to go and “hang out”.
When she finally got her own first lesson, she “never looked back”.
Eryn went on to study traditional music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow.
She was in her final year of study when she entered the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician competition online.
After reaching the semi-finals in October 2021 then being selected as one of six finalists to play Celtic Connections in 2022, she laughs that the process was “very long and stressful”. But she was delighted to win.
As well as winning a performance at the Scots Trad Music Awards, she won a recording session with BBC Scotland and was given a one-year membership to the Musicians Union.
All finalists got a one-year membership to the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland (TMSA) plus the opportunity to take part in the TMSA’s annual Young Trad Tour.
As well as being a solo fiddler, Eryn has branched out to perform with non-traditional music singer songwriter Callum Beattie. She also combines teaching with her own gigs and ceilidhs.
She played with a different line-up at the 2021 Scots Trad Music Awards held in Maryhill, Glasgow.
As the world stepped out of the Covid-19 era, that event was scaled back due to a resurgence of Omicron.
To be at the Caird Hall this year for the first full sized awards event post lockdown, however, is something to be relished.
Celebration of talent
The annual gala, which champions top Scottish traditional musicians of all genres, recognising, and celebrating the wealth of talent, will also be broadcast on BBC Alba.
As well as featuring the Eryn Rae Trio, the awards will feature live performances from Elephant Sessions, FARA, Trip, the Gordon Shand Scottish Dance Band, The Auldeners, St Roch’s Irish Minstrels and Tayside Young Fiddlers, plus a tribute to James Alexander, Fochabers fiddle teacher and performer, from his former pupils.
Organiser and awards founder Simon Thoumire of Hands Up For Trad told The Courier how the story of the 20th Scots Trad Music Awards is very much tied up with that of the Young Traditional Musician awards, which is now in its 23rd year.
Back in 1989, Simon himself won what was then the BBC Radio 2 Young Tradition Award.
As the years went by, that award stopped.
However with so many Scottish musicians having entered and won over the years, and with Simon understanding “the difference” that award made to him as he climbed the ladder, the trad music community knew they needed to “do something” for the young musicians that were coming through.
The first Young Traditional Musician award semi-finals took place in 2000 with the first final in 2001.
But very soon after that, it was acknowledged that “it’s not just about the young ones” – and conversations began to create an awards ceremony for all.
Where was the first awards held?
The first Scots Trad Music Awards was held in 2003 with 400 people at the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh.
Simon recalls it was “just amazing” and “so exciting”.
Crucially it was also the “right time” for such an event.
“The other thing that was important to me at the time was I don’t think folk music at the time had the best of reputations,” he says.
“People were almost just slagging it off. It was music for people with big long beards and Aran jerseys.
“And of course that’s all ok. But in order to get the public to buy into this brilliant product that we had, we had to do something that the public understand.
“I always thought ‘look at the Oscars. Look how glittery it is!’
“So I tried to recreate an awards show that was quite like the Oscars. Get everyone to dress up and wear their finest clothes, and come along and do lots of publicity.
“Because actually the aim of the awards is all about marketing.
“It’s to get the media involved, to get the public involved and get everyone speaking about it. That’s why we do it and here we are – 20 years later!”
Raising the profile…
Simon agrees that the Scots Trad Awards have helped change the image of traditional music for the better.
In terms of a glitzy event that is geared towards bringing people together across 27 award categories and which is now live on TV, the Scots Trad Music Awards now have a greater reach.
The other big thing that’s helped is Celtic Connections which predates the awards.
…and hitting the road
Another significant development came when, after three years at the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh, the decision was taken to take the awards on the road.
Simon had been to the ECMA awards in Canada which went around the country.
With so many Scots Trad Music acts travelling down to Edinburgh from the Highlands, why not take the Scottish event on the road too?
In 2006 they left Edinburgh and went to Fort William. Other venues since have included Aberdeen, Glasgow and Perth. Last year’s Omicron-defying show at the Engine Works in Glasgow even won a Royal Society of Television Award.
This year they are back in Dundee having last been to the city in 2017.
Simon describes the Caird Hall as a “brilliant venue”.
“It’s got a massive stage,” he says. “It’s got another room where we have a reception and after ceilidh. The staff are brilliant to work with and they like working with us.”
The other great thing about Dundee is its traditional music heritage – for example the late Michael Marra – its “brilliant writers” and its affinity with the Scots language.
‘Soundtrack to Scotland’
Simon also helps organise the Scots Language Awards which have been held in the city.
“We are very lucky in Scotland to have this diverse range of music,” he says.
“From the start of the Trad Awards, we haven’t just focused on one little segment of trad music, we’ve basically brought in the folk music, the trad music, the dance bands, the pipe bands.
“And this year we’re trying to promote and support the production staff as well in the studios – all the people who basically make the scene what it is.
“Scottish traditional music really is the soundtrack to Scotland.
“When people are thinking about visiting Scotland, they’ll see pictures of beautiful mountains and historic cities and towns, but actually behind it they’re hearing all this amazing music.
“It’s incredibly important. And also all these bands that are touring the world, they are actually giving out this picture of Scotland. It’s incredibly important.”
Lifelong passion for music
Simon, who is originally from Edinburgh and knew he wanted a career in music from the age of 12, says it’s important that all age groups and geographies of Scots trad music are supported.
But without the younger ones, there will be no future.
The widest possible audience is also important.
BBC Alba have been involved since 2008 with live broadcasts since 2012/13.
“Having a live show has completely different aesthetics,” he says.
“It’s been great working with the telly for what the folkies call the folkie Christmas party!”
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