Scotland's musical talent competes for top prize

BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award 2009 Finals.

On the 1st February, 2009 Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow are hosting the finals of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award 2009. This is always one of the top gigs at the festival and an exhibition of the strength of Scotland's musical future. Every year the musicians play and sing great music to screaming excited crowds. You cannot beat the electric atmosphere of the Young Trad Awards.

The 2009 finalists are:

Adam Holmes - guitar, song (Edinburgh)
Lorne MacDougall - pipes, whistle (Carradale, Argyll)
Ruairidh Macmillan - fiddle (Nairn)
Kenneth Nicolson - Gaelic song (Lochs, Isle of Lewis)
Jack Smedley - fiddle (Buckie, Banffshire)
Daniel Thorpe - fiddle (Inverurie)

The event starts at 5pm in the Glasgow's City Halls and will be opened by Minister for Culture Linda Fabiani MSP. It will go out live on BBC Radio Scotland between 5pm and 8pm.

The winner of the Award will get the chance to perform at an International music festival, make a CD, 1 year’s membership of the Musician’s Union. All the finalists will get 1 years membership of the Traditional Music and Song Association (TMSA), a tour of Scotland organised by the TMSA, and a session on BBC Radio Scotland’s Travelling Folk programme.

The BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award exists to encourage young musicians to keep their tradition alive and to maximise their musical potential by the pursuit of a career in traditional music. The winner will be provided with high profile performance opportunities and the necessary tools and advice they require to launch a career in traditional music.

Many thanks to our sponsors who are Scottish Arts Council, Foot Stompin' Scottish music, Celtic Connections festival, Greentrax Recordings, Musicians Union, British Council Scotland, Fèisean nan Gàidheal, Traditional Music and Song Association , Watercolour Music and Clydesdale Folk Club. Please support them.

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Notes to the editor

Contact Simon Thoumire 07775 854572, info@handsupfortrad.co.uk
For a list of previous winners please visit http://www.handsupfortrad.co.uk/youngtrad

Performer biographies
Lorne MacDougall - pipes, whistle (Carradale, Argyll)
Lorne is a product of the renowned Argyllshire piping scene and is adept on Highland Pipes, Smallpipes, Border Pipes and Whistle. He has made frequent radio appearances including live sessions on Travelling Folk and Pipeline as well as playing on Ross Kennedy's 'Scottish Voice and Acoustic Guitar' CD. His pipe band career has led him to the very top of Grade 1 playing with the cream of Scottish pipe bands, the Scottish Power Pipe Band.

Adam Holmes - guitar, song (Edinburgh)
Adam is a young musician from Edinburgh. He has many influences from Kris Drever and Karine Polwart to A Tribe Called Quest and Beuna Vista Social Club. He has taken part in the Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin and Tinto Summer School. His aim is to succesfully fuse trad music, hip hop and other genres and looks to help spark an interest with todays youth.

Kenneth Nicolson - Gaelic song (Lochs, Isle of Lewis)
Over the years Kenneth has learnt a wide range of songs from the old to the new. He competes in local and national Gaidhlig festivals and in 2005 he won the solo singing Seo Seinn on the Isle of Lewis. After this he was encouraged to enter both the Gold Medal and the Traditional Gold Medal at the Mod and was the first person to win both at the same time.

Jack Smedley - fiddle (Buckie, Banffshire)
Jack started learning the fiddle in primary school. When he met fiddler James Alexander he was inspired to start entering competitions around Scotland. For the past 3 years he has played in his own fiddle band performing at festivals and has supported the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.

Daniel Thorpe - fiddle (Inverurie)
Daniel has been brought up with traditional music and was involved with many groups including the Garioch Fiddlers. He studied traditional music in Plockton before graduating with honours from the RSAMD. He is now performing with ceilidh band 'Heuch' and Canterach with whom he has performed all over Europe. He has been involved in many collaborations and has been chose by AIYF to represent them at the International Festival for Emerging Artists.

Ruairidh Macmillan - fiddle (Nairn)
Ruairidh's main influences have been Angus Grant Snr and Liz Carroll. He has wide musical horizons which have spurred him on to pushing musical boundaries and fusing idioms. He has just graduated from the RSAMD and is currenntly performing with the Paul McKenna Band who have just signed to Greentrax Recordings.

Back to BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award.