BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award 2004 semi-finalists

This years semi-finals happened place on the 10-12th October at Wiston Lodge, Wiston, South Lanarkshire. (Read more about the award.) The Saturday evening concert was sponsored by Clydesdale Folk Club and took place in the Biggar Corn Exchange. Each of the twelve semi-finalists performed for 10 mins. Any questions please don't hesitate to contact us. Read the list of finalists.

SEMI-FINALISTS:

Shona Donaldson - Huntly (voice, fiddle)
Shona has always been surrounded by traditional music, her dad being a piper and her granny a singer and pianist. She first picked up the fiddle at the age of eight and started singing after she met Jock Duncan and Geordie Murison who encouraged her to sing in public. Shona plays and sings with the Strathspey Fiddlers and Keith celtic band 'Gled to be Glaiket'. Shona was also a finalist from last year and took part in the Scottish Young Traditional Musicians tour.

Gillian Fleetwood - Inverness (clarsach, voice)
Gillian has just finished her second year at Strathclyde University where she studies with Corrina Hewat. She spent a year at the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music where Dougie Pincock was an important influence alongside Ingrid Henderson and Mary Ann Kennedy. Gillian plays with Glasgow band Monobronto which has a diverse line-up of fiddle, piano, trumpet, clarsach and voice.

James Graham - Lochinver (voice)
James started singing at the age of seven to songs introduced by family members, friends or relatives in the house at ceilidhs and gatherings. In 1999 James started studying Gaelic song as his principal study at the RSAMD where he was taught by respected scholar and singer Kenna Campbell. He has performed in Europe and the USA and since completing his degree James hopes to continue his study at Sabhal Mor Ostaig in Skye.

Rachel Hair - Edinburgh (clarsach)
Rachel first learned to play clarsach after attending Feis Rois in Ullapool, where she grew up. She is now a student at the BA Applied Music Degree at Strathclyde University in Glasgow and is loving every minute of it! Rachel has performed twice at Celtic Connections and as part of a trio with flautist Peter Webster and multi-instrumentalist Jenn Butterworth.

Louise Hay - Inverness (pipes)
Louise. one of the first graduates from the Royal Scottish Acaemy of Music and Drama's BA (Scottish Music) course. She is a young, vibrant piper of all sorts of bagpipe as well as playing fiddle and whistles. Louise is a much sought after instructer who teaches both fiddle and pipes and uses her own compositions with the pupils she works with in her new youth pipe band with a difference.

Amy Lord - Dunblane (voice)
Amy has learned traditional music from her family. She started taking formal singing lessons at the age of thirteen and it was at fifteen when she first attended Dunblane Folk Club and started singing in public. In the last couple of years Amy has performed at the Doune and Dunblane Fling and came joint third in the Tony Cuffe Memorial Traditional Singing competition held at the RSAMD.

Rosie Morton - Edinburgh (clarsach, voice)
Rosie is a young player and singer from Edinburgh who graduated from RSAMD in July 2002. Recently she has performed as part of the Scottish Harp Quartet with Karen Marshalsay, Jennifer Port and Karen Conner and was involved as part of the Young Traditions series of concerts at Celtic Connections 2003.

Sarah Naylor - Skye (fiddle, voice)
Sarah is 20 year old west coast fiddler from the Isle of Skye and is currently studying for a BA Applied Music Degree at Strathclyde University. She was recently place runner-up at the invitation 'Highlands and Islands' Fiddle Masters 2003 and has played and taught at Celtic Connections festival where she supported Michael McGoldrick. Sarah also played in the band 'Monobronto', formed at university.

Tom Orr - Lanark (accordion)
Tom has played Scottish traditional music since the age of seven when he started lessons with local teacher Keith Dickson. His musical experiences to date include European Accordion festival - Prague, Up Helly Aa - Shetland, trips to France, Belgium and Ireland.

Catriona Price - Orkney (fiddle)
Catriona started playing the fiddle when she was seven years old, at primary school as a result of seeing her aunts play. She is taught by Douglas Montgomery (Saltfish Forty) and plays in an exciting young traditional group of about twenty youngsters from Kirkwall High School called 'Hadhirgaan'.

Jenna Reid - Shetland (fiddle, piano, voice)
Coming from Shetland, Jenna grew up immersed in traditional fiddle music. She began lessons with Dr Tom Anderson and later went on to study with Willie Hunter, who proved to be the biggest influence on her playing. By the age of 14 Jenna had won both the intermediate and the open section of the 'Shetland's Young Fiddler of the Year' Competition. Jenna recently completed a BA Hons. degree in Scottish music at the RSAMD and plays in bands Filska and Dochas.

Innes Watson - Borders (guitar, fiddle)
Innes comes from the Scottish borders but has been living in Plockton for the last couple of years studying on the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music. He comes from a musical family which includes last years finalist Lori Watson.

Back to BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award.