Music links: Scottish and Folk

This is a page of links I've collected more or less related to Scottish Dancing. I have nothing to do with these sites, so can take neither credit nor blame - if you want to comment, please contact the maintainer(s) of the site in question.

As well as miscellaneous links, there are various common themes within this web page:

• Tunes on the web
• Suppliers and publishers
• Scottish Dance Bands
• Scottish Music Bands
• Early Scottish Music
• Scottish Music groups
• Useful links for bands

• The homepage of ABC - the standard medium for exchanging tunes on the web.
• John Chambers' tune searcher. also includes sets for SCD.
• Viper Piper bagpipe music search site and discussion forums.
• Ceolas - celtic music.
  
• Andrew Kuntz's Fiddler's Companion collection of tunes with history.
• ScotLoads - Scottish based MP3 music downloads. Includes a section for Scottish Dance Music.
• ABC Navigator - free program for music in ABC format.
• Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame
• The Wighton Collection, based in Dundee City Library. The Database contains over 1000 records describing Dundee's Wighton Collection one of the world's finest repositories of Scottish music. The Wighton also includes a goodly selection of rare English, Irish and Welsh volumes, with RISM entries in abundance, and many unique items. John and Henry Playford's "Dancing Masters" and "Apollo's Banquets" are a particular delight.
• Mudcat Cafe - a magazine dedicated to blues and folk music. Includes the Digital Tradition DolkSong database.
• Rare-Lyrics.com - includes Celtic folk lyrics.
• RealLyrics.com - Music Lyrics
• Concertina Tune-o-Tron - converts ABC code to MIDI files.
• Steve Farthing's folk music and ABC pages.
• Scots Music Group (was the Adult Learning Project), Edinburgh.
• Edinburgh Folk Club
• Celtic Music on the web - over 1000 links.
• Celtic Sheet Music
• Alan Ng's on-line course about celtic music.
• The Piping Centre: "The Great Highland Bagpipe, perhaps the best known of Scotland's musical instruments and an ambassador for Scotland throughout the world, is accorded new prominence by the founding of The Piping Centre. The Centre serves as a national and international centre of excellence for the instrument and its music."
• The College of Piping, a charity based in Glasgow, offering a service of lessons, examinations, all instruments and music and a knowledge base for all students of the great music.
• Bob Norris's Live Piper web pages - online page for piping instruction.
• Bagpipe News provides links to piping news, videos, and music.
• History of bagpipes in theatre
• ScotScores - Muriel Johnstone's web site.
• The Highland Music Trust, a charity based in Inverness promoting Scottish Fiddle Music. The website sells books of fiddle music produced by Balnain House including the recently reprinted Athole Collection.
• Kerr's Music catalogue of Scottish Music - Kerr's Merrie Melodies (now owned by Glasgow Music Centre).
• Aberdeen University's James Scott Skinner web site.
• The ceilidh place - web site with discussion forums for Scottish music & musicians.
• The Online Music School
• Box and Fiddle Magazine, includes list of guest artistes/bands.
• MusicTeachers.co.uk - free directory of music teachers in the UK.
• The Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland.
• AlbaFolk's guide to traditional and folk music events during the Festival and Fringe, including sessions.
• Scotia Dance and Music Publishers, New York. Scotia Dance and Music Publishers (SDMP) supports Scottish music and dance education by: sponsoring the above web site, offering music scholarships and contributing to music programs of other groups. To encourage new composers and dance devisors, SDMP publishes original dances and tunes under the guidance of our Dance Advisory Committee and our Music Advisory Committee. The members of these editorial committees offer advice to the novice in order to ensure that dances and tunes properly adhere to the idiom.
• Cape Breton Music online, also home of the CB-Music mailing list. The list deals with all aspects of the past and future of Cape Breton music as well as our exciting current music scene, including Acadian, Mi-kmaq, blues, classical, neo-traditional and everything in between.
• Northbeat, formed to promote the dance and music of Scotland. Their aim is to provide opportunities for all to learn and enjoy the very best from the Scottish tradition. They also run the Island Fling.
• Ceilidh Culture - annual celebration of the traditional arts activity taking place in Edinburgh, held each Spring.
• The Border Gaitherin, traditional music weekend festival.
• Scottish Downloads - free, complete music tracks from Scotland.
• Kevin MacLeod's site, some nice images of my vintage and custom stringed instruments, mandolins, bouzoukis, resonator Nationals and other oddities, and some interesting background information on various recordings. Plus useful links to explore.
• Minority Language Song Contest.
• The Session - site dedicated to traditional music sessions around the world. Includes tunes, sessions, recordings, discussions and links.
• Celtic MP3s.com: Song of the Week A free weekly email magazine containing reviews of Celtic MP3s by Celtic artists around the net.
• Isle of Bute Folk Festival
• HighlandTunes.com - write tunes to order for people who'd like to give them as gifts, or to mark any occasion.
• JamLabel.com - Celtic music store.
• Tunes on the web.
  • John Chambers' tune searcher. also includes sets for SCD.
  • Bruce Olson's tune indices.
  • Ceolas - celtic music.
    Includes Andrew Kuntz's Fiddler's Companion collection of tunes with history.
  • Contemplator's Folk music collection - lyrics and MIDI files.
  • Mudcat Cafe - a magazine dedicated to blues and folk music. Includes the Digital Tradition DolkSong database.
  • John Chambers' abc tunes for Scottish dances.
  • Tom Gilland's "Fiddle Fingers" collection of fiddle music (includes scottish).
  • Ken McGirr's Scottish song page.
  • Richard Darsie's collection.
  • Richard Robinson's collection.
  • James Caffrey's Celtic music on the web site.
  • Ian Augustus's a collection of MIDI tunes in his Angry Scotsmen's Internet Asylum.
  • The IRTRAD-L list archives.
  • Cape Canaveral [sic] Scottish Song Lyrics.
  • Tim Barker's collection of tunes.
  • Jack Campin's music pages, includes:
    • bagpipe tunes from George Skene's manuscript of 1715, the oldest written Scottish pipe music.
    • tunes said to have originated with the fairies in Shetland
  • eFolkMusic, RealAudio and MP3 music, includes some celtic.
  • HighlandTunes.com - write tunes to order for people who'd like to give them as gifts, or to mark any occasion.
• Scottish Music Promotions, providing Scottish bands, musicians, workshops, etc for weddings, corporate entertainment and entertainment for visitors.
• The NetReal index of Scottish artists, bands and agencies on the web.
• TAXI: the leading independent A&R company helping unsigned bands, artists and songwriters get record deals, publishing deals and placement in films and TV shows. Here's their list of bands.
• The Reel Good Music agency.
• Bagpipe and other Scottish Music sites.
• The Royal Burgh of Stirling Pipe Band.
• Sandy Mather's guide to folk sessions in Scotland.
• Elke Baker's home page - Terpsichore and the Potomac Scottish Fiddle Club.
• Tim Barker's Scottish Fiddlers page. Also includes recommended sheet music and a collection of tunes in ABC format.
• Nigel Gatherer's Scottish Music pages. Includes the PigPipe Press music publishing company. He also has a page about the Bulmer and Sharpley series Music from Ireland.
• Jack Campin's illustrated tutorial. on modes and tonality in Scottish music with over 100 tune examples, aimed at performers rather than musicologists.
• BBC Radio Scotland online - includes lots of Scottish Music, eg Take the Floor (see below) on Saturday evening, The Reel Blend on Sunday afternoon and Travelling Folk on Thursday evenings. 92-94 FM or 810 medium wave in Scotland. Now also on Sky Digital channel 927 in Europe and North Africa.
• Take the Floor homepage - BBC Radio Scotland weekly programme of scottish dance music. 6:30-8:00 pm Saturdays. 92-94 FM or 810 medium wave in Scotland. Now also on Sky Digital channel 927 in Europe and North Africa.
• Moray Firth Radio, local radio station based in Inverness - 97.4 FM or 1107 MW. Includes archives of Andy Ross's "Thursday Ceilidh" and "The Sunday Show" of Scottish and Irish music.
• Highlander Radio - Scottish, Irish and Celtic music 24 hours a day.
• The College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada.
• The Inverness Fiddlers Society.
• Sabhal Mòr Ostaig - the Gaelic College.
• Sandy Brechin's Accordion tutorial.
• Iain Kenneth MacLeod's Cape Breton Music Centre Online.
• Cape Breton Music Online There are message bases for topics like Cape Breton Music (go figure), Gaelic Language, Fiddling, Stepdancing, etc.
• David Andrew Knight's web site - SCD fiddler, composer, devisor of dances, teacher, dancer.
• The Ceilidh Trail school of Celtic
• Ruby Ramsay's Celtic Music WebRadio sites.
• D. Renaudin's listing of Celtic sessions in France.
• The Tartan pages (Scottish Music page).
• The Scots Haunbuik (a handbook on the Scots language.
• East of the Hebrides - celtic music and entertainment based in Philadelphia.
• The Folkworld online music magazine. music.
• The online version of Folker music magazine for Folk, Roots and World music. (Note this page is in German).
• New Zealand Piping and Dancing web site.
• Talis Productions' Roots of Bluegrass site, a cross-cultural education project whose main objective is to raise global awareness of the traditional arts and cultures of Ireland, Scotland and Appalachia while raising funds for specific micro-loan and educational programs benefiting these peoples.
• Fiddles of the World Festival "The First Ever International Conference & Reunion for Traditional Fiddlers & Fans" (July 1999).
• The online version of Dirty Linen music magazine for Folk and World music.
• Flounder's musical instruments classified, celtic guitar and celtic harp pages, and more.
• The Celtic Music Board.
• The Scottish Dance Company of Canada.
• The Scottish Music Information Centre's Music in 18th Century Scotland.
• Alister Fraser's The Bagpipes go to the Movies web page. (No, not _that_ Alasdair Fraser, another one).
• The online version of Dominique Renaudin's page of sessions in France, Celtic music links, etc.
• Florence International Music Summer Campus Classical and jazz music summer courses in the Florence Music School "Il Trillo", with musicians and teachers of international fame. (link only)
• Weekend Pirates internet radio station, specialising in Scottish, Irish, Celtic and Gaelic music from the Renaissance to modern, along with many other varieties of music. Used to raise money for SuicidePrevention.com.
• Mr Violin - "The Complete A to Z of Violin Resources".
• Online Guitar Lessons - WorkShopLive provides unlimited access to an extensive group of music teachers and lessons.
• Suppliers and Publishers. (See also my page on dance music stockists and the the online shops section).
  • Acorn Audio, a scottish recording studio.
  • Addie Harper's music publishing and recording.
  • Balnain House music distributor.
  • Celtic Music Shop - Celtic Music CDs, DVDs, sheet music, Books and Videos.
  • Celtic Southern Cross music distributor, for Australia and New Zealand.
  • Charlie's DownHome music - Cape Breton music supplier.
  • Concorde Music - Scottish music, video and DVD shop and supplier based in Perth, UK.
  • Footstompin' Records - Scottish traditional music label.
  • Harbourtown records.
  • Just Shetland - Shetland gift store, large selection of Shetland music and books, including a Dancing in Shetland pack of book and tape.
  • Locrian records, an Australian recording label specialising in modern contemporary celtic and ethnic folk music.
  • Macmeanmna Gaelic music company.
  • www.musiccaledonia.com - Source of Scottish music: celtic, folk, ceilidh & traditional music CD's, DVD, video & SheetMusic.
  • Music in Scotland. Includes an SCD CD index.
  • Open Ear Productions, Irish music producer and distributor.
  • RSCDS Leeds Branch Shop. We bought up much of the stock from the Scottish National Dance Company. and now sell lots of CDs, Books and shoes for Scottish Dancers all over the world.
  • ScotsMarket: Scottish music and video distributor with Scottish-themed forum.
  • Scott's Highland Services
  • - general CD supplier with a searchable catalogue.
  • The suppliers of the St Andrews Ball CDs.
  • Stoneyport.
  • Taigh na Teud (Harpstring House) - traditional Scottish Music publisher.
  • Temple Records - Scottish Traditional Music and Song, harps, bagpipes and fiddles from celtic bands and solo artists. Includes online store for CDs, books and videos, plus MP3 downloads. One of the standard labels for good Scottish music.
  • Music123 - musical instruments and reviews. Offer lowest-price guarantees and free shipping on many items.
  • Dreamland Music - Lyrics search engine.
• Bands (see also my list of scottish dance bands and Nigel Gatherer's Obscure Scottish Folk artists page.).
  • Alistair MacGillivray.
  • Barbara Dickson.
  • The Battlefield Band.
  • Burach.
  • Brenda Stubbert.
  • Brobdingnagian Bards: Celtic Renaissance. Songs of Ireland and Scotland.
  • Calasaig, 5 piece Scottish band, playing traditional music & song from Scotland, Ireland & England as well as their own compositions
  • The Cameron Brothers - Folk Duo.
  • Cantie homepage - an Edinburgh Folk band.
  • The Corries homepage. See also The Corries Merchandise homepage and The Corries discography.
  • Cucanandy, Celtic band from North Carolina "that weaves together music, dance and song from Ireland, Cape Breton, Brittanny and (our home) the American South."
  • Derek Hamilton's pages - Bryan's Room Recordings, and The Ian Muir Sound
  • Fiddlers 3, family group playing traditional Canadian Celtic-folk music.
  • Fiona Mackenzie - scottish singer.
  • Hoogie
  • Hugh Morrison, a button box player oringinally from Tain, Ross-shire but now living in Houston Texas. He used to play with the Tain Scottish Dance Band prior to leaving for the States, and has just (Dec 2002) released a new CD.
  • Iona Leigh - Professional Songwriter & Vocalist
  • Mary Jane Lamond - or try here or here or here or here.
  • Natalie MacMaster.
  • Quern: Formed in 1984 with the twin objectives of promoting the music and culture of Scotland in a lively and imaginative way and helping organisations in their fund-raising efforts, QUERN has established its own and perhaps unique niche in the Scottish cultural scene.
  • John MacDonald.
  • Matt McGinn
  • Navan, a Celtic vocal group from Madison, Wisconsin performing traditional songs in the languages of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany and the Isle of Man.
  • The Porridge Men - folk band used by Britain's ice dancers in the Winter Olympics 2006.
  • The unofficial Rankin Family Website.
  • Alan and Jan Roy, Scottish Music and Song.
  • Sandy Brechin.
  • Scatter the Mud. Celtic band from Calgary.
  • Scottish Fiddle Orchestra.
  • Seanachie.
  • Seelyhoo.
  • Shooglenifty.
  • Silly Wizard. Or try the Ramblin' Rovers discussion list.
  • Skeerwud, an acoustic ensemble playing mostly Scottish music. We are a large group trying to update the fiddle orchestra model with instruments used on the folk scene in previous years.
  • Smithfield Fair, Scottish-American band.
  • Whistlebinkies.
• Early Scottish Music.
  • Bill Taylor's pages.
  • Cynthia Crawford's pages (particularly harp).
  • Rob MacKillop's Scottish Lute and Guittar (yes, that is spelled correctly) pages
• Useful links for bands
  • BandPHP - script for setting up and maintaining a band web site.

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I also have other pages of links:

• Scottish Dance: General Scottish Dancing links.
• Dance types:
  • Scottish Country Dancing
  • Highland Dancing
  • Ceilidh Dancing
  • Scottish Step Dance
  • Other dance forms
• Bands: Scottish dance bands (includes descriptions).
• Groups: Scottish Dance groups world-wide
• Events: Other events pages.
• Health: Looking after your body, managing injuries.
• Music: Scottish and Folk music pages
• Email lists: Relevant mailing and discussion lists.
• Blogs: online columns.
• Scottish links
  • Edinburgh links.
  • Scotland: Miscellaneous links to do with Scotland.
  • Tartans and tartan viewers.
  • Kilts, kiltmaking and Scottish stores.
  • Tourist: Where to stay/what to do in Edinburgh/Scotland.
• Miscellaneous: Other miscellaneous links which may be interesting.
• Web: Web stuff, including search engines and directories.

Or try ScotFind Scottish Links engine.

If you have any other links you would like me to include here, please mail me with the URL and some details.

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Last updated 6-08-04 .

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Except where otherwise indicated, all content on this site (including text, images, dance descriptions and any other original work) is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

This page is maintained by Ian Brockbank
ian@scottishdance.net
Edinburgh, Scotland