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Throughout their teenage years, the Borders Young Fiddles members have attended many workshops and festivals, which has undoubtedly had a big influence on their playing. Playing with family groups and other bands has helped to build their repertoires. Now they are all involved in teaching and passing-on the tradition in their own right: Lori as a senior tutor with Glasgow Fiddle Workshop, at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, festivals and privately; Shona with Caedmon Folk in Newcastle and at the Selkirk Traditional Music Centre; Innes, also with Glasgow Fiddle Workshop and privately; Rachel and Allan have also worked with pupils on a private basis and within the youth groups they play with.
Lori, Innes, Rachel and Allan have been long term members of the Small Hall Band which has had a seminal influence in providing a learning and playing platform for traditional music for a large number of young Borders musicians. Lori was a founder member at the Small Hall Band's formation back in 1994. Lori, Innes and Rachel have also lent their skills to professional Borders ceilidh band Clarty Cloot. Shona has played extensively with her Mum and Dad, Barbara on flute and bassoon and Gordon, renowned piper.
The members of Borders Young Fiddles came together originally to support Jimmy Nagle at a recital of Borders Fiddle Music at the Scots Fiddle Festival Fiddle 99. The following year they did it without Jimmy and, propelled by Lori's research into Borders fiddle music, decided to put together this recording of tunes from the Borders tradition alongside some of their own original music.
The influence of other Borders fiddlers, past and present, can be heard in the result. The existence of a distinct Borders style of fiddle playing, as argued by Fred Freeman and proposed in Fred's notes on the Borders Fiddles CD, will continue to be discussed. Suffice to say that when the Borders Young Fiddles play, audiences are genuinely surprised by the music and are keen to learn where it came from. Beyond that, the five BYF musicians are well-advanced in developing their own distinct, individual voices. The original tunes on this recording testify to that.
Lori Watson (22) - Post-Graduate student of Scottish Music at the RSAMD, Lori is a Senior Tutor for Glasgow Fiddle Workshop as well as teaching Musicianship and Groupwork to Scottish Music students at the RSAMD. She has been a finalist at the Scottish Young Traditional Musician Awards and has toured extensively at home and abroad. Lori has composed music for theatre and has broadcast on radio and television. Her research into the Borders traditions continues and she is a dedicated 'tradition bearer' of Borders fiddle playing. At the age of 12 Lori was a founding member of renowned Borders youth traditional music group, the Small Hall Band and also played with Borders ceilidh band Clarty Cloot. you can also hear Lori on the Cd Lori Watson: Three
Shona Mooney (19) - Is studying folk and traditional music at Newcastle University and currently on the circuit with her band Crosscurrent, and previously with Slant. Shona has a wealth of experience and is steeped in the Borders tradition through the work of her parents Gordon and Barbara. A regular at festivals and sessions at home and in Europe and the States, Shona also teaches fiddle at the Selkirk Traditional Music Centre.
Innes Watson (19) - Recently completed sixth form at the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music at Plockton High School. Innes has joined the RSAMD Scottish Music degree course this year and is also a former member of Borders bands the Small Hall Band and Clarty Cloot. Innes teaches at Glasgow Fiddle Workshop and features in the Gaelic television series Beolach.
Rachel Cross (17) - A senior member of the Small Hall Band and a mainstay of the Clarty Cloot ceilidh band, Rachel took up the fiddle at a very early age and has developed her own distinctive voice. Rachel is going to study folk and traditional music at Newcastle University after her sixth form at Kelso High School where she plays in the Celtic music group.
Allan Hyslop (17) - A sixth-former at Berwickshire High School, Allan will study contemporary and popular music at Newcastle University. Allan has been a lead member of the Small Hall Band, played with the Borders Community Orchestra and teaches privately in the Borders. Allan also plays some mean rugby.
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