GRASS VALLEY, Calif. December 30, 2019 – The public is invited to join master Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser in Grass Valley on Saturday, January 4, 2020, for a celebration of community music to kick start the New Year. An all day/all ages workshop will be followed by an evening gathering featuring traditional ceilidh dancing, jamming, songs, stories, and general merriment. The events will be held in the Ballroom at the Grass Valley Elks Lodge, 109 N. School Street in Grass Valley.
The workshop starts at 9:30 am and concludes at 4:30 pm, with a break for a catered lunch. Alasdair will teach a medley of tunes, mostly “by ear,” and create an impromptu arrangement tailored to our large ensemble, made up of players of all sorts of acoustic instruments. Teaching will be geared toward intermediate to advanced musicians, though enthusiasts of all levels are welcome. Children should be accompanied by a supervising adult. Advance registration for the workshop is highly recommended, as it tends to sell out early. The cost is: $100; youth 17 & under: $70; $10 more at the door if space is available. To sign up, go to: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4437691
Starting at 6:30 pm, the evening gathering provides the opportunity for the community to join in the festive spirit of a traditional Scottish ceilidh. Dancing, jamming, singing, and spontaneous fun will be coordinated by dance caller Summer McCall. All attendees are invited to participate in the dancing, and perhaps share a song, poem, tune or story during a time set aside for listening to each other. A sliding-scale contribution of $10-25 ($8, students) is requested. Get advance tickets at: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4472280.
This event is sponsored by Alasdair Fraser’s Sierra Fiddle Camp and underwritten by the Sierra Fiddle Village Fund of the non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization Scottish Fiddlers of California. Proceeds are used to help offset summer camp costs. More info may be found at www.sierrafiddlecamp.org.