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Celebrating Scottish Traditional Fiddle at...

17 October 2016

Mid Armagh Community Network, the Ulster-Scots group from Markethill in County Armagh held this year’s Fiddle awards presentations in the Great Hall in Parliament Buildings on Friday 14th October.

The First Minister, Arlene Foster, presented the certificates to 40 students who recently completed their exams in Scottish Traditional Fiddle through the London College of Music ranging from Grades 2 through to Grade 8.  Pictured with the First Minister receiving shields are Anna McKew and David Herron, who were joint runners up in the highest marks category in Grades 6 and 2 respectively, and Ella McCullagh who received the highest award achieving 94% at Grade 8.

A short programme of entertainment followed with students demonstrating their exam pieces both in group and individually with tunes such as Scotland the Brave, Roxborough Castle, Athole Highlanders and Ashokam Farewell. Supporting the entertainment were dancers who performed 2 dances and Rebecca Greer who sang ‘Tommy’s Song’ which was specially written by Keith Lyttle as part of a play produced by Hilary Singleton as a tribute to Tommy Chambers from Glennane, a soldier of the First World War who died in The Somme offensive.

MACN have 70 students this year receiving Fiddle tuition and from these classes have developed the only Ulster-Scots Fiddle Orchestra in Ireland. Highland dancing, Guitar, Banjo and Lambeg drum completes Mid Armagh’s cultural program. Pictured also is Fiddle tutor, Keith Lyttle and Conrad Clarke MACN who said awards such as these are incredibly important in the musical and social development of the young people involved and the group as a whole.

The programme this year is financially part funded by The Ulster-Scots Agency and ABC Council.