Seven young musicians have been spending a year investigating recordings and photos found in the School of Scottish Studies Archives at the University of Edinburgh, and responding creatively. They are now raising money to record an exciting album of the music they have developed.
The School of Scottish Studies, established in 1951, houses a treasure trove of fieldwork recordings including traditional songs, music, folklore and stories. It’s a fantastic resource and an important asset to Scottish heritage. A collaboration between the School and Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin, and supported by Creative Scotland, the Archive Project aims to inspire new people to use the Archives and break down barriers young people and the wider community might have with visiting or using them.
“We are keen to bring new users into the Archives, especially young people, and welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin,” said Cathlin Macaulay, Archives Curator at the School of Scottish Studies.
Whilst taking part in the project, the participants have been learning about the ins and outs of being musicians; developing skills such as writing music, playing in a group, teaching, promotion, recording and learning about how distribution works. They have also been seeking to take an innovative approach to heritage, whilst also developing a meaningful understanding of the content of the Archives and the context of the recordings.
This approach has taken several forms, from creating big arrangements for younger musicians to play, to writing songs inspired by anecdotes and recollections of the way people used to live, to experimenting with traditional singing styles and writing new versions of these using words from Gaelic stories.
Traditional music is all about transmission, and part of this project has involved transmitting music discovered in the Archives by teaching it to younger musicians, EYG’s Big Band. The album they are recording will involve a track performed by the Big Band. As part of the transmission process the participants have also been keeping a blog (www.eyg.org.uk/thearchiveproject) about the sorts of things they have been doing. They hope the project’s journey will be as inspirational as the final outcome.
The group is now recording an album with acclaimed musicians and producers Mike Vass and Matheu Watson. They still have money they need to raise to bring the quality of recording to the album they feel the project deserves. As such, they have embarked upon a crowdfunding campaign offering pre-orders of the album (http://www.sponsume.com/project/archive-project). The album will be launched at the exciting new arts complex at Summerhall on 29th September of this year. Tickets can be bought through their box office or online: http://www.summerhall.co.uk/2013/album-launch-the-archive-project/
"This has been the most ambitious project EYG has ever initiated," said Charlotte Murray, Project Co-ordinator. "What’s even better is that we've formed links with the School of Scottish Studies Archives, a relationship we hope to build on in the future."
About Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin
Established by a group of parents in 1995, it is a volunteer-run organisation that aims to excite, enthuse and inspire as many young people as possible with traditional music. They run a fun 4-day intensive programme of courses during the Easter holidays, as well as workshops at the Scots Fiddle Festival in November. They also aim to deliver workshops for teens, 16-25s, and outreach programmes in less advantaged areas of Edinburgh. EYG is a registered charity (Reg. Charity no. SC 030682) and is always short of funds. They accept donations via their website: www.eyg.org.uk