Your monthly news from the New Hampshire Scottish Music Club

Volume 36, No. 5, January 2025

“Having fun with Scottish Music”

Our January 12th Gathering

Our workshop this month will focus on backup techniques with mandolin player, cowboy singer, and fiddler Skip Gorman. We will explore what to do when you’re not playing the lead melody, which will add more texture to our arrangements. For the music, click here.

Tune Tales

Each month our Tunemaster, Alan Wilson, writes a blog sharing the history of the new tunes we’ll be playing in the workshop, along with tips and fun facts. Click here for the latest installment and learn about The Cradle Song, Scottish March, and Millbrae.

A Tribute to Sylvia Miskoe

At the 37th Ralph Page Dance Weekend there will be a program of music and dance celebrating our own Sylvia Miskoe for her contributions to the traditional music scene. The event will take place on Saturday evening, January 11, at the Wesley United Methodist Church in Worcester, MA.

For more information and registration, click here.

December Gathering Recap

Our gathering in December was more of a rehearsal than a normal workshop. We played through some of the new sets we’re adding to our concert music and made some preliminary changes. Click here to download a PDF summary of these changes, and the most up-to-date versions of the concert music can always be found here.

Two Concerts in May

Mark your calendars! This spring, we are excited to be putting on two concerts:

• Bass Hall (Peterborough), Saturday May 10, 3 p.m.

• Portsmouth Library, Saturday May 17, 3pm.

If you would like to participate, please make sure that you have filled out this survey to help us decide which dates we should set aside for rehearsals.

Don’t Be Shy — Apply for a Scholarship!

As a member of the NH Scottish Music Club, you can apply for funds to help you or your children attend camps, workshops, lessons, and other events that create Scottish music learning experiences.

These funds are for everyone! If you are over ten years of age and have been studying for at least two years, then you are welcome to apply. Attending events or taking lessons are wonderful ways to enrich your musical life no matter where you are in your journey. Before we can ask our generous donors for another grant, we need to use the funds we already have, so please don’t be shy.

To learn more about scholarships and to apply, click here.

Calling All Composers!

This coming March, our gathering will be dedicated to tunes written by members of our club. If you have an original tune you’d like to share with us, please send it to our Tune Master, Alan Wilson, before February 9. More details here.

Back Issues of Granite Skyes

If you are new to our organization and would like to learn more about us, or you have been with us for many years and are waxing nostalgic, you can read many years worth of our monthly newsletter, Granite Skyes, here.