The San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers, directed by Alasdair Fraser, will perform at Fremont High School April 13.
By CRISTY SHAUCK
Residents strolling past Fremont High School on the evening of April 13 may get an earful of lively folk music performed by the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers.
Although the 50-member orchestra has been playing to Northern California audiences for 10 years, this will be its South Bay debut.
"We're very excited about the opportunity," said director Alasdair Fraser.
Classically trained as a violinist, Fraser said he delights in breaking down the distinctions people make between the fiddle and the violin.
"There are many artificial barriers between so-called classically educated musicians and folk musicians," Fraser said. "I find a common ground and get people to use the same violin to play dance music in the village hall or classical music in the symphony. I guess I have a love affair with the instrument."
"In short, a fiddle is a violin that plays Scottish music," added Moira Theriault, who is project coordinator for the South Bay Scottish Society and a member of the Fiddlers.
"Tenant farmers evicted from their crofts [small farms] by wealthy landowners who wanted to raise sheep brought fiddle music to Nova Scotia and America," Theriault said. "The music of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, remains the closest to traditional Scottish music because, with its geographic isolation, the music never changed."
According to Theriault, the Fiddlers take turns hosting meetings in their homes.
"We usually begin with a jam session, then practice slow tunes and end with a workshop led by a member," she said. "A few of the members are teenagers; most of them are classically trained musicians who fell in love with fiddle music. Two members drive up from the L.A. area every month. That's how avid they are."
Other instruments in the orchestra include a skin drum called a bodran, cello, acoustic guitar and piano. Since not all members are Scottish, they have the option of wearing kilts or semiformal wear.
The event is sponsored by the South Bay Scottish Society, a nonprofit cultural, educational and philanthropic organization dedicated to preserving Scottish traditions. Founded by Americans of Scottish heritage, the group publishes a newsletter called The Seanachie, which means historian, and sponsors monthly social events such as country dancing and ceilidhs (kay-lees), which are Scottish parties.
"In January, we celebrated the 200th birthday of Robert Burns, who wrote 'Auld Lang Syne,' " said Theriault. "But during the warmer months, there are so many Scottish Highland games, practically one every weekend, that we go to those."
The Society also offers weekly Gaelic lessons, held in members' homes, and is forming a genealogy club.
Fraser said that Scottish fiddle music is mainly passed on by ear. "You can't write it down. It's all internalized. That way, you can take your fiddle to a party and whip it out when someone asks you to play a dance. That's quite freeing."
Fraser has five recordings out, one with the Fiddlers. CDs, tapes and albums will be available for sale at the performance.
"I love the way you can take this music anywhere and find kindred spirits resonating in just about any country in the world," Fraser said . "The music itself is broad-ranging, from ancient-sounding to things that are quite harmonically complex."
Fraser recently relocated his Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School to Boulder Creek. The school offers a weeklong summer program with instructors coming from as far away as Cape Breton and students from all over the world.
"It looks like this will be the permanent site for the school," said Fraser. "With names like Ben Lomond and Campbell down the road, how can we go wrong?"
Theriault expects a sellout crowd of 500. The cost is $10 for adults, $6 for seniors and children from 3 to 12. For tickets or information, call Jim Logie at 243-8693 or Moira Theriault at 370-6310.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, April 10, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.