Join us to celebrate St Andrew’s Day in music and song at the University of Edinburgh’s annual concert.

This event is hosted by Celtic and Scottish Studies and the School of Scottish Studies Archives.

St Andrew’s Day Concert

Saturday 30th November 2024

1.30-2.45pm (Doors Open 1.10 pm)

Playfair Library, The University of Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH8 9YL

Book your seats (£ free): https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/st-andrews-day-concert-tickets-79516789859 

Performers:

Wendy Weatherby (Scots song, cello) and Frank McLaughlin (guitar)

Tom Oakes (flute, guitar) and Paul Godfray (fiddle)

Mairi Callan (Gaelic song, harp)

Wendy Weatherby

Wendy Weatherby is one of Scotland’s finest Scots singers, performers and teachers. Wendy’s wide musical interests have led her to sing and play at folk and jazz events worldwide. She has composed music for theatre and film and has vast recording experience as a guest on albums ranging from ‘The Complete Songs of Robert Burns’, and ‘The Complete Songs of Robert Tannahill’ to The Pearlfishers’s ‘Sky Meadows’.

Her own CDs: ‘A Breath on the Cold Glass’, ‘Two Loves’ (Lochshore) and ‘A Shirt of Silk or Snow’ (Fellside) show her love of song as well as instrumental work; she was nominated in the Scots Trad Awards 2010 as ‘Traditional Singer of the Year’. Her commissions for Celtic Connections – ‘Daybreak on the World’s Edge’, poems of William Soutar set for cello quartet and three male voices, and a large scale work based on Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s ‘Sunset Song’ – feature some of the best traditional musicians in Scotland.

Theatre productions include Bill Bryden’s ‘The Ship’ and ‘The Big Picnic’; John Bett’s adaptations of Burns’s ‘The Jolly Beggars’ and ‘Para Handy’, and Wee Stories’s award winning production ‘Arthur, The Story of a King’. She has composed, performed and directed music for Wee Stories, Lung Ha’s, Foolish Notion, Storyteller Scotland and Mull Theatre, and currently works regularly with Andy Cannon, one of Scotland’s most highly regarded storytellers.

Wendy continues to guest with musicians of many styles – the cello being well suited to the dark realms of the singer/songwriter – teach at workshops and festivals and, of course, perform with the Wendy Weatherby Band!

Frank McLaughlin

Frank McLaughlin is a first-class guitarist and piper who has worked with many top musicians on the traditional music scene. Much in demand as a session player and teacher, his recording credits include such major projects as The Complete Songs of Robert Burns (Linn Records), and The Complete Songs of Robert Tannahill. Frank performs with Stuart Hardy, Wendy Weatherby, and the celebrated Mick West Band.

Tom Oakes

2019 Scots Trad Awards ‘Musican of the Year’ nominee, Tom is regarded as one of the UK’s top Flautists and Multi instrumentalists. Edinburgh based, he has spent the last two decades ploughing many different furrows as a traditional/contemporary musician, composer, producer and sound designer. Known widely for his work with Shetland fiddler Ross Couper (‘Exquisite’ The Guardian **** ) Genre bending pan Finnish act ‘The Auvo Quartet’ and new Scottish powerhouse OBT.

Working with scenes as diverse as Arabic Hip-Hop + Moroccan Gnawa (In Marrakech and Casablanca) Contemporary Americana, Indian traditional, Classical and Bhangra music (In residency in Mumbai) Scandinavian Traditional music, Jazz and on projects with the Northern Sinfonia, Mr Mc Fall’s Chamber and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Rooted in traditional music. Tom has performed with a veritable who’s who of the Scottish, Irish and English scenes including Tim Eady, Chris Stout, Jackie Oates, Kevin Henderson, Adam Sutherland, Allan MacDonald, Cathal McConnell and many more.

Paul Godfray

Paul Godfray has toured extensively with various groups throughout the U.S.A, Canada, France, Argentina and Brazil. A stalwart of the Edinburgh session and ceilidh scenes, he regularly collaborates with Norman Mackay, Ciaran Ryan, Marc Duff and Tom Oakes.

Mairi Callan

Màiri Callan graduated from University of Edinburgh in 2022. Màiri is a keen composer, arranger and performer on both traditional and classical lever harp. She is a Gaelic speaker and has competed in singing and clarsach competitions at the Royal National Mòd since 2006. In 2021 she won the prestigious An Comunn Gàidhealach Gold Medal for Gaelic singing. Mairi recently rearranged her composed work for Blàs festival and has several exciting new music projects in the pipeline.

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