Editor’s note: The Coast String Fiddlers (CSF) are in Aberdeen, Scotland for the Aberdeen International Youth Festival. Parent chaperone Kathy Wood and some of the participants have been updating Coast Reporter readers of their trip. This is their final update.

The CSF have been busy playing at various venues in and about Aberdeen, and the kids are keeping up a frenzied pace. Wednesday (Aug. 4) took us to Westhill, a suburb area of Aberdeen, where we played alongside Miyanda, a group of African dancers based in Vancouver. We managed to collaborate and produced a new version of one of the fiddler’s favourites, Tamlin’s Reel. In addition to the step dancing performed by Lucy Wilson, Talia Strang and Victoria Flemming, Miyanda managed to adapt one of their African dances to our tune.

These opportunities to collaborate with other groups are abundant and exciting. We hope to meet up with Miyanda back home and have them share some of their African dance that is based on the traditions of the Ivory Coast.

Our next collaboration joined the North Shore Celtic Ensemble, CSF and Ceol Mor in a giant Celtic show that was performed at His Majesty’s Theatre.

Ceol Mor is Gaelic for “big music” that originates from the music of the Highland pipe tradition, a music project run alongside the Aberdeen International Youth Festival. It brings together traditional musicians in a big band setting similar to our trad band at the Sunshine Coast School of Celtic Music.

Led by Mairi Campell and Stephen Deazley, the directors, we were thrilled to be a part of a very large piece of music that the kids learned in a day and arranged in one session. It was truly amazing to be a part of a tradition that allows such collaboration.

On Saturday, Aug. 7, we performed to a crowd of 2,000 at His Majesty’s Theatre in the final gala concert of the festival.

Being involved in such a large production has been a learning opportunity for us all. We are thankful for this opportunity, but are sad to leave Aberdeen, where we have been so welcomed and treated so well.

We left for Edinburgh on Sunday, Aug. 8, where we will relax a bit and do some sightseeing including Edinburgh Castle, attend the Tattoo and walk the Royal Mile before coming home.

— Kathy Wood