📷 Photo by Alan Peebles
Fiddle player Eryn Rae has been named BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician for 2022.
The 21 year old, from Jedburgh but now living in Glasgow, accepted the award from Gareth Hydes, Commissioning Editor, BBC Scotland, in a year that saw the prestigious competition return to the City Halls for the first time in two years.
Presented by Joy Dunlop and Bruce McGregor, the event was broadcast live on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC ALBA in front of a socially-distant audience. If you missed it you can now WATCH THE PROGRAMME ON IPLAYER.
The six talented finalists enthralled the judges with first-class performances but there could only be one winner.
Eryn said: “This has been such a special evening. To be back in City Halls performing alongside the other finalists was just so moving and uplifting. After what has been a tough two years for the performing arts industry, events like tonight are just a massive boost which signal a hope for better things to come. I am thrilled to have won alongside such amazing performers and look forward to what comes next as I know this title has been a springboard for many previous winners, I hope to follow in their footsteps.”
Each of the six finalists turned in stunning performances, broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC ALBA, but Eryn had the edge during an evening of superb entertainment.
Gareth Hydes, Commissioning Editor, BBC Scotland, said: “It is wonderful to have been able to bring this event back to Glasgow’s City Halls. . As ever, we were blown away by the sheer talent on the stage and it’s always very difficult to choose just one winner. Eryn’s performance was breath-taking, an absolute celebration of the rich and vibrant traditional music scene we’re so lucky to enjoy in Scotland.
“I want to join all the other judges in congratulating her, and hope that we can once again fully embrace our nation’s fantastic live traditional music scene as we start to emerge from what has been a tough couple of years.”
Eryn is a fiddle player hailing from the Scottish Borders. She started learning the fiddle at the age of seven under the tuition of renowned Shetland fiddler, Catriona Macdonald. Now based in Glasgow, Eryn is about to embark on her final year studying Traditional music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Erne wins a recording session with BBC Scotland, she will perform at the Scots Trad Music Awards to be held in December 2021 and be given a one-year membership to the Musicians Union.
All finalists get a one-year membership to the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland (TMSA) plus the opportunity to take part in the TMSA’s annual Young Trad Tour scheduled for 2022.
Organised by BBC Radio Scotland, the Young Traditional Musician competition has been increasing the profile of Scottish traditional music and recognising rising talent in the genre since 2001.
Footage and performances from the finals, including the winning performance, can be seen at bbc.co.uk/youngtrad.
The other 2022 finalists were:
Breanna Wilson – fiddle (Glasgow). Breanna is a fiddle player currently entering her fourth year at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She grew up playing traditional music and has competed at the Fleadh multiple times. She has performed at various festivals such as Celtic Connections, Celtic Colours and IMBOLC and is also an avid composer.
Malachy Arnold – clarsach (Glasgow). Malachy plays the clarsach and comes from a line of harp players in his family. Rooted in Irish and Scottish traditional music, Malachy has a competitive playing background in Ireland and has recorded, performed and released music in Scotland. An innovative and creative player he is passionate about expressing new styles of clarsach playing and sharing new compositions.
Saffron Hanvidge – song (Inverness). Saffron is a native Gaelic speaker and music student at Sabhal Mor Ostaig. She is a four-time Puirt-a-Beul winner and well-known Royal National Mod competitor. Saffron has been a prominent Inverness busker for fifteen years. Most recently she was part of the BBC’s Christmas programme ‘Alleluia na Nollaige’.
Malin Lewis – pipes (Skye). Malin is a piper, fiddler, whistle player and instrument maker from the Isle of Skye. They have studied piping at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. As well as composing music, Malin also performs on a set of self-made two-octave Smallpipes.
Sophie Joint – piano (Glasgow). Sophie Joint is a pianist from Glasgow with a background in Scottish and Irish traditional music. She is in her final year at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and has won a Danny Kyle Award at Celtic Connections and The Molloy Award at Birmingham Trad Fest. Sophie enjoys composing and arranging in a contemporary style with strong traditional roots and has performed at international festivals including Festival Interceltique de Lorient and Celtic Colours in Canada.
