Riddell Fiddles turns 20

Riddell Fiddles continues to thrive, with two superb youth groups helping to keep traditional music alive.

Selkirk-based community band Riddell Fiddles is celebrating its 20th year with a special concert at the Heart of Hawick on Saturday, May 13.

Since 2003 the group has developed into a thriving organisation with workshops and classes in Borders tunes.

Over the years the group have played many concerts, demonstrating the sheer joy of playing and performing traditional music.

As well as playing all over the Borders and the rest of Scotland, the group has reached such far-flung places as Cape Breton, British Columbia, Ireland, Bavaria and the Celtic Festival of Barbados.

Group member Sheila Sapkota said: “All proceeds from the concert next month will go towards the running of the music group, including the two youth bands at Bannerfield, Selkirk and Burnfoot, Hawick. We will also be appearing at the Edinburgh Acoustic Music Centre in August in two concerts staged as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.”

Tickets (£10/£8conc) available at the venue or online at liveborders.org.uk

The group has won many plaudits including the Voluntary Arts ‘Peer Award for Excellence’ award in Dublin in 2018.

Sheila Sapkota was inducted into the Traditional Music Hall of Fame for services to community music in 2015 and the youth groups in Bannerfield and Burnfoot were honoured to be awarded 'Community Project of the Year' at the Scots Trad Music Awards in December 2021.

More recently, Sheila was honoured to be included in the ‘Hands up for Trad’s Women of Culture List for International Women’s Day on March 8.

This concert heralds the start of a 20th anniversary tour, so come along and celebrate a milestone in a Borders music success story!