Songs in Doric Scots One-Day Class Hosted at Passim School Of Music

 In a special one-day-only Passim School of Music workshop, Songs in Doric Scots, guests will get a hands-on exploration of the traditional songs in the Doric Scots dialect of Northeast Scotland. Participants will learn a song by ear, just as these songs have been passed down through generations. Open to beginners or those more advanced, award-winning Scottish folk singer Iona Fyfe offers a chance to connect directly with a living tradition through both singing and storytelling. A complete list of fall courses and registration can be found at passim.org/school-of-music.

In Songs in Doric Scots, Iona will share the history and cultural context of Doric Scots song, including the tradition of bothy ballads—songs once sung by farm laborers in the outbuildings (“bothies”) where they lived and worked. Songs in Doric Scots takes place on Tuesday, October 21 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. 

Winner of Scots Singer of the Year 2018 and 2023, and Musician of the Year 2021 – the first singer to do so – at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards, Aberdeenshire singer Iona Fyfe has become one of Scotland's finest young ballad singers. She has toured throughout the UK, Poland, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Canada, Switzerland, Czech Republic, US, and Australia, and performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra as part of the World Premiere of Disney Pixar's “Brave in Concert.” 

Artists can enhance their skills at the Passim School of Music through various other programs this fall, including newly added classes like Songs of Lori McKenna with Janet Feld, How the Song Gets Made: A Workshop + Hang with Edie Carey, and The Music of Mississippi John Hurt with Trevin Nelson. 

Registration for all the classes offered are available at passim.org/school-of-music.

Founded in 2000, the Passim School of Music offers classes, master classes, workshops, and private lessons to adults in an engaging and informal setting. All classes are taught by professional musicians.

The in-person classes will be held at The Passim School of Music at 26 Church St., Cambridge, MA. Classrooms are located on the second floor.