If you also require accommodation you will be able to add this to your basket after you have added the course.  Further information about accommodation options may be found here.

Ensemble Week with Hamish Napier & Michael Biggins

We are delighted to be able to offer again this opportunity to expand your musical creativity with two of the most in-demand musicians on the trad music scene. Hamish and Michael are both lead-melody players and chordal accompanists. They are very experienced tutors, from music camps for intermediate learners to working at university and professional levels. The classes are delivered in an informal, friendly and inspiring way – in keeping with the inspiring atmosphere of the stunning Sabhal Mor Ostaig campus location. Motivating, interactive, practical and highly productive, the materials covered throughout the week will empower you with the skills and techniques used by professional traditional musicians to arrange tunes and medleys into sets for trad sessions and performances.

Students are welcome to record tunes, ideas and arrangements, and written notes and handouts will be given. This course will use blended approach of music reading and learning by-ear. Methods of how to improve your ability to learn tunes by ear will be explored, while those that rarely read music will be gently encouraged to develop reading ability (but nobody will be expected to sight-read on the spot).

This course has been developed with traditional instruments in mind, but if you have any questions about other instrument suitability feel free to get in touch with us at .

An intermediate level of musicianship is required. Unfortunately this course is not suitable for beginners. If you are a classical player not already experienced in traditional music, we would suggest that you should be at an advanced level to get the most from this week. Again, please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.

About Michael

Michael is an award winning pianist and accordionist from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

In 2021, he became the first ever pianist to win the coveted BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year award.

Based in Glasgow, Michael graduated at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Whilst living in Scotland, Michael has developed a unique approach to traditional music on the piano, drawing influence from Classical music and his own traditional roots in Northumbria

About Hamish

Hamish Napier is a native of Strathspey in the Scottish Highlands who writes music inspired by his homeland, in a series of solo albums The River, The Railway and The Woods. He performs his own compositions in three different duos, including Scottish fiddle player Patsy Reid, Strathspey guitarist Neil Jordan or Korean-Scottish cellist Su-a Lee.

He has been a major player in Scotland’s trad music scene for over 2 decades now: from first touring as a founding member of folk quartet Back of the Moon, to joining Man’s Ruin, Jarlath Henderson Band and forming Nae Plans with Adam Sutherland.  With a deep understanding of trad music at the heart of everything he does, Hamish draws from his experience of mainstream, jazz and classical music. His music is often interdisciplinary, incorporating landscape films, poems and stories, and often the visual artwork of long-standing collaborator Somhairle MacDonald.

Timetable for the Week:

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 09:30 – 16:30
Wednesday: 09:30 – 15:00 (early finish)
Friday: 10:00 – 12:30