Frances Wilkins

Many thanks for your comments! really glad you like the music. For anyone who is interested and would like a taster of the album, individual downloadable tracks are for sale from CD Baby at http://cdbaby.com/cd/franceswilkinsandclairew All the best, Frances

Please see below for details of the new album, 'Blyde Lasses', featuring Frances Wilkins on English Concertina. Copies of the album can be purchased online at www.blydelasses.com Traditional music duo Blyde Lasses release their debut album of folk songs and tunes, all with a strong Shetland accent. Frances Wilkins and Claire White’s 'Blyde Lasses' album has developed out of seven years of domestic and international performances by the pair. Concertina player Frances explains ‘After many requests for recordings at concerts we finally entered the studio in 2013 to produce an album which encapsulates our own brand of Shetland music.’ The CD features old and new instrumental pieces as well as traditional and self-penned songs in Shetland dialect. Claire White adds ‘I’ve been playing fiddle for a very long time, but songwriting and singing are recent pursuits, inspired by my love of stories and a desire to weave more words into Shetland’s living musical tradition.’ The duo's name means 'glad girls' in Shetland dialect, reflecting the fact that both players spent their formative years in the islands before basing themselves in Aberdeen. Their playing partnership has seen them tour New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and Ireland in recent years, performing the music of Shetland and telling stories of island life. As an ethnomusicologist Frances is expert at ferreting out old recordings and dusting them down for the duo. Claire works for BBC Scotland by day on all manner of creative projects and loves composing new material for Blyde Lasses to play and sing. Biographies Frances Wilkins fell in love with the music of Shetland while living there in the 1990s and taught herself many of the melodies on the English concertina. She was soon performing throughout the British Isles and internationally with three-piece band, Sølan, and recorded two CDs in 1999 and 2001. She moved to London in 2001 to study music at the School of Oriental and African Studies before returning north in 2006. She performs regularly with a number of groups and is a lecturer in Ethnomusicology at the University of Aberdeen. Claire White was raised in the beautiful Shetland Islands. She learned the fiddle with Dr Tom Anderson from the age of eight and played as a member of Shetland's Young Heritage in Europe, New Zealand, the USA and Canada. She now performs regularly in popular Aberdeen-based ceilidh bands Danse McCabre and Jing Bang. In her day job, she brings all sorts of stories to the airwaves as a BBC Producer. Editor's Notes: Contact: Frances Wilkins, frances@blydelasses.com, 07780 504930 Hear selected tracks, buy the album, see photos and read reviews at www.blydelasses.com

Please see below for details of the new album, 'Blyde Lasses', featuring Frances Wilkins on English Concertina. Copies of the album can be purchased online at www.blydelasses.com Traditional music duo Blyde Lasses release their debut album of folk songs and tunes, all with a strong Shetland accent. Frances Wilkins and Claire White’s 'Blyde Lasses' album has developed out of seven years of domestic and international performances by the pair. Concertina player Frances explains ‘After many requests for recordings at concerts we finally entered the studio in 2013 to produce an album which encapsulates our own brand of Shetland music.’ The CD features old and new instrumental pieces as well as traditional and self-penned songs in Shetland dialect. Claire White adds ‘I’ve been playing fiddle for a very long time, but songwriting and singing are recent pursuits, inspired by my love of stories and a desire to weave more words into Shetland’s living musical tradition.’ The duo's name means 'glad girls' in Shetland dialect, reflecting the fact that both players spent their formative years in the islands before basing themselves in Aberdeen. Their playing partnership has seen them tour New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and Ireland in recent years, performing the music of Shetland and telling stories of island life. As an ethnomusicologist Frances is expert at ferreting out old recordings and dusting them down for the duo. Claire works for BBC Scotland by day on all manner of creative projects and loves composing new material for Blyde Lasses to play and sing. Biographies Claire White was raised in the beautiful Shetland Islands. She learned the fiddle with Dr Tom Anderson from the age of eight and played as a member of Shetland's Young Heritage in Europe, New Zealand, the USA and Canada. She now performs regularly in popular Aberdeen-based ceilidh bands Danse McCabre and Jing Bang. In her day job, she brings all sorts of stories to the airwaves as a BBC Producer. Frances Wilkins fell in love with the music of Shetland while living there in the 1990s and taught herself many of the melodies on the English concertina. She was soon performing throughout the British Isles and internationally with three-piece band, Sølan, and recorded two CDs in 1999 and 2001. She moved to London in 2001 to study music at the School of Oriental and African Studies before returning north in 2006. She performs regularly with a number of groups and is a lecturer in Ethnomusicology at the University of Aberdeen. Editor's Notes: Contact: Frances Wilkins, frances@blydelasses.com, 07780 504930 Hear selected tracks, buy the album, see photos and read reviews at www.blydelasses.com

Please see below for details of the new album, 'Blyde Lasses', featuring Frances Wilkins on English Concertina. Copies of the album can be purchased online at www.blydelasses.com Traditional music duo Blyde Lasses release their debut album of folk songs and tunes, all with a strong Shetland accent. Frances Wilkins and Claire White’s 'Blyde Lasses' album has developed out of seven years of domestic and international performances by the pair. Concertina player Frances explains ‘After many requests for recordings at concerts we finally entered the studio in 2013 to produce an album which encapsulates our own brand of Shetland music.’ The CD features old and new instrumental pieces as well as traditional and self-penned songs in Shetland dialect. Claire White adds ‘I’ve been playing fiddle for a very long time, but songwriting and singing are recent pursuits, inspired by my love of stories and a desire to weave more words into Shetland’s living musical tradition.’ The duo's name means 'glad girls' in Shetland dialect, reflecting the fact that both players spent their formative years in the islands before basing themselves in Aberdeen. Their playing partnership has seen them tour New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and Ireland in recent years, performing the music of Shetland and telling stories of island life. As an ethnomusicologist Frances is expert at ferreting out old recordings and dusting them down for the duo. Claire works for BBC Scotland by day on all manner of creative projects and loves composing new material for Blyde Lasses to play and sing. Biographies Claire White was raised in the beautiful Shetland Islands. She learned the fiddle with Dr Tom Anderson from the age of eight and played as a member of Shetland's Young Heritage in Europe, New Zealand, the USA and Canada. She now performs regularly in popular Aberdeen-based ceilidh bands Danse McCabre and Jing Bang. In her day job, she brings all sorts of stories to the airwaves as a BBC Producer. Frances Wilkins fell in love with the music of Shetland while living there in the 1990s and taught herself many of the melodies on the English concertina. She was soon performing throughout the British Isles and internationally with three-piece band, Sølan, and recorded two CDs in 1999 and 2001. She moved to London in 2001 to study music at the School of Oriental and African Studies before returning north in 2006. She performs regularly with a number of groups and is a lecturer in Ethnomusicology at the University of Aberdeen. Editor's Notes: Contact: Frances Wilkins, frances@blydelasses.com, 07780 504930 Hear selected tracks, buy the album, see photos and read reviews at www.blydelasses.com

Excellent news Frances! I really enjoyed your evening performance in Branscombe earlier in the year, as well as meeting you both and trying your wonderful Aeola tenor treble. And for those who haven't heard this duo yet, do catch them; they're great exponents of traditional music. Hi John, Many thanks for your support, and very glad to hear you liked my tenor treble. It's been a great instrument to play. soundfiles have now also been added to the site at http://www.sponsume.com/project/blyde-lasses-debut-album All the best, Frances Blyde Lasses Claire White and Frances Wilkins www.myspace.com/blydelasses

Dear All, Blyde Lasses (Frances Wilkins on English concertina and Claire White on fiddle and vocals) are excited to announce that they will be recording their debut album in January 2013. For the next 50 days there is an opportunity to pre-order your copy of the album for hot-off-the-press delivery as soon as it's completed in Spring 2013. For more information, please take a look the website below: http://www.sponsume.com/project/blyde-lasses-debut-album And for more information about Blyde Lasses, including music and videos, please go to the Blyde Lasses website Many thanks for your support, Best wishes Blyde Lasses Frances Wilkins and Claire White www.myspace.com/blydelasses Blyde Lasses (Glad Girls) are a dynamic young female duo who showcase traditional Shetland songs and tunes on fiddle and concertina. Their performances are as rich in stories as they are in music. 'Two brilliant musicians who have “personality plus” as well as great skill and knowledge’ Artworks Theatre, Waiheke Island NZ .. Thoroughly refreshing' Aberdeen Art Gallery .. 'Superb...great arrangements with a lovely easy style' Cowdray Hall, Aberdeen .. 'They are true ambassadors for their country'' Haomoana Pavilion, Hawkes Bay NZ

Blyde Lasses Shetland music duo tour south-west England and Wales 24 – 31 March [/b] Traditional music duo 'Blyde Lasses' are bringing the sounds of Shetland to south-west England and Wales in March 2012. The pair performs traditional, contemporary and self-penned Shetland material with Frances Wilkins on English concertina and Claire White on fiddle and vocals in their story-rich concerts. England tour dates Spring 2012 24th March The Flavel Arts Centre, Dartmouth, Devon (with pre-show talk, 'The Fiddle at Sea') 25th March The Square and Compass, Worth Matravers, Dorset 27th March Masons Arms Hotel, Branscombe, Devon 28th March Llantrisant Folk Club, Pontyclun, Wales 30th March Valley Folk Club, Pontardawe, Wales 31st March Sterts Theatre, Upton Cross, Cornwall Hear selected tracks, see photos and read reviews at www.myspace.com/blydelasses If you would like further information, please contact Frances Wilkins on 07780 504930 or blydelasses@live.co.uk