Sarah McFadyen

Scotland

Hailing from Hoy, Orkney, Sarah puts her own stamp on Orcadian swing fiddle. Since moving to Edinburgh in 1994 she has been involved in the session scene, collaborating with varied musicians. Sarah has recorded two albums and toured extensively with Scottish pop band Aberfeldy; was part of Jim Sutherland's Celtic Connections' commission "Cold Weather Dancing"; is at present playing with Sandy Wright & The Toxic Cowboys; is part of a SAC Tune-Up tour with Eamonn Coyne, Tim Matthew, and fellow Orcadian Kris Drever, along with American old-timey players from The Fog Horn String Band; and alongside Eilidh Shaw she plays with The Squashy Bag Dance Band and The Highfield Dance Band.

Sarah first came to Cape Breton to attend the Gaelic College at St. Ann's way back in 1995. It was here she met up with Otis Tomas, Paul MacDonald and Paul Cranford and a lasting relationship developed. She was back in 2004 performing at Celtic Colours with her band Harem Scarem and as part of The Unusual Suspects. In 2008, Sarah returned to Cape Breton for a third time to collect a fiddle Otis made for her, and having been so taken with the experience and with her fiddle, she is coming back not only to perform at Celtic Colours alongside Tomas, MacDonald and Cranford, but also to be an apprentice to Otis and make her own fiddle. And Celtic Colours is very pleased to have Sarah back yet again.