DISTIL 3
23-26th October 2003, New Lanark

Participants:
Sandy Brechin - accordionist, founder of Burach, and The Sandy Brechin Band, and formerly of Seelyhoo. He has brought out a book of his own compositions, called Out Of His Mind, most of which he has recorded with various bands. Still tours regularly and teaches (e.g. various Feisean, Folkworks, Celtic Connections).

John Dipper - fiddler and member of the English Acoustic Collective.

Simon Bradley - fiddler with Lan de Cubel and leading light of Edinburgh music scene

Robert Harbron - composer and workshop leader, and a leading exponent of the English concertina. Works with the English Acoustic Collective, Dr Faustus and Tim van Eyken among others.

Ursula Leveaux studied in London, Amsterdam and The Hague. She is Principal Bassoon with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and a member of the Nash Ensemble. She plays Baroque and Classical Bassoon.

Lori Watson - Borders fiddler who has written for theatre and has also appeared twice in the finals of BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award.

Karen Tweed - accordionist working mainly in folk music, she is well known for her collaborations with Scandinavian musicians (SWÅP / May Monday) and also with Chris Wood, Andy Cutting and Ian Carr in the Two Duos Quartet. From composing within the basic folk music structures, her compositional work is now exploring wider avenues within classical, jazz and abstract sonic ideas. Karen is currently working on a PRS funded commission writing new work with Karen Wimhurst (Clarinet), Kerry Fletcher (Dance) and Keith McIntyre (Painter) to be performed in March 2004 at the Baltic in Gateshead. She is also a member of the Poozies.

Chris Wood - Singer, violinist, guitarist. Has composed and performed theatre music for RSC & National Theatre. Duo with Andy Cutting, much touring, duo with Jean Francois Vrod, trio with Martin Carthy. Written for own trio (2 violins & cello). Most recent piece 'Listening to the river', about the music in our regional speech/dialect, for Radio 3. Member of the English Acoustic Collective. 'I compose in an attempt to tell my story better, if only to myself.'

Workshop Leaders:
Judith Weir is one of Britain's most wide-ranging and prolific composers. She studied composition with John Tavener and has taught composition in Glasgow, Oxford and Princeton.
She has written three full length operas and worked with the National Theatre and the RSC. Together with storyteller Vayu Naidu, Judith has created a blend of storytelling and music entitled Future Perfect which has toured England and India.
She has had work commissioned from her by musicians such as Jessye Norman and Simon Rattle, and has been involved in a long term collaboration with the Schubert Quartet. From 1995 to 1998 she was associate composer for the City of Birmingham Symphony. Current projects include works for the Florestan Trio, The New York Young People's Chorus and a piece for soprano Alice Coote and pianist Julius Drake.

Tim Garland first made international waves through his work with Chick Corea. He is Composer-In-Residence at Newcastle University, being one of the UK's most noted composers and saxophonists working in jazz. Much of his output reflects interests beyond conventional jazz boundaries and he is increasingly acknowledged for large ensemble writing including choir and orchestral based pieces. He works regularly with Bill Bruford's Earthworks and runs a number of projects of his own.

John Purser is a composer, playwright, musicologist and historian. His interests and wide knowledge include early instruments (very early - he has researched and recreated prehistoric percussion instruments, the carnyx (a Pictish brass horn) and early bagpipes), mediaeval and Renaissance choral music and the rich period of Scottish fiddle's fruitful engagement with European baroque and early classical styles. He is the author of 'Scotland's Music', the definitive history of Scotland's music making from early times to the present day.

Check out the photos.