Duncan Chisholm and Hamish Napier Duo

Duncan Chisholm is one of Scotland’s most recognised and accomplished fiddle players and

composers. Duncan’s music contains the rarest of chemistries, a glorious combination of

invention, tenderness and passion. He creates music that requires no introductions or

programme notes to carry you on its journey, sumptuously layered and awash with dazzling

colours, textures and rhythms. The sound may be traditional but this is 21st Century

traditional music which is sophisticated, exhilarating and meltingly beautiful.

“The indisputable eminent fiddle composer of his generation.” Penguin Eggs

Hamish Napier is a Scottish folk multi-instrumentalist, educator and composer inspired by

the heritage and nature of his native landscape. His music is beautifully constructed,

evocative and distinctive. Hamish always strives for a balance between tradition and

innovation, celebrating and respecting Scotland’s rich musical heritage while transcending

boundaries, with jazz, electronic and classical techniques and has an incredible gift of

painting pictures with sound.

“There’s stunning craft to Hamish’s music making” Robert MacFarlane

Duncan Chisholm and Hamish Napier are making a welcome return to their roots in playing a

series of much-loved community halls across the Highlands and Islands in June 2023.

Says Duncan, “Both myself and Hamish relish the adventure of heading out into the rural

Highlands. For us these intimate concerts are about connection. They allow us to connect

directly with communities that we love whilst enjoying and connecting with some beautiful

landscapes that surround us here in the Highlands.”

Hamish says “these are some of the finest community halls in the Highlands. Duncan and I

each have many happy memories of ceilidh dances and concerts in these places over the

years. The music and the landscape go hand in hand. One of the best things about touring

the Highlands is bumping into old friends, as well as meeting new people - folk from overseas

on holiday - some of whom are hearing Scottish traditional music for the very first time."

The concerts showcase Scottish fiddle, piano and flute at their finest, as well as a song or

two from Hamish, who is also a fine singer. The duo have also co-written a large body of new

folk music over the last five years inspired by Highland landscapes and heritage. This series

of concerts will feature much of the new music they have co-written for Duncan’s celebrated

album Sandwood, as well as that of his latest release Black Cuillin (along with piper Ross

Ainslie). Both Sandwood and Hamish’s solo work The Woods have won ‘Album of the Year’ at

the Scots Trad Music Awards in 2018 and 2020, respectively.

Each concert will no doubt prove to be an exclusive and intimate experience - a rare

opportunity to see two of Scotland’s top musicians and composers perform in a truly

stunning Highland location.

The North Coast Ceilidh Trail Band from Feis air an Oir will provide support at this event and play a short musical set at the beginning of the show. Band members are Anna Magee, Lauren Mowat, Emily Morrison, Lexy Swanson, Alice MacMillan, April Sutherland, Philip Overton and Joanne Sutherland.