We are delighted that fiddle virtuoso Stewart Hardy and superb Scottish guitarist/piper Frank McLaughlin will be returning to The Swallow Theatre following their very well-received concert here in May 2017.

Stewart and Frank posses a rare musical kinship, delighting audiences with their interplay as they explore music rooted in the traditions of Scotland, the Borders and Northumberland. In performance, they exemplify the very best of partnerships between fiddle and guitar.

Stewart and Frank have released 3 cds of their work together, Root 2, Compass, and The Gift showcasing a broad range of their music.

Stewart and Frank also work together as a writing and production team. Highlights include a music commission for silent films as part of the Hippodrome Festival of Silent Cinema; production of the acclaimed cd “A Scots Chorus”,(Claytara); recording and filming for the ITV drama series Distant Shores (Yorkshire television).

“The instrumental pairing of Stewart Hardy and Frank McLaughlin is one of traditional music’s great examples of cross-Border co-operation”

“Hardy is based in the northeast of England, although his fiddle playing on the Earl Grey strathspey here could place him as an Aberdeenshire native, and guitarist and piper McLaughlin lives in Edinburgh. When they get together, however, each belongs wherever the music takes them, be it in The Pilgrim’s Way’s Spanish dance steps or in the brilliantly mobile Irish set that culminates with Paddy Fahey’s Reel. Hardy brings a terrific range of colourful expression to his playing, from the gentle, poignant lilt of his slow airs, through the slippery horn-pipe bowing that lights up The Locomotive and the swooping, steely poise of his own Thunderfoot, and McLaughlin is both an imaginative accompanist and an assured tunesmith, often transferring his piper’s phrasing to the guitar strings. All in all, Root2 is a treasure chest of traditional music making, with every listen revealing new riches.” Rob Adams, The Herald

Thursday 30 May 2019 - 7.30pm
Tickets : £12 (Under 26s - £6)
Approximately 2 hours.
Part of, and supported by, the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival.