North fiddlers give angelic Fringe performance
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NEW Highlands and Islands fiddle quartet Rant have come away from their first Edinburgh Fringe with a prestigious award.
The band were presented with a Herald Angel for their performance at the Acoustic Music Centre at St Bride’s.
Featuring four of Scotland’s leading fiddle players, Shetland sisters Jenna and Bethany Reid and Highlanders Lauren MacColl from the Black Isle and Sarah-Jane Summers from Inverness, Rant formed in the summer of 2012 and appeared to huge acclaim at the Fiddle 2012 festival in Edinburgh last November.
Their Fringe concert, which was part of the Made in Scotland 2013 programme, marked the launch of the group’s self-titled debut album, which was released on 19th August on Make Believe Records, and recorded in the historic East Church in Cromarty.
Now in their 19th year, the Herald Angels are awarded by Glasgow-based Herald newspaper for excellence across the range of festivals that take place in Edinburgh during August and are much-coveted among performers, companies and event organisers.
Previous winners with traditional music connections include Gaelic singer Flora MacNeil, pipers Gordon Duncan and Allan MacDonald and fiddler Duncan Chisholm.
"We’re delighted to win the Herald Angel, especially as the other winners at the ceremony came from across the arts spectrum including ballet, literature and classical music," Rant’s Jenna Reid said.
"It was a complete surprise and an honour to be recognised for our wee part in the world’s biggest arts festival."
Rant members Jenna Reid (who is also a member of Blazin' Fiddles) MacColl and Summers will also be taking part in Blazin’ Fiddles’ annual Blazin’ in Beauly music school and concert series in October.
