Selkirk: Riddell Fiddles celebrate 20 years of making music

First formed in 2003, the Riddell Fiddles is a community music group based in Selkirk.

Now celebrating 20 years of the group,

A spokesperson said: "Since it’s small beginnings in 2003 it has developed into a thriving organisation with workshops and classes in Borders tunes, session tunes and tune arrangements with guitar tutor Donald Knox writing, notating and composing tunes to suit the wide array of players who access the group.

"Tutors and support musicians at the group include Sheila Sapkota and Louise Douglas on fiddle, David Scott on percussion, Gary Smith on guitar and, previously, the late and very much missed, Tony Manning on double bass."

Over the years the Riddell Fiddles have had great success in performing at home and around the world.

The group has also welcomed fellow musicians visiting from abroad.

The spokesperson said: "Last summer a 75 strong contingent of musicians from Maine, USA combined with Riddell Fiddles at Victoria Hall, Selkirk and, in a joint community venture with the General Store, Selkirk doing publicity and door duties, entertained a packed hall.

"Over the years the group have played at thousands of venues and events as well as introducing hundreds of people to the sheer joy of playing and performing traditional music.

"As well as playing all over the Borders and the rest of Scotland the group have even reached places as far-flung as Canada, Bavaria and Ireland as well as playing a major role up to 2020 in the schools programme of the Celtic Festival of Barbados."

The group has also celebrated plenty of award success over the years.

Tutor Sheila Sapkota was an inductee to the Traditional Music Hall of Fame in 2015 for services to community music, and the Riddell Fiddles' youth groups were awarded Community Project of the Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards in 2021.

The group is very proud of its youth section and the resilience its members showed during the coronavirus pandemic.

The spokesperson said: "During the COVID-19 crisis, Riddell Fiddles kept the youth and adult groups going with weekly Zoom groups and individual lessons with the youthful Burnfoot Buskers (Hawick) and Bannerfield Buskers (Selkirk) still going strong post pandemic as a result.

"Riddell Fiddles are grateful for the support received at that time from the Scottish Border Council community grants schemes."

The group's Burnfoot Buskers will be taking to the stage at the Hawick Reiver's Festival next month, and in May the group will embark on a 20th anniversary tour, including a concert at the Heart of Hawick on May 13.

For more information, visit the Riddell Fiddles' website or visit their Facebook page.