Scotland meets Sweden in Grantown this weekend
Internationally renowned traditional musicians Paul Anderson and Peter Hedlund are heading to Grantown.
They have teamed up to present a short series of concerts celebrating the unique musical traditions of Scotland and Sweden.
This is only Peter's second visit to Scotland but after a successful tour last year where he performed at the Northern Streams festival in Edinburgh, featured on North Tonight at BBC Radio Scotland and a performed for HRH the Duke of Rothesay.
"Although I've performed all over the world, last year was my first time performing in Scotland and it was without a doubt one of the best tours I've been on. Scotland is a beautiful country and the people were amongst the warmest and most welcoming I've met. I felt very much at home and can't wait to visit again."
Peter Hedlund who is also known as "Puma" is Sweden's leading traditional players of the Nyckelharpa. He's been the Nyckelharpa World Champion twice, is a "Riksspelman" or Swedish folk musician Laureate and has been awarded the Zorn Gold Medal for excellence in folk music for "masterful and brilliant Nyckelharpa playing firmly rooted in tradition."
He has performed as far afield as the USA and Japan, teaches and builds Nyckelharpa, has performed at Swedish Royal weddings and even with Benny Andersson of ABBA.
Paul Anderson is Scotland's leading traditional fiddle player and like Peter has performed all over the world.
He is no stranger to Strathspey, where only last month he premiered his Heilan Symphony with the Cairngorm Orchestra to a rapturous audience at Boat of Garten Community Hall in one of the highlights of the Fiddler of Strathspey Festival.
His album of Scottish slow airs and laments of Scotland, "Beauties of the North" received widespread critical acclaim in 2019 and was given a five-star review in The Scotsman.
"I met Peter a few years ago when my wife Shona Donaldson, Peter and I gave a series of concerts in Ireland," he said.
"We hit it off immediately and last years Northern Streams festival in Edinburgh gave us a chance to perform together again. We actually had a tour of Sweden organised for October 2018 but I was diagnosed with cancer in September, so the tour had to be cancelled. Following a course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy I've been given the all clear so we're picking up where we left off and I can't wait. "
Appropriately named " Music of the North" Paul and Peter will be performing at the Benmhor Hotel, Grantown on Sunday (October 6, 2pm).
Further details please email andersoncromar@aol.com or call Paul on 07900563599
