Fara

Fara

New Orkney fiddle band, Fara brings together five young musicians at the forefront of today’s Scottish folk scene.

Jennifer Austin, Louise Bichan, Kristan Harvey, Jeana Leslie and Catriona Price’s four fiddles and piano produce a fiery sound, rooted strongly in their upbringing among the music of Orkney.  Since leaving university, they have all since established themselves in the Scottish music scene, gaining many accolades along the way - including the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award, the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year, The Deutsche Bank Award in Performance and Composition, and Celtic Connections’ Danny Kyle Award.

The girls have been friends since they were in nappies, and grew up under the musical guidance of Douglas Montgomery of Saltfishforty and The Chair.  Fara started life as ‘The Chairettes’ playing as a backing band for The Chair, but after being asked to play some sets on their own, it was suggested that they form their own band.  With vibrant arrangements full of rich harmonies, energetic fiddle playing and driving piano, Fara’s set is an exciting one. With a mixture of self-penned and traditional Orkney tunes, as well as some songs, the girls’ combined musical experiences and friendships produce an exciting and individual sound, about to burst onto the traditional music scene.