Scottish Harper
Educator
Researcher
Community Musician
Projects
Harp and Carp
Neil comes together with storyteller Daniel Serridge as Harp and Carp - the duo intertwine traditional folk tales, told in Dan’s contemporary style, with traditional Scottish music and improvised soundscapes. The pair are inspired by folk and ceilidh culture, with every performance being spontaneous and responsive to the space and audience, with individual performances often having a seasonal theme.
Harp and Carp perform enjoy performing in a variety of contexts from festival stages, to folk clubs and community settings. Neil and Dan have a particular interest in the concept of Musicking, a phrase coined by musicologist Christopher Small, which seeing music as an all encompassing act, rather than a single action or object. Harp and Carp deliver “Musicking the Story” workshops for those interested in exploring the relationship between music and storytelling, looking to develop a common musicality across both..
The Folks’ Music Project CIC
The Folks’ Music Project CIC is a Social Enterprise founded by Neil in 2021 which offer traditional music based activities and tuition to people of all ages in community settings across Glasgow and East Renfrewshire.
TFMP offers weekly group classes, traditional music jam sessions, workshops, community performances and ceilidhs. TFMP ensembles regularly perform for local events as well as the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh International Harp Festival and the Portlaise Tionól.
TFMP works with third sector arts and community development partners. All activities are offered on a low or no-cost basis, and have an emphasis on access, participation and well-being.
PhD Research: ‘An Approach to Sounding Scottish on the Harp’
Neil is currently undertaking a part-time PhD research project jointly at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the University of St Andrews.
This project is based on the statement: "I am a traditional musician who plays the harp, rather than a harpist who plays traditional music” and it aims to explore the development and origins of traditional Scottish harp playing as we know it today, its relationship to Scotland’s wider traditional music landscape, and what it might mean to ‘sound Scottish’ musically, on the harp.
The research draws upon musicology, ethnomusicology and practice-based research.
Contact
To contact Neil fill out the form below: