Hello! Welcome to www.loriwatson.co.uk
I hope you enjoy the site. You can see information on music, events, projects and the band Lori Watson and Rule of Three. You can also listen to sample tracks and download sheet music and lyrics.
Please feel free to drop me a line at lori@loriwatson.co.uk
NEWS:
NEW ALBUM – Pleasure’s Coin
The new album is now available! Buy it here or at most good music outlets – if you don’t see it on the shelf please request it. Please let us know what you think by dropping us a line at lori@loriwatson.co.uk
The new album features a full band sound with Rule of Three (Lori Watson, Innes Watson and John Somerville) joined by Duncan Lyall on Double Bass and Donald Hay on Percussion plus three incredible guest musicians – Aidan O’Rourke, Kris Drever and Karine Polwart.
Lyrics and additional sleeve notes are available on the Albums page.
Rule Of Three
We’d like to introduce our sparkly new accordionist – John Somerville. Yes, of Croft No. Five and Box Club fame! We’re very excited he has joined the gang and we’re all looking forward to some fantastic music making. More info on the Music page.
Please visit the new Rule Of Three Myspace page at www.myspace.com/loriwatsonandruleofthree
Upcoming concerts
Rule Of Three are performing as part of Leith’s Music Routes Festival on Mon 1st June – the Leith album launch event and Leith Folk Club’s 5th Birthday party www.leithfolkclub.com
On June 19th we are heading down to the Borders for a performance at the Book Aid International event with Michael Palin at the Borders Book Festival in Melrose www.bordersbookfestival.org
We will also be staying on for the Jim Kelman event the following day, which we highly recommend to one and all.
New Commissions
Lori and Innes have both been commissioned by Distil to write new works for McFall’s String Quintet for a performance in October this year. Watch this space.
James Hogg Project
The James Hogg: A Life In Music CD, which features live recordings from the show including James Hogg’s own fiddle, is still in development. There have been quite a number of enquiries about this Record and are really looking forward to the final product, it will be worth the wait!
Album Reviews
Pleasure’s Coin and :Three - read the reviews here. The Albums page has sample tracks, downloadable lyrics and links to buy the CD. The albums are available through ISLE Music Scotland and all good music shops - if they’re not there please request them and our distributor will get some on the shelves.
Learn Borders Fiddle Online
Four half-hour video lessons including repertoire and technique are available from Ayepod.
Downloadable Notation
The Physicist (reel in A), Border Gaitherin (reel in A) and Ursus Philosopher (jig in Bm) are available on the Music page.
If you would like to be informed of events and news you can join our mailing list for an update a few times a year. Just email us at lori@loriwatson.co.uk with ‘mailing list’ in the subject bar. You can also download previous Mail here:
Mail One Aug 07
Mail Two Jan 08
Mail Three Jan 09
Biography:
FIVE STARS! Vivacious, cleanly articulated fiddling…silvery, beautifully poised vocals. (The Scotsman)
Widely recognised to be one of the finest fiddlers in the country. (Perthshire Advertiser)
Destined to be a true star in the folk firmament. (MU Magazine)
Leading light of the new generation of Borders fiddle players, Lori grew up in Birgham, steeped in the music and song of the Scottish Borders. Her work on Borders fiddle playing with Tom Hughes, Bob Hobkirk, Wattie Robson and Jimmy Nagle has been a driving force in the current resurgence of Borders music along with the band Border Fiddles whose release in 2004 was a landmark recording for Borders music. Although Lori's musical roots lie firmly in the Borders, her understanding and interpretation of Scots and worldwide traditions is undeniably resonant.
A BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2002 and 2003 Finalist, Lori has toured extensively and broadcast on radio, television and the internet throughout Britain, Europe, Canada and the U.S.A. Performing regularly with award-winning band Lori Watson and Rule Of Three, her self-produced debut was released in 2006 followed by Pleasure’s Coin in 2009, both on ISLE Music Scotland.
Performances with renowned artists such as Dick Gaughan, Cathal McConnell, Karine Polwart, The Unusual Suspects and Scottish Women have confirmed Lori’s reputation as a leading traditional musician of her generation.
Alongside performance and research work, Lori’s tunes, songs, extended and experimental compositions are to the forefront of traditional music composition in Scotland. Burnsong Winner in 2007 and Celtic Colours Songhouse Writer in 2008, Lori has composed for theatre and chamber ensembles as well as her own performance groups including the Momentum Collective.
