Fiddle Force

Having had a pretty busy few days after 2007 began, with a couple of funerals and meetings in Edinburgh etc., I was really pleased to get the chance to take part in Fiddle Force Winter School 2007 at Wiston Lodge over the weekend.
Not much sleep on the Friday or Saturday night but lots of fiddle playing, some new tunes and some new friends.
Tutors this year were same as last year, the ever-entertaining Alasdair White and the always-delightful Patsy Reid.
You can see Alasdair in action on YouTube. (Actually he is pretty subdued in this clip compared to real life.)
When I first went to the Fiddle Force Winter School several years ago no one knew that I was a minister. I preferred it that way because it meant people got to know me as a person, without any preconceived ideas (or prejudices.) Now most folk have gotten over the shock of discovering what I do 'for a living' and in fact over the weekend I got involved in quite a few very interesting conversations and discussions on spiritual issues. I think it's a real pity when labels (and prejudices) get in the way of real dialogue - no matter what the context. If we just get to know (and trust) each other as people first of all, it's amazing what we can learn from each other.