Northern Streams Festival of Nordic & Scottish Music, Song & Dance
Exploring the very early historical to contemporary interactions between Celtic & Nordic cultures will feature in the Northern Streams Festival of Nordic & Scottish Music, Song & Dance 2026!
About Northern Streams Festival of Nordic & Scottish Music, Song & Dance
| 17th Apr 2026 to 19th Apr 2026 | |
| See event website for details | |
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Scottish Storytelling Centre 43 - 45 High Street, Edinburgh Old Town EH1 1SR |
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| Concerts £14 / £12 / £10 / Workshops £10 / £8 / £6 | |
| Visit the event website here | |
| Facebook information can be found here | |
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A meeting of Celtic & Nordic cultures!
A Performance and concert lecture by historical music specialist, Christine Kammerer, will convey material researched for a Danish museum late last year in its first presentation in the UK. Whilst Cuath a Tuan with Chris Amer will be performing and teaching recent Nordic and Celtic crossovers.
The other artists participating in the festival, taking place 17-19 April, will bring other varieties of interactions through concerts, workshops (including a Family friendly one), a ceilidh and session in the Festival’s 21st year.
The following artists are appearing on the Festival programme:
• Cuan a Tuath: Kristina Leesik & Séamus Ó’Baoighill (Fiddle, Song & Pipes) + Chris Amer (Guitar) – Sweden/Scotland
Glasgow based band drawing influence from the Nordic and Scottish traditional styles, mixing old Swedish songs & polskas, with Highland Strathspeys and Reels. Winners of a Danny Kyle award at Celtic Connections 2025.
• Christine Kammerer (Song, Story, Lyre) – Denmark
Celebrated for her fusion of Nordic & Celtic folk music, blending symphonic elements with ancient songs and cross-cultural storytelling Christine also specialises in early music/Viking Age music.
• Outi Karhu & Glasgow’n Laulu Finnish Women’s Choir (Song, Piano) – (Finland/Scotland)
Outi Karhu is a Finnish singer and pianist, whose restless feet and a curious heart led her to Scotland. Hopping between styles and genre, her debut album, Let the Light In, was released in late 2025. She leads the Glasgow’n Laulu Finnish Women’s Choir who have been singing together for over 10 years.
• Joss Cameron & Amy Dudley (Song, Story & Piano) – Scotland
Local singer, Joss Cameron has a Traveller background as well as being related to a pirate Queen! Teaming up with Amy they will present songs of the sea, fisherfolk and other themes with haunting melodies and audience participation – a celebration of our heritage.
All events take place at Scottish Storytelling Centre, Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 1SR.
For fuller details of the Northern Streams programme, guest artists or for direct booking links, visit the Northern Streams website. Ticket prices range from £8 for a workshop – £14 for the concert tickets, with concessions for various groups including further ticket price reductions for under 18s.
Tickets are being sold by our venue, the Scottish Storytelling Centre through their website or phone 0131 556 9579 or at the Box Office. There is a booking fee of £1.50 per transaction (not per ticket) for online and phone bookings. In person sales at the Box Office do not attract a booking fee.
Described as “…something out of the ordinary” by The Herald, throughout the years Northern Streams seeks to showcase ‘up and coming’ performers often new to Scottish audiences, offering opportunities to learn about different cultures around the North Sea through a mixed programme of events.
The Northern Streams festival is organised on a voluntary basis by the Edinburgh & Lothians Branch of the Traditional Music & Song Association of Scotland (TMSA) and is part of the TMSA’s 60th anniversary celebrations this year.
The Branch acknowledges support from the National Lottery through Creative Scotland in Traditional Arts & Culture Fund (TACF) administered by TRACS.
The Festival Programme is:
Friday 17 April
A meeting of Celtic & Nordic music – Evening Concert 2026, 7.00-9.30pm
Featuring:
Christine Kammerer (Song & Lyre) – Denmark
The Musical Meeting between Celtic and Nordic Cultures; Ancient and Modern Kammerer takes you on a journey where Nordic and Celtic tonalities weave together. With roots drawing back to early meetings between Scotland and Scandinavia, Kammerer demonstrates the shared musical landscape through both ancient sounds and songs and modern original compositions.
Cuan a Tuath – Kristina Leesik (fiddle/Song) & Séamus Ó’Baoighill (Fiddle/Pipes) with Chris Amer (Guitar) – Sweden/Scotland
Glasgow based band drawing influence from the Nordic and Scottish traditional styles, mixing old Swedish songs & polskas, with Highland Strathspeys and Reels. Winners of a Danny Kyle award at Celtic Connections 2025.
Saturday 18 April
Workshops:
10.30am – 11.30am
Pirates, stories and songs of the high seas – Family Workshop with Joss Cameron
Join Joss for a sea-faring workshop with hands on experience that brings maritime history & songs to life. With her expertise in maritime history, sea shanties and storytelling, this immersive experience welcomes all sailors and explorers to join in!
Please note children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian and up to 3 children per adult in a group.
12.00pm – 1.30pm
Highland fiddle & pipe tunes with Séamus Ó’Baoighill from Cuan a Tuath
From the Isle of Skye, Séamus has been playing Scottish Traditional Music from a young age on fiddle and pipes and was the youngest member to have entered Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd by age 11. He furthered his music at Queens University Belfast and most recently completed his masters degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He was a finalist in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2015 award. He will share some of his favourite tunes in this workshop.
12.00pm – 1.30pm
Swedish Songs with Kristina Leesik from Cuan a Tuath
Kristina completed her studies in Swedish traditional music at The Royal College of Music in Stockholm 2020. She achieved the prestigious silver badge Zornmärket and earned the title of Riksspelman, master of Swedish traditional music. She then completed a masters degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2023 and plays in a number of different groupings including Cuan a Tuath who are performing in the festival. In this workshop you will explore a variety of songs from Kristina’s Swedish repertoire.
2.00 – 3.30pm
Finnish Songs with Outi Karhu & Glasgow’n Laulu Finnish Women’s Choir
Outi Karhu is a Finnish singer and pianist, whose restless feet and a curious heart led her to Scotland. Hopping between styles and genre, her songs relay stories of sisterhood and freedom intermingling with fables and fairytales, and her debut album, Let the Light In, was released in late 2025. She leads the Glasgow’n Laulu Finnish Women’s Choir – some of its members are expected to be assisting with learning songs and related harmonies.
Outi describes the workshop content as “we will be using our voices to connect with each other and the world, and exploring Finnish singing style, song and harmony utilising fun vocal exercises and the call and response format”.
2.00 – 3.30pm
Swedish Tunes with Kristina Leesik from Cuan a Tuath
Kristina completed her studies in Swedish traditional music at The Royal College of Music in Stockholm 2020. She achieved the prestigious silver badge Zornmärket and earned the title of Riksspelman, master of Swedish traditional music. She then completed a masters degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2023 and plays in a number of different groupings including Cuan a Tuath who are performing in the festival.
In this workshop you’ll be learning tunes from Kristina’s repertoire, with focus on Swedish fiddle techniques and groove.
3.45-5.15pm
Concert Lecture/Workshop: A shared soundscape of an ancient Celtic world - where Celtic and Nordic music meet with Christine Kammerer
Which melodies once flowed through the landscapes when the Celts inhabited Europe? And how have these ancient tonalities inspired the landscape of both Nordic and Celtic folk today?
Step into music history as Christine Kammerer from the historical band Jotunger invites you on a sensory journey through the Celtic musical heritage. As a specialist in historical music and ancient instruments, Kammerer offers insight into the ancient roots of Celtic music and culture, through known folk songs and original compositions.
Using her voice and lyre, she brings history to life within a soundscape where Nordic and Celtic Music meet, in the process articulating the deep connections between Nordic and Celtic Music, rooted Europe’s oldest musical traditions. Includes a small element of audience interaction.
Songs, Tunes & Dance Evening Concert & Ceilidh
7.00-10.30pm
The Concert features a first part in the Theatre with:
Outi Karhu & Glasgow’n Laulu Finnish Women’s Choir – Finland/Scotland
Outi Karhu is a Finnish singer and pianist, whose restless feet and a curious heart led her to Scotland. Hopping between styles and genre, her songs relay stories of sisterhood and freedom intermingling with fables and fairytales, and her debut album, Let the Light In, was released in late 2025. She leads the Glasgow’n Laulu Finnish Women’s Choir who will also perform at the concert with her.
And a longer second part with a Ceilidh in the Storytelling Court with Joss Cameron & Amy Dudley (Song & Piano) leading on songs and Kristina Leesik & Séamus Ó’Baoighill from Cuan a Tuath playing for dances being ‘called’/taught from Scotland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
Sunday 19 April
Open Music & Song Session 2.00 - 5.00pm – Storytelling Court Free entry
Round off the festival by playing, singing, maybe dancing or simply enjoying great music made together. Free entry *!
(*NB: If venue capacity is reached we may have to restrict entry. Donations are welcome to help cover the room hire costs)
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