About us

Formed in 1998 to nurture traditional accordion and fiddle playing in the county, the Orkney Traditional Music Project has tutored well over 1,000 students in its weekly classes.

Conceived by the three music playing societies in Orkney at the time – the Orkney Strathspey and Reel Society, the West Mainland Strathspey and Reel Society, and the Orkney Accordion and Fiddle Club - the project has helped to nurture many fine fiddlers and accomplished accordionists over the last 20 years. A number of former OTMP players have since gone on to become professional musicians – further enhancing the reach and audience of Orkney’s traditional music styles. Such is the project's fine work, OTMP was named Community Project of the Year at the 2010 Scots Trad Music Awards.

There has been a long tradition of such music in Orkney, but the gift of playing was mainly handed down within families, without sight-reading of the music, but passed from generation to generation. The more formalised set-up of regular Saturday mornings under experienced players has enabled young (and older) Orcadians to learn the basics of reading music and playing their instruments, and thus contributing to the vast reservoir of musical talent apparent in these islands.

Currently, about 70 children and a few adults benefit from weekly tuition for 30 weeks of the year. OTMP will be delighted to welcome anyone with an interest in music to take part in our classes, so please get in touch if you are interested.

Please take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions for any additional information you may require.

Help to Support the Orkney Traditional Music Project

We are registered with the Easy Fundraising website, where you shop online, and we get a donation at no extra cost to you. Click on the link to get started and help us raise funds

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Of course! However, we only have one intake of new beginners at the end of August and start of September each year.

  • Absolutely! We welcome all abilities, there is a class to suit all.

  • No problem at all. However, we don't run adult only classes so you will be in the same class as the children.

  • Unfortunately, not in the middle of a term. We have enrolment days when you can sign up for classes. These are usually on the last Saturday of a term and the first Saturday of the next term.  The only exception to this is for the term starting in September, whereby enrolment days are the two Saturdays before the term starts, however this will be advertised in the Orcadian and BBC Radio Orkney.

  • Classes are on a Saturday morning between 10am - 1pm in the Kirkwall Community Centre. Classes are normally an hour long and are split by ability.  We also run a half hour beginner accordion class. The class time will be advised by the Musical Director at the enrolment days.

  • At the enrolment days, we ask for a fee to cover all the classes in the 10 week term.  This is currently £40 per child and £60 per adult. Beginner accordion classes for children are half an hour therefore the fee is £20 per child.

  • Fiddle players will need to come to classes with their own instrument, as we do not have enough to loan out.

    For accordion players, we have some accordions available to loan. You will be given free use of the accordion for a 2-year period, after which time you will be allowed to use the accordion, however it must be given back when asked by a tutor or committee member for any new beginner.  If it is not required by a new beginner, you may be asked to pay a nominal fee for continued use of the accordion.

  • Not really.  Our terms are in 10 week blocks and are structured as follows:

    Term 1 - September to November (no classes during October holidays)
    Term 2 - January to March (no class during February mid-term break)
    Term 3 - April to June (no class on Saturdays during Folk Festival or St Magnus Festival)

  • For all performances, we ask players to wear black trousers/skirt/leggings and an OTMP royal blue t-shirt.  We have some t-shirts available that have been returned by former students, alternatively they can be purchased from Logo Orkney, Kirkwall and Leviathan International, Stromness.

  • Every Saturday in May and June, we have a concert in St Magnus Cathedral between 1-2pm.  The concerts will be divided up between all the classes so not everyone will be asked to perform each week, however these dates will be emailed to parents in good time.

    The only exception to this is Folk Festival Saturday, when all classes will take part.

    On the Saturday of the St Magnus Festival, there is no Cathedral concert or classes but there will be a coffee morning concert instead. Details of this will be emailed nearer the time.

  • Not at all, anyone can attend the Summer School! Details will be advertised nearer the time on how to enrol etc.

  • Absolutely! We are a registered charity so rely on donations from the public as well as the income from term fees. We have a week in the Blue Door Charity Shop each year and are always looking for volunteers to help out during the week.

    We are registered with EasyFundraising, where you can sign up and then raise money by shopping online... at no extra cost to you! Click here for details.

    If you would like to do your own fundraising event for the OTMP, that's great too!

  • Please get in touch using the Contact page.

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