MORE ABOUT CEILIDHMAKERS

Christine set up Ceilidhmakers with ethnochoreologist Mats Melin, now lecturing at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick, and now, with his blessing, continues the project as songmaker. She can draw on variety of equally highly experienced freelancers to deliver creative projects in schools and community, facilitating songmaking in class and workshop, and with the addition of social and step dance (and storytelling) projects can also deliver on many aspects of the curriculum including health and well being, and numeracy, and enabling children to be confident individuals, effective contributors, respectable citizens and successful learners.

Biography
Christine Kydd is one of Scotland's most highly- respected singers and workshop leaders in Scots song. In concert she has performed and recorded, over the last twenty years, with some of Scotland’s finest musicians. She has featured on TV, radio and at numerous festivals in the UK, in Europe and in North America, and Russia, as both teacher and performer.  Her work in schools and community consistently forms part of her varied schedule.
 In 1992 she completed a postgraduate teaching course in Voice Studies at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London (ADVS),  accepting a post as Voice Tutor at Guildford School of Acting  in 1992/3. Returning to Scotland, she pursued a performing and teaching career until 1999/2000 when she moved to the rural North East as Traditional Music Resident in Aberdeenshire and for 2000 and 2001 was Music Development Officer for Sound Tracks!, a community- based project on music making in traditions and technology for Scottish Arts Council National Lottery, and Stirling Council. This was followed by a two -year Cultural Co-ordinator Post (also funded by Scottish Arts Council) for Traditional Arts, in The Mearns Academy Cluster in 2004- 2006, and as team member and  Scots Song Tutor at Scotland’s Centre for Excellence in Traditional Music, 2001- 2010.  

Community Choirs
Christine is highly experienced in working with most age groups, and in intergenerational projects, forming community based adult singing groups with a focus on Scots song and Culture. Community choirs JustSingin and Burns Quoir are projects she has initiated and developed with community members as Musical Director and arranger She has extensive experience of working in community settings towards performance and celebration.

Current Projects
At present Christine works as freelance singer, solo, in vocal duo Sinsheen and in instrumental and duo, Kydd Wilkins.. She also works as workshop leader in Scots Song, voice and singing. The recent CD release "LIFT" in duo Sinsheen has received critical acclaim, and features Michael Marra as musician and producer.

Christine is currently completing an M.Litt in Ethnology and Folklore at the University of Aberdeen's Elphinstone Institute. She came across the subject of her dissertation, The Boy's Ploughing Match and Festival of the Horse, while songmaking with the children and teachers of Hope Primary School in South Ronaldsay, Orkney, exploring the unique qualities of the locale.

"A musician who brings warmth and style to her work and a unique ability to communicate instantly with an audience or workshop group"
Aberdeen Alternative Festival

"Ceilidh - 'kelI - orig an informal social gathering among neighbours, with or without singing, playing instruments, story-telling etc., spontaneously performed by some or all of those present; a visit, chat, gossip"
The Concise Scots Dictionary