Arts & Culture
7 March, 2026
Fiddlers Tent the place to be for Scottish music and song
The Fiddlers Tent will be the place to be at this year’s Bundanoon Highland Gathering (Brigadoon) for Scottish music and song.
The Fiddlers Tent will be the place to be at this year’s Bundanoon Highland Gathering (Brigadoon) for Scottish music and song.
Organisers have announced the performing acts for this year’s Fiddlers Tent and Scottish music fans won’t be disappointed.
Stringfiddle members Bob McInnes (fiddle) and Jane Ellis (piano) will once again accompany the Scottish country dance display on the oval and perform in the Fiddlers Tent.
For over 300 years, the fiddle has been central to Scotland’s music, from parlours to kirk halls. Bob and Jane bring this rich tradition to life.
Their repertoire includes selections from the great Scottish Fiddle Tradition – airs to tug at the heartstrings, snappy strathspeys, lilting jigs, and driving reels.
Bob and Jane have performed at prominent folk festivals including those in Kangaroo Valley and Cobargo and will form the core of the Fiddlers Tent, where they will be joined by friends from the Southern Highlands and beyond.
Sydney Scottish Fiddlers are an all-inclusive community group, playing fiddles of all sizes (violin, viola, and cello), flute, whistle, and keyboards.
For over 25 years, Sydney Scottish Fiddlers have been sharing tunes with each other, with listeners, and with dancers.
They perform toe-tapping jigs and reels, sporran-shaking strathspeys, waltzes, and tear-jerking slow airs. Their repertoire also connects with the long history of Scottish music and includes standard and lesser-known tunes from ancient to modern times.
They also showcase local tunes by Sydney composers, including those by group members. They love sharing this music with audiences, who delight in the vibrant energy of Scottish tunes played by a dedicated group of amateurs.
Sally Andrews is a singer and piano accordion player from Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. She learned classical piano from a young age, and grew up playing the organ at Ebenezer Uniting Church – the oldest church in Australia, located on the banks of the Hawkesbury River.
She was given an accordion at the age of 14 and has never looked back at classical piano since. She has played in sessions all over the world, from King O’Malleys in Canberra, to McGintys in Cairns, O’Donoghues in Dublin and Slainte in New York.
She will be singing Scottish ballads that provide snapshots of life across several centuries of religious, political and military.
Challis Singers is a mixed-voice community choir based in Turramurra, Sydney, led by conductor Isabel Palethorpe.
The choir delights in exploring a variety of musical genres, from rock and pop to jazz, gospel, madrigals, and contemporary classical music. But Scottish music holds a special place in their hearts!
Challis Singers perform at numerous community events each year, as well as their own annual concert.
Demesne is a Sydney-based vocal duo featuring soprano Lisa Stewart and tenor Michael Handy, who bring years of experience in musicals and opera.
Michael, specialising in baroque and early romantic music, has performed in productions like The Scarlet Pimpernel, Die Fledermaus, and Handel’s Messiah. Lisa has played roles in Don Giovanni, King Lear, Die Fledermaus, and more, alongside her work as a piano teacher
In the Fiddlers Tent, they’ll perform solos and duets of traditional Scottish music, including pieces from Allan Ramsay’s The Gentle Shepherd, which they plan to stage in full later this year.
Haggis Tamers (Folk Band) Drawn together by a shared love of music and all things Scottish, the Haggis Tamers comprise Phil O’Connor (bodhran/vocalist), Leanne Ruggero (violin/vocalist), Chris Lupton (guitar), John Hogan (vocalist) and Mel Hogan (vocalist).
The Haggis Tamers have performed a variety of Robert Burns and Burns-inspired songs, along with other Scottish favourites, at Burns Suppers in Sydney for the past two years. The group is looking forward to its Bundanoon Highland Gathering debut, where they’ll entertain audiences in the Fiddlers Tent with rousing renditions of The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie, Jacobites by Name, The Flower of Scotland, and other Burns and Scottish favourites.
The Bundanoon Highland Gathering (Brigadoon) will be held on Saturday, April 18 and is expected to attract as many as 12,000 people.
Tickets for this year’s event are available online at ticketbo but will also be available at the gate.
Read More: Bundanoon, Southern Highlands