On me... Iain is in constant demand as a performer, teacher & workshop leader. He grew up surrounded by music and now tours regularly throughout Scotland and North America with a large repertoire that ranges from older 18th century tunes to new compositions inspired by his family and surroundings in his adopted home in the Scottish Borders. His particular interests include exploring the great rhythmic & emotional capabilities of the fiddle as well as the relationship of the fiddler with dance & older styles of fiddle music. He has earned a reputation as a soloist with a large repertoire of fine Scottish tunes & is actively involved in promoting the learning & preservation of traditional music. Formerly Principle fiddle tutor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama in Glasgow, Iain was until recently manager of Instrumental Music in Scottish Borders schools. Touchwood album This collection of fiddle music from Scotland in the 18th and 19th Centuries was recorded live in a very new 21st Century village hall close to where I live in the Scottish Borders. The idea of fiddle and cello playing together is not new, having been at one time the most popular line up for dances and balls throughout the country. Notable past pairings on fiddle and cello have included Niel and Donald Gow & Peter Milne and a young James Scott Skinner. The cello parts on this album are not the same as the bass parts you might find on some of the older collections of printed music but have been newly invented as part of the creative process. reviews: "Iain Fraser performs Scottish fiddle music from the 18th and 19th centuries—from slow airs to jaunty jigs—as Christine Hanson contributes freshly composed cello parts (not based on the original bass parts). The result is a refreshing mix of the traditional and the modern. The set culminates in a monster eight-tune medley performed in a Cape Breton style and inspired by the fabled Buddy MacMaster, uncle of fiddler Natalie MacMaster." Strings Magazine. "Subtitled 'Scottish fiddle music from the 18th & 19th Century', but forget the twiddly-dee twee image of drawing room and ballroom fiddle politesse; this is an album of sultry strathspeys, throbbing cello and calculated flashes of silk stockings! Supreme musicianship, perfect clarity, and inspired creativity make this one of the best Scottish fiddle CDs ever, and certainly the sexiest country dance music for a couple of centuries! Fiddle, cello, and sensuality!" Music In Scotland.