After four decades at the heart of the Bay Area’s musical community, renowned fiddler Alasdair Fraser is preparing for his final bow as the director of the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers.
This spring, Fraser and his musical community of more than 65 musicians will bring their exhilarating show “Stravaig”—a Scots word meaning “to wander, digress and stray beyond limits”—to the North Bay.
Performances take place at the Angelico Concert Hall at Dominican College in San Rafael on Saturday, April 26, and at Sonoma Country Day School’s Jackson Theater in Santa Rosa on Sunday, April 27. As Fraser puts it, audiences will witness not just a concert, but “an unruly mob of rabble-rousing, musical adventurers.”
It’s hard to imagine a more fitting description for the ensemble that Fraser founded in 1986. From humble beginnings as a casual monthly gathering of fiddlers in Fraser’s own home, the group has grown into an inclusive community of 200 musicians who meet regularly to learn and play Scottish tunes and other Celtic traditions. Over the years, their repertoire has expanded to embrace the music of Brittany, Galicia, Scandinavia and North America.
Now, approaching 40 years at the helm, Fraser reflects warmly on this milestone: “You do something you love, and you don’t really notice the time as it goes by,” he says. “It’s become a way of life, really. I feel very fortunate to have been able to include music and community and my own family in that way, in the pursuit of using music to bring people together and learn a lot in the process.”
Indeed, Fraser’s efforts have resonated deeply, as evidenced by the nearly 100,000 monthly listeners who currently stream his music on platforms like Spotify. Yet, despite his worldwide acclaim, he still marvels at music’s ability to unite.
“I live in awe at the power of music, and I think I probably wouldn’t have said that 40 years ago,” he says thoughtfully. “In the beginning, I played the fiddle—what a wonderful thing; let’s play some tunes. It’s amazing how quickly you can go from ‘Hey, let’s play some tunes’ to ‘Oh my gosh, we’re digging deeply into a tradition here.’ We’re meeting the ancestors. We’re using a force that can gather people, which is a mighty thing.”
For Fraser, music has become something essential, an integral part of life itself. “Music is not trivial,” he says firmly. “Certainly for me, it wasn’t an add-on. It wasn’t like music is something you do when you finish your job or when you go home. It’s more like it’s part of our DNA.”
This profound respect for music’s emotional and communal power forms the heart of Fraser’s leadership with the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers. Each year, after months of preparation, their annual concert series showcases both seasoned virtuosos and enthusiastic amateurs side by side. Fraser explains that the diverse range of experience actually strengthens the ensemble’s performance.
“That was something else that I have gained insight on through the years,” Fraser says. “I feel like when we gather the village—the musical village—the village does better when it has different levels present because you can set up what I call nurturing loops within the village. You have great players—I’m talking some of the best in the country, representatives of their tradition, ambassadors of the tradition—and they’re mixing it in with people who are new to it, younger kids.
“And you get this nurturing loop where the learners love to be with the people that are their heroes. The heroes, the veteran players, love to see the lights turn on, get these bright-eyed responses from people who want to do what they’re doing,” he continues.
This year, the ensemble includes standouts such as acclaimed cellist and educator Renata Bratt, a versatile musician who has toured with alternative rockers and classical ensembles alike, and Caroline McCaskey, a multi-instrumentalist and 2019 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion.
Vocalist and fiddler Rob Godfrey, whose soulful Gaelic singing has become a beloved highlight, joins Janette Duncan and Pate Thomson—two founding members who have shaped the ensemble from the start. Duncan, a cherished fiddler and educator in Sonoma County, has played an integral role in the ensemble for decades.
Fraser views traditional Scottish music as part of a continuum, something handed down and ever evolving. “That is part of the deal with traditional music,” he says. “It does have this depth, and you can go back and choose a point of music. You can say, ‘I’m going to play this the way they might have played in 1846 or 1760.’
“But what’s also beautiful is kids today get smitten by it, and they go, ‘Man, I need this in my life right now.’ I’m going to take these tunes from 1700 and push them around a bit, reshape them, reinvigorate them with what’s on my mind now. And the music comes alive,” he adds.
As Fraser prepares to pass the baton, he emphasizes that the annual spring concerts are not simply performances—they are invitations.
“What we do in these concerts is not so much to say, ‘Hey, this is a class you get to come to and watch us enjoying ourselves.’ Instead, we get to say, ‘Hey, look at what we’re doing here as a community. You could be part of this. You could pick up your fiddle that your grandfather left lying around, or your old flute in the garage, or the cello that no one’s been using, and you can dust it off and come join us,’” he notes.
In a fitting tribute to his legacy, Fraser and the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers invite the community to experience the transformative power of traditional music and to be inspired to make their own melodies. The spring concert series promises, as Fraser puts it, a “grand ceilidh, where you can tap your toes, dance in your seat and share in the joy.” It’s a farewell concert series to remember, and an open-hearted invitation to keep the musical journey alive.
Stravaig Spring Concert Series commences locally at 7pm, Saturday, April 26, at Angelico Concert Hall, Dominican College, 20 Olive Ave., San Rafael, and at 3pm, Sunday, April 27, at Jackson Theater, Sonoma Country Day School, 4400 Day School Pl., Santa Rosa. Tickets $32-$35; kids under 12 free with an adult. Visit sfscottishfiddlers.org for details.
As a long-time member of SFSF, the music and Alasdair’s leadership are deeply embedded in my soul. This village we have created embraces all who care to drink at the well of mindfulness music – everyone is included; there is no judging, no competition, just a wonderful joy of sharing worldwide music with worldwide people. And it truly works. I am saddened by Alasdair’s departure, yet very inspired by what is yet to come. All are welcome to come and see for yourself and join in however you like.