Esther Swift - Scottish Harpist and Singer

Workshop-

As part of my solo tour this October, I’ll be hosting workshops to celebrate the launch of a new tune book I’ve created, featuring the main folk tunes from my latest album Expectations of a Lifetime—plus a few extra surprises.  Each one is accompanied by arrangement ideas and personal reflections on how the music came to life, all rooted in my Scottish traditional background.

During the workshop, I’ll be teaching a selection of these tunes and offering a window into my creative process—how the tunes took shape and how you might interpret them in your own way. The session is open to all melody-playing instruments. No prior experience with Scottish folk music is needed, though I will be teaching mainly by ear. Players of all abilities are welcome, but please note that we won’t be covering instrumental technique, so a basic ability to get around your instrument will be helpful.

About
Scottish harpist and singer Esther Swift explores ritual, connection, isolation, and the natural world in her internationally performed intimate solo show.  She will play songs from her new EP Moon Dream, along with poems that she has been commissioned to turn into music, including works by Carol Ann Duffy, Edwin Morgan, Rachel McCrum and Jackie Kay.


A prolific, boldly innovative harpist, composer and singer, Esther works across genres as diverse as jazz, classical, chamber music and free improvisation, whilst always interweaving her Scottish folk roots.


She has travelled to Vietnam, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Mongolia, and beyond with her music, and shared international, music lead collaborations with musicians and other artists around the world.  

 
Her performance features recent commissions by Celtic Connections, Chamber Music Scotland, Manchester Jazz festival and The Edwin Morgan Trust and has been toured around the world.


Esther's debut solo studio album, Expectations of a Lifetime, was released in June 2024.