A Scottish Country Dance Weekend Workshop, March 31-April 2, 2006
On the Grounds of the National Cathedral School, Washington, DC
Musicians
- Welcome Dance: Hanneke Cassel and Dave Wiesler
- The Capital Ball: Thistle House - Dave Wiesler, David Knight & Dan Emery, with special guest Hanneke Cassel
Thistle House
Thistle House is a Scottish dance band rewired for high voltage. Consisting of David Knight on fiddle, Dave Wiesler on piano, and Dan Emery on highland pipes, small pipes, and wooden flute, Thistle House is guaranteed to pump adrenaline into the most tired feet -- especially when the pipes start up! All three musicians are avid and accomplished Scottish country dancers as well as nationally recognized musicians, and this guarantees that the music they make will always be danceable and exciting.
Hanneke Cassel on fiddle joins Thistle House at the 2006 Capital Ball, as a special guest.
| http://www.azaleacityrecordings.com/davewiesler/bands.htm#thistle | Top |
Hanneke Cassel is the 1997 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, and holds a
Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the Berklee College of Music. She has performed and taught across the U.S.,
Scotland, Sweden, and Austria. Native of Port Orford, Oregon, Hanneke started playing classical violin when she was 8 years
old. She later earned a scholarship to study on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, with the renowned Scottish fiddler Alasdair
Fraser and Cape Breton master Buddy MacMaster.
| http://www.hannekecassel.com/ | Top |
Dan Emery has been playing bagpipes for 26 years. He is a frequent performer at
Pinewoods and Scottish weekend. He is the current Pipe Major of the Cameron Highlanders Pipe Band in the Philadelphia area.
Dan also plays the wooden flute, Scottish small pipes, and has been know to torture a fiddle every now and then.
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David Knight has been instigating dance up and down the East Coast and
beyond since 1991, primarily in the Scottish, American, English, and Irish dance traditions. He also veers regularly into
composition, performance, and recording. He doesn't remember how long he has played with Thistle House, but wishes it
were longer.
| http://music.davidknight.us/ | Top |
Dave Wiesler has a national reputation for his rhythmic and innovative piano playing. His concerts include several major venues, including the Kennedy Center, and the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Dave has played at festivals and camps across the country as well as in Canada, Scotland, and England. He is a prolific composer of tunes and songs.
| http://www.azaleacityrecordings.com/davewiesler/ | Top |
Contact: Jenn Mayrovitz, (410) 381-3948, jmayrovitz@verizon.net or Ralph Stoddard, (301) 589-4257, stoddardsawin@hotmail.com
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Last updated:
February 13, 2009
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