Musician - Ethnomusicologist
“She makes the concertina talk and sing.” Living Tradition Magazine
Frances is a leading exponent of the English concertina
Frances took up the instrument while immersed in the rich musical culture of Shetland in the 1990s and within a year she was touring professionally and playing regularly with some of Shetland’s greatest fiddle players. She now lives on the Isle of Skye and is a Senior Lecturer at The University of Aberdeen, giving performances and talks across the North of Scotland. Through her work both as a musician and ethnomusicologist she has worked with a number of traditional musicians and regularly delves into the archives to find fresh material to perform.
as an ethnomusicologist Her research has led to international recognition
As Senior Lecturer in Ethnomusicology at the Elphinstone Institute (University of Aberdeen), Frances’ research focuses on Scottish and Canadian musical traditions. She has worked on research projects in Scotland, Canada and Germany, with a particular focus on sacred and spiritual singing, and fiddle and dance traditions. She teaches on the MLitt in Ethnology and Folklore and supervises PhD students in Ethnomusicology and Folklore. She has written numerous articles and book chapters on her research. Her first book, on North-East Scottish gospel singing, was published in 2018. She gives public lectures and has presented papers at various academic conferences, including of the British Forum for Ethnomusicology, European Seminar in Ethnomusicology, and the International Council for Traditional Music.
