Shona Mooney

Shona Mooney won the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician in 2006. Since then, she has appeared at international festivals such as Tønder (Denmark), and toured with the Scottish Folk orchestra 'The Unusual Suspects'. She has also recorded two albums (Heartsease and Sensing the Park).

‘Heartsease (viola tricolour)’ was released on Footstompin’ Records in 2006. It combines the traditional Borders style with components of a contemporary style, and has established itself to be very unique.[2] The piece has received feedback from a range of critics. Songlines magazine regarded it as ‘Top of the World’ (editor’s choice). As well as this, it has received 5-star reviews in The Herald and multiple broadcasts on BBC’s Late Junction.[3]

“From solo fiddle to full band, the fiddle dances and sings through beds of flowers to end in an astonishing collaged séance with past Borders fiddle masters in a hymn to her homeland." — Norman Chalmers, Scotland on Sunday

Shona began playing in O’er the Border with her parents Barbara and Gordon Mooney, bowing a small fiddle bought for her in a junk shop in Peebles.[4] During a peripatetic childhood moving between Newstead, Newtown, Westruther, Maxton, Eildon and Lauder in the Borders, she studied classical violin. She also studied traditional fiddle styles with violinist Lucy Cowan before joining the musical scene at Kelso High School.[1]

In 2001, aged 17, Shona enrolled upon Newcastle upon Tyne’s newly founded course in Folk and Traditional Music. Here she continued researching music of the Scottish Borders, stemming from her father’s contribution to the world of Borders piping. Along the way she had tuition from fiddlers - Catriona MacDonald, Chris Wood and Aidan O'Rourke – who supported her to blend the style of the Borders fiddle with more contemporary influences.[4]

She graduated with first class honours and began by recording albums with her friends, including Crosscurrent’s ‘Momentum’ and Border Young Fiddle’s self-titled debut and went on to perform and teach at major events including Cambridge, Warwick, Dranouter Folk festivals and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.[4] She performed alongside Capercaillie's Donald Shaw and Karen Matheson at the BBC Proms in the Park and appeared on Howard Goodall's How Music Works for Channel 4.[1][5]

• Official website