In this practical, interactive workshop aspiring songwriters will have the opportunity to work with composer Gareth Williams and singer Cameron Nixon to create brand-new songs of their own. Gareth and Cameron will guide participants through the session, and share ideas and tips about the songwriting process.

This is a companion event to Songs from the Last Page (Wednesday evening, The Blue Lamp). The workshop will focus on exploring how we make songs from our own stories and the stories we read. Participants will be asked to use one favourite book, and their imagination for this session. No prior songwriting experience is necessary but participants are encouraged to bring along their instrument or singing voice!

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Gareth Williams is a Scotland-based composer and songwriter. He has worked with The National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Opera, and Tapestry Opera on productions including The 306 Trilogy (created with Oliver Emanuel), Elephant Angel (with libretto by Bernard MacLaverty), and Rocking Horse Winner (with libretto by Anna Chatterton). His recent collaborators include fiddler Chris Stout, Scottish indie-folk band Admiral Fallow, and Johnny McKnight. Williams is currently working alongside Glaswegian writer Martin O’ Connor on Breath Cycle II – a sequel to his opera Breath Cycle, which was nominated for a Royal Philharmonic Award in 2015.

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Cameron Nixon is a Scots Singer and Fiddle Player from Aberdeen. As part of the National Youth Choir of Scotland, he performed in the UK and internationally. An accomplished fiddle player, Cameron currently performs with the North East Folk Collective and new band, Harbour Road. He has previously toured with Iona Fyfe and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. In 2020, Nixon was a finalist for BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year. Nixon graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2020, and currently hosts his own radio show on Celtic Music Radio on Monday evenings.

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This event is sponsored by Chamber Music Scotland and SC&T Youth.