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The accompaniment program for guitar, keyboard, and other chordal instruments at Winter School 2026.
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Winter School is a rare opportunity to learn from some of the best players and the most creative instructors of Celtic music, while spending time in community with fellow musicians and music appreciators.
Learn MoreLearn MoreWinter School is an opportunity to learn tunes from some of the best players and the most inspiring instructors of Celtic music, spending time in community with fellow musicians and music appreciators, and just have fun!
The accompaniment program is open to all instruments who play chords and is run concurrently with the smallpipes and fiddle programs, giving players of all instruments a chance to learn from each other and to play together.
Students are responsible for bringing their own instruments. Keyboardy-instrument-playing attendees will join together to create one class, and strummy/plucky-instrument-playing attendees will break into two classes. If you aren’t sure if you or your instrument fit into these categories, please contact Cayley@CelticArts.org
Students arrive on Saturday morning, February 7th. The schedule will include group classes each day, sessions, evening ceilidhs, and a few fun extras. Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn pipe tunes direct from our piping instructors, attend the instructor concert, have the option to be part of our no-stress participant performance night, and more! Classes end on Wednesday, February 11th at noon. Students may choose to purchase a ticket to the Masters of Scottish Arts concert in Edmonds on Friday, February 6th.
Prices for the Accompaniment Program include tuition, housing, and meals:
T.B.A.
Registration opens on August 25th. Cancellations made before December 31st, 2025 will receive a full refund minus a $35 administrative fee. Cancellations made between January 1st, 2026 and January 20th, 2026 will receive a 50% refund of the payments made, minus a $35 administrative fee. Cancellations made after January 20th, 2026 cannot be refunded.
Ross is a founding member of Gaelic supergroup, Daimh, based in the Scottish Highlands. Beyond Daimh’s busy schedule, Ross has chalked up recording and touring credits with artists such as Julie Fowlis, Bonnie Prince Billy, Muireann Nic Aomhlaoibh, Karan Casey, Finlay MacDonald and the inimitable Vallely brothers from Armagh. Time at home is spent heavily involved in teaching the joys of traditional Scottish music to young people in the area through the Feisean movement and volunteering with the local Coastguard Search and Rescue team.
Jenn Butterworth is one of the most notable folk guitarists in the UK acoustic music scene. In recent years she was awarded ‘Musician of the Year’ from the Scots Trad Music Awards, and was nominated for the same title in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. An excellent collaborator, she works with a range of high profile folk music projects, including Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton’s SYMBIOSIS, award winning folk powerhouses Kinnaris Quintet, Treacherous Orchestra and Fiddlers’ Bid, supergroup ‘Songs of Separation’ involving an array of prominent folk artists including Eliza Carthy, Lady Maisery and Karine Polwart. The Songs of Separation album, conceived, arranged and recorded in just 7 days, won the title of ‘Best Album’ at the Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2017. She is also well known for her duo work, and regularly performs with Kinnaris Quintet rhythm section partner Laura-Beth Salter, and virtuosic harmonica player Will Pound.
