Meet the range of talented performers gracing the Fiddler’s Tent at Bundanoon Highland Gathering 2026!
Fiddlers Tent
Stringfiddle
For over 300 years, the fiddle has been central to Scotland’s music, from parlours to kirk halls. Bob McInnes (fiddle) and Jane Ellis (piano) bring this rich tradition to life, accompanying the Scottish Country Dance display on the oval and performing in the Fiddlers Tent.
With a repertoire of soulful airs, snappy strathspeys, lilting jigs, and driving reels, they’ve delighted audiences at folk festivals like Cobargo and Kangaroo Valley. Joined by friends from the Southern Highlands and beyond, their music is a must-hear highlight of the Gathering.
Sally Andrews
Sally Andrews is a singer and piano accordion player from Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales. She learned classical piano from a young age, and grew up playing the organ at Ebenezer Uniting Church – the oldest church in Australia, located on the banks of the Hawkesbury River.
She was given an accordion at the age of 14 and has never looked back at classical piano since. She has played in sessions all over the world, from King O’Malleys in Canberra, to McGintys in Cairns, O’Donoghues in Dublin, and Slainte in New York.
She will be singing Scottish ballads that provide snapshots of life across several centuries of religious, political and military change. The accordion she has brought today is a Hohner made around 1965.
Scottish Sydney Fiddlers
Sydney Scottish Fiddlers is an all-inclusive community group that plays a variety of instruments, including violin, viola, cello, flute, whistle, and keyboards.
For over 25 years, they’ve been sharing lively jigs, reels, strathspeys, waltzes, and slow airs, along with both traditional and lesser-known Scottish tunes. Their repertoire includes local compositions by Sydney-based musicians, showcasing the vibrant energy of Scottish music.
The Challis Singers
Challis Singers is a mixed-voice community choir based in Turramurra, Sydney, led by conductor Isabel Palethorpe. The choir delights in exploring a variety of musical genres, from rock and pop to jazz, gospel, madrigals, and contemporary classical music. But Scottish music holds a special place in their hearts!
Challis Singers performs at numerous community events each year, as well as their own annual concert.
Demesne
Demesne is a Sydney-based vocal duo featuring soprano Lisa Stewart and tenor Michael Handy, who bring years of experience in musicals and opera. Michael, specialising in baroque and early romantic music, has performed in productions like The Scarlet Pimpernel, Die Fledermaus, and Handel’s Messiah. Lisa has played roles in Don Giovanni, King Lear, Die Fledermaus, and more, alongside her work as a piano teacher.
In the Fiddlers Tent, they’ll perform solos and duets of traditional Scottish music, including pieces from Allan Ramsay’s The Gentle Shepherd, which they plan to stage in full later this year.
The Haggis Tamers
Drawn together by their love for Scottish music, The Haggis Tamers feature Phil O’Connor (bodhran/vocalist), Leanne Ruggero (violin/vocalist), Chris Lupton (guitar), John Hogan (vocalist), and Mel Hogan (vocalist).
The group has been delighting audiences at Burns Suppers in Sydney for the past two years, performing Robert Burns classics and other Scottish favourites. Now, they’re excited to make their Bundanoon Highland Gathering debut!