The obituary notice of Yla Lesley STEVEN

It's hard to know where to start summing up Yla's contribution to Scottish Fiddle music. I first remember her when I was 8 as a teacher at Corstorphine primary. She was a constant presence through the Edinburgh Secondary School orchestras with the legendary Dr Colin O'Riordan. At Craigmount High School she formed a fiddle group and took groups of us to competitions around Scotland, my first being in Kinross. The picture is of that group. That was followed by many trips to Banchory and Kirriemuir. Those trips were an education in growing up - we were shepherded yes, but allowed to experience a much broader social scene than in school. In 1980 she invited us to join the newly formed Scottish Fiddle Orchestra and wer introduced to the great John Mason. The SFO would charter a train down to London for the annual concert at the Albert Hall - that was some craic! I remember well the 40th anniversary concert of Craigmount High School she organized in 2010 in the Usher Hall with over 100 fiddlers on stage including many former pupils. When she took over as conductor of the Edinburgh Highland Reel and Strathspey Society it went from strength to strength and I was grateful to have been able to record their latest CD from their 2025 concert in Blackford. Her contribution to Scottish music was acknowledged with her 2015 British Empire Medal. So many memories, such an untimely loss to the community.