Fiddle The magazine for Scottish music enthusiasts
The Shetland Festival 2015 The Glenfiddich FIDDLE CHAMPIONSHIP
Tom Hughes Charlie Kirkpatrick takes Centre Stage CLUB REPORTS PLUS CLUB & DANCE DIARIES, REVIEWS, AND MUCH MORE...
39th Year No. 04 Dec 2015
ÂŁ2.70
BOX&
Welcome
B&F • EDITORIAL
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...to the December issue of Box & Fiddle The magazine for Scottish music enthusiasts
Editor • Pia Walker 7 Tarvit Gardens Cupar, Fife, KY15 5BT Tel: 01334 657 850 Mob: 07715 115 489 editor@boxandfiddle.com Designer • Marie Irvine mamidesigns@hotmail.com Section icons by: FlatIcon
Cover Image The Shetland Festival 2015 Photo: ©Dale Smith Photography Printer • Meigle Colour Printers www.meigleprint.co.uk
NAAFC Chairman • Nicol McLaren 9 Sheila Road, Blairgowrie Perthshire, PH10 6RP Tel: 01250 874 526 nicol@boxandfiddle.com Vice Chairman • Iain Cathcart Tel: 01555 661 017 iain@boxandfiddle.com Secretary • Susan MacFadyen Carlung Farm, West Kilbride Ayrshire, KA23 9PU Tel: 01294 823 865 susan@boxandfiddle.com Treasurer • Willie Johnstone treasurer@boxandfiddle.com Executive Committee: Charlie Kirkpatrick David Cunningham Margo Maclennan Richard Ross Tom Orr
Tis the season to be jolly! Tra la la la la …. or Hey Ho, Hey Ho, it’s off to The Trads we go! So many of our supporters have had the honour of being nominated in various categories at the Trad Music Award this year, including this magazine, and I hope you took the opportunity to let your vote for Scottish Dance Music count. We will know the result Pia Walker, Editor on the 5th December. Good luck to all, and here’s to a good night on the night. Like October, November has been busy flying the flag for NAAFC and the Box & Fiddle at various events in Scotland plus, of course, preparing this December magazine for printing too, so we can get it away to the printers and beat the Christmas mail. I’ll start right away on the January issue, as everything shuts early for the festive season and it needs to be at the printers for the middle of the month. So please remember the deadline is the 5th of December for January and that our turnaround is very tight. I got the distinct feeling this month that some of you had forgotten that your reports should be between 250 (with photo) and 300 words without a photo, shorter if you want to and that I love it when the names of tunes and people are correct! You are all in agreement that local players deserve a mention, and therefore it puzzles me that you very seldom take a photo of them or your wonderful helpers (just remember to tell the audience to smile for the photographer!) I know some of the musicians are good looking, but on every page... and mostly in the same uniform? As December is the last month of the year and always a time for reflection, my thoughts go to those of our readers and friends who I have been told are in hospital, going into hospital or just not well, and to the families who have lost loved ones in the previous year. We are so lucky we have our music to cheer us up when we are down. I hope you all will have a wonderful and peaceful Christmas season.
Pia
Keep up with the latest news at
www.boxandfiddle.com Box & Fiddle (NAAFC)
The editorial team reserves the right to refuse or edit all copy. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor. Use of material and advertising from this publication is strictly prohibited without permission in writing from the editor. While every care has been taken in compiling Box & Fiddle to ensure that it is correct at the time of going to press, Box & Fiddle assume no responsibility for any effects from errors or omissions.
Contents
B&F • CONTENTS
Photo: ©Dale Smith Photography
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News Gordon Parrullo’s new cd release; New Zealand’s Barefoot Fiddler; Celebrations; NAAFC Festival 2016
The latest news from our clubs
43 Club Diary
You are never too old to go Clubbing!
10 Letters
Sparkling Wine by Davie Graham
12 The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship
An insite from competitor, Eilidh Anderson
13 Tom Hughes
Written by Peter Shepheard
15 Centre Stage
We talk to Charlie Kirkpatrick
17 The Shetland Festival 2015 Deadlines:
23 Club News
47 Dance Diary
Find the nearest dances and ceilidhs
50 In Memory
Alexander Currie Macintyre
50 Take The Floor
Tune into December’s guest list
51 Reviews
The Accordion; The Very Best of Leonard Brown & His Band; The Dark Island; The Traditional Fiddle Music of the Scottish Borders;
All articles, adverts, club reports and text for the magazine must be e-mailed to the editor by the 5th of every month at the latest. Copy received after this date cannot be guaranteed to feature in the next issue.
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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM
NEWS
News
Send in your story. If you have a photo that tells a story, send it in with an explanation.
Gordon Pattullo’s New CD Release After a Friday night and Saturday of wall-to-wall accordion and fiddle music at the Perth Festival several enthusiasts still wanted more and the icing on the cake was a concert hosted by Gordon Pattullo and his Ceilidh Band at the Red House Hotel in Coupar Angus on the Sunday afternoon of 1st November to launch the release of his latest CD ‘The Accordion’. By my reckoning I make this latest CD Gordon’s 26th album and it’s packed with exciting arrangements of both old and new tunes. The approx. 200 people who were fortunate enough to obtain tickets were eager to be treated to that distinctive Pattullo sound and needless to say were not disappointed. Among the loyal supporters were a contingent of Irish fans, some of them fine box players in their own right, the writer of this short article from the Falkland Islands now living in Yorkshire, still south of the border but a little bit closer, and the well known editor of this magazine. The concert opened with a
lively set of Canadian tunes followed by pipe marches and then Bonnie Strathmore, a slow air from the pen of Gordon. Gremlins in Angela MacEachern’s fiddle mic. were quickly rousted by sound engineer, Stuart Duncan, and he set up a working replacement in plenty of time for her to take the lead in the Four String Polka. More brilliant tunes followed interspersed by a fine delivery of jokes from Gordon and songs and storytelling from the guest Folk and Bothy Ballad Trio ‘Jim, Geordie and Joe’. Lifelong fan of Gordon’s music, Ian Lees, kept the show on the right track with his professional Master of Ceremonies skills. The music and jokes continued before
and after a short comfort break interval. Gordon played his new Fisitalia accordion and the title of the new CD is a fitting tribute to his latest pride and joy. The Band played a great variety of music originating from many countries and some of Gordon’s own compositions including the ever popular Furrows End and a new tune Leaving Craigearn which features on the CD. To finish the concert Gordon played Billy Thom’s Reel, a great tune composed by Jim Johnstone, in memory of his legendary drummer in the band for many years. After 3 hours of fabulous entertainment it was time to bid Gordon, his band members, family, other helpers and fellow revellers farewell and join Joe O’Neill and my other Irish friends for a visit to the accordion and fiddle club night in Arbroath, but that’s another story. In the mean time I’ll sign off with the title of his 5th album released 35 years ago: ‘Here’s Tae A Gordon. Derek Howatt
Haddington Our Accordion Club on 6th December is sadly our last one as Hamish is retiring from the Railway Hotel in January. We’ve had 15 terrific years running the club. Thank you, Audrey
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The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship
I
was asked to take part in the Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship at very short notice (the week before the competition) as one of the 8 fiddlers had pulled out of the competition due to ill health. I was told while on holiday in Menorca and would not be home until 5 days before the competition! I accepted as I have always wanted to take part and it would be a brilliant experience, although very daunting. I was very fortunate to have Gordon Middler from Banchory as my pianist. For the competition I had to play 3 sets: 1) a slow air, march, strathspey and reel, 2) a slow strathspey, hornpipe and jig 3) a set by the composer William Marshall. The championship was held in the ballroom of Blair Castle, a stunning, but scary venue with the portrait of Niel Gow looking down on you. The other competitors were Maggie Adamson, George Davidson, Shona MacFadyen, Jack Westwell, Hannah Dickson
and two Americans, Mari Black and Tim MacDonald. The adjudicators were Maurice Duncan, Paul Anderson and Peter Zanre. The competition was recorded by the BBC, so Robbie Shepherd and his team were there, just to add to the final bit of stress!
The competition started at 2.00pm. and everyone plays for about 15 minutes. I was number two, and very glad I wasn’t last. I managed to play my sets without too many duff notes and was really pleased with how it went. At the end of the competition, whilst the adjudicators came to their decision, all the players had a stramash on stage. Then Peter Zanre announced the winners. 1st place George Davidson, 2nd place Maggie Adamson and 3rd place was Mari Black. They then announced another award, the Charles Gore award for most promising newcomer, and I was thrilled to find out it was me! The Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship is definitely one of the best things I have ever taken part in. Though very stressful, it was also a brilliant experience and I hope to keep working hard and have the chance to do it again. l Eilidh Anderson
B&F • DECEMBER 2015
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Tom Hughes (1908-1986)
T
om was born into a farm-working family near St. Boswells in the Scottish Borders in 1908. The whole family was talented musicians. His grandfather Henry Hughes, father Thomas Hughes and two uncles played together in a family band, two or three fiddles, melodeon and tambourine, for the local events, country weddings, harvest home and hiring fair dances. Like his father and grandfather before him, Tom spent his working life as a ploughman on farms in the Border countryside around Jedburgh. Tom was seven years old when he was presented with his first (half size) fiddle made by his grandfather. By the time he left school in 1921, Tom was playing fiddle with his father, travelling by bicycle to play at all the important rural events in the area around Hawick and Jedburgh. Like many traditional musicians in days gone by, Tom learned his music by ear within the family circle and Tom’s style and many of his tunes were learnt from family tradition. The first time I remember hearing Tom Hughes play the fiddle was in June 1978 at Newcastleton, that gem of a traditional music festival just three miles on the ‘right’ side of the Scottish border. Tom was sitting playing fiddle on a bench in the cobbled back yard of The Grapes Hotel in the village square. In different quarters of the courtyard several other sessions were going strong. At Tom’s table were a couple of other fiddlers, at times playing together, at times taking turns. I had for a long time been interested in different styles of fiddle playing and Tom’s style immediately impressed me as being distinct from the usual Scottish styles and yet at the same time both Scottish and clearly traditional. My enthusiasm led to a project to record his playing, to explore his repertoire and to gain an understanding of what it was that made his playing so different.
Many hours of recordings were made between 1978 and 1980 and some twenty tunes played by Tom along with other border fiddlers including Wattie Robson and Bob Hobkirk were issued as an LP by Springthyme Records in 1981 and over the years a new younger generation of fiddle players has taken an interest in Tom’s old Borders style. The extensive original archive of recordings has now been revisited and digitised for CD, with detailed transcriptions of 60 tunes included in a new book. The collection includes well known tunes such as Flouers O Edinburgh and East Neuk O Fife and old tunes such as Lady Mary Ramsay and Farewell to Whisky – but in distinctive variants. Tom also had many unusual tunes in his repertoire and some that are unique to
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B&F • CLUB NEWS
Club News Just remember to seek permission to publish the photos and tell us the name of the photographers.
To ensure a more readable section, please only send in max 250-300 words. A photo tells a better story, so add one or two of those too. Why not of your audience? If you don’t have a report to write, then mention someone from your club or a special event and send in a relevant photo. Information in Club News helps attract visitors to your club, so make sure your club sounds like the place we want to go to.
ALNWICK SEPTEMBER A grand night of good company, music and enjoyment, the local players were Sue Morgan on piano, Rachel Hales and Robin Dunn on fiddles, Jimmy Little on the moothie, Ian Riddell played drums and Robin Cowens, Leonard Brown and myself on accordions. As always huge thanks to these people who support the club during the year. The guest artists were Jimmy Cassidy and Jim Cleland both playing piano accordions. They provided the company with a great selection of music in various styles and very well played. A selection of tunes played was: The Marino Polka, Jean’s Reel, Ee By Gum and many more. OCTOBER Another great night provided by a good gathering of players for a good audience. The local players were Sue Morgan on keyboard, Gillian Birnie, Rachel Hales, Robin Dunn and Andy Kain on fiddles. Ian Riddell on drums with Rachel Oliver, Robin Cowens, Ronnie Easton, Brian Jacques, Neil Riddell
and myself on accordions with Jimmy Little playing the mouth organ. A big thank you as always to these regular supporting artists who make the night worthwhile. The guest artists were The Neil Hardie Dance Band led by Neil on accordion, Caroline Hardie on fiddle, Brian Forrest on 2nd accordion, Jim Nicol on keyboard and David Ashbridge on drums. A great programme of music played with great command and very well delivered. A true 5-piece band sound was very much enjoyed by all who attended. The Kiwi Pipers, Patchwork Polka and Tommy Darling were just a wee selection of the music played. Once again many thanks for everyone’s efforts. Mungo Riddell ANNAN ST ANDREW The guest band was The Garioch Blend Scottish Dance Band from Inverurie. The band was on their annual tour of S.W. Scotland and the North of England. The band, acknowledged as being as one of the very best Scottish Dance Bands comprised Charlie Esson on piano accordion,
Willie Kellman on fiddle and occasional vocals and Charlie Esson Jr. on drums. They began by playing for favourite dances. The local players, accompanied by Ian Wilson on keyboard, Billy Porter and Ian Riddet on drums and occasionally by John Waugh on second accordion were: Kenny White from Rigg on piano accordion; Richard Brown from Aspatria played several popular tunes on piano accordion; James Johnstone, back at the club following illness, played his 3-row button-key accordion; Brian Maxwell from Gretna played 3-row buttonkey accordion; Jim Fraser from Dumfries played piano accordion and accompanied singer John Watret; Danny Hannay from Stonehouse played a super set of tunes on piano accordion; Lawrence Wannop from Great Orton played piano accordion; Newby Park from Carlisle played a quickstep on piano accordion; Les Hurst from Carlisle played the piano accordion; Willie Little from Dumfries played Anne Watt’s Waltz on whistle; Norman Swainson from Wigton played The Wild Side of Life
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B&F • CLUB DIARY
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Club Diary
Please contact editor@boxandfiddle.com for any corrections to the diary. Please note that the column for Guest Artistes have moved to between Club and Venue
December 2015 DATE
CLUB
GUEST ARTISTE
VENUE
TIME
CONTACT
1
Campsie
Gary Forrest CB
Glazert Country House Hotel, Lennoxtown G66 7DJ
7.30 pm
Billy Hutton 0141 776 2344
1
Fort William
Iain MacMaster
Railway Club, Inverlochy, Fort William PH33 6LY
8.00 pm
Alisdair MacDonald 01397 701 505
1
Islesteps
Marian Anderson Trio
Locharbriggs Social Club, Locharbriggs DG1 1XS
7.30 pm
Ian Gray 01387 760 276
1
North East
Derek & Lorraine McBain
Royal British Legion, Keith AB55 5EN
7.30 pm
Mrs Petrie 01542 860 246
1
Wick
Jocky Campbell DB
Mackay’s Hotel, Union Street, Wick KW1 5ED
7.30 pm
Farquhar MacGregor 01955 631 243
2
Dingwall
Elizabeth Mackenzie Trio
National Hotel, Dingwall IV15 9HA
7.30 pm
Elspeth Weir 01349 877 675
2
Glenfarg
David Vernon
Glenfarg Village Hall, Glenfarg PH2 9NZ
8.00 pm
Russell Robertson 01577 830 642
2
Montrose
Ewan Galloway SDB
Park Hotel, Montrose DD10 8RJ
7.30 pm
Ron Ramsay 01241 879 487
2
Orkney
Club Night AGM
King Street Halls Kirkwall
7.30 pm
Jim Marwick 01856 874 474
3
Crieff
Janet Graham Band
The British Legion, Crieff PH7 3EB
8.00 pm
Irene Anderson 01764 654 298
3
Galashiels
Blackthorn Ceilidh Band
Clovenfords Hotel, Galashiels TD1 3LU
7.30 pm
Robert Cleland 01896 754 463
3
Isle of Skye
Alan Gardiner Trio
The Royal Hotel, Portree IV51 9BU
7.30 pm
info@skyemusic.co.uk
3
Lewis and Harris
Local Players (Visitors welcome)
Caladh Inn, Stornoway HS1 2QN
8.00 pm
Janette MacIver 01851 704 870
3
Oban
Leonard Brown
The Royal Hotel, Oban PA34 4BE
7.30 pm
Anne McFadyen 01631 562 077
3
Turriff
Garioch Blend
Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown AB53 5WJ
7.30 pm
Pat Steele 01888 562 486
6
Arbroath
Gary Sutherland DB
Arbroath Artisan Golf Club, Elliot, By Arbroath DD11 2PE (Doors open at 7.30pm)
8.00 pm
Tony Simpson 01241 875 326
6
Gretna
Marian Anderson Trio
The Gables Hotel Gretna, Gretna Green DG16 5DQ
7.15 pm
David Bell 01228 523 957
6
Haddington
Duncan Black
Railway Hotel, Haddington EH41 3AF
2.00 pm
Audrey Podlinski 01620 828 095
8
Aberdeen
Graeme Mitchell SDB
(Christmas Supper Dance)
Old Machar Royal British Legion, Bridge of Don AB23 8JN
7.30 pm
Susan Gordon 07968 439 421
8
Blairgowrie
Ronnie Easton & Friends
Red House Hotel, Coupar Angus PH13 9AL
7.45 pm
Helen Aitchison 01821 670 302
8
Dunfermline
Billy Anderson
Sportsman Bar, Rosyth KY11 2NX2HU
7.30 pm
Mr Bob Adam 01383 306 142
8
Renfrew
Alastair MacLeod Trio
Moorpark Masonic Halls, Renfrew PA4 0SA
7.30 pm
Ian Murchison 0141 889 4711
8
Thurso
Iain MacPhail SDB
Pentland Hotel, Thurso KW14 7AA
7.30 pm
Ian Wright 01847 892 050
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In Memory Alexander Currie Macintyre 20/09/1960 – 12/10/2015
A
lly was born in Glasgow moving to Bunessan with his family when just a few months old. He was educated at the local primary school, and then Oban High School. It was here he developed his love of Scottish dance music showing a particular interest in the drums. With the help of Anda Campbell’s dad initially, and a lot of hard work, he went on to become a first class drummer. It was no surprise that following an accident to Gus Millar in 1983, Ally was asked to join the Wallachmor Ceilidh Band. Over the next 10 months he made a number of trips to the mainland to play with the band, until Gus was well enough to re-join. Ally moved to the mainland
in 1984, firstly to Glasgow, then settling down in Alexandria. He had spells with many top bands including John Renton, Colin Dewar and Alan McIntosh. He would turn up at accordion clubs all over the country and have a tune with whoever asked him. He always had words of encouragement for young players starting out on their musical careers with his steady style of drumming suited to many of them. His other great love was rallying and he travelled the length and breadth of the UK attending events. He was never happier than when in his adopted home of Donegal. Such was the affection he had for the place and the people, he asked that his ashes be scattered there.
In Jan 2014 Ally was diagnosed with cancer. He fought bravely, however, on the 12th October 2015 passed away peacefully in St Margaret’s Hospice in Clydebank. The turnout for Allys funeral showed the high regard in which he was held with people in attendance not just from Scotland, but England and Ireland also. It was a fitting send off for a genuinely nice man, and a not bad drummer. l Iain Anderson Snr
Take The Floor 21st Nov – Niall Kirkpatrick SDB + Jessie Stuart 28th Nov – Jack Delaney SDB + Tribute to John Ellis – From Reel Blend Roads of Summer 5th Dec – Archive – Session John Ellis and his Highland Country Band 12th Dec – Craig Paton SDB + Mairi Macinnes
19th Dec – Alan Crookston SDB 26th Dec – OB – Kinlochard Village Hall Stuart Cameron Scottish Dance Band + Special Guests 2nd Jan – BBC at the Quay Tom Orr SDB + Claire Hastings + Lorne Macdougal
B&F • DECEMBER 2015
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Reviews
If you wish your CDs, DVDs or books to be reviewed, please send them to: Bill Brown, 3 Galahad Close, Cippenham, Slough, SL1 9DT
The Accordion Gordon Pattullo Independent GPCD 007
The name Gordon Pattullo needs no introduction. Earlier this month a few CD’s arrived for review within days of each other and I unashamedly admit Gordon’s went straight to the top of the pile. Such is the anticipation and excitement that a new Gordon Pattullo release engenders in me, and as always, this one doesn’t disappoint and in my view even raises Gordon’s own exceptionally high bar for musical excellence. Every time I’ve heard a new Gordon Pattullo album, I’ve always thought ‘Oh this is his best for years’ and this, his latest recording with the simple title ‘The Accordion’, is no exception. I’ve followed Gordon’s career with great interest since his album A Gordon for Me was released on the EMI label in 1976. Gordon has matured and developed into one of the finest accordion players Scotland has ever produced, and is ever likely to produce. This album is very different to Gordon’s previous albums in that the choice of material is very eclectic drawing on many musical styles and influences including Scottish, Irish,
Canadian and Italian to name but a few. Not only is this album highly innovative, but it also captures a very Continental, fresh, modern and contemporary sound. I must call out once again (as I’ve done so often in the past) the talent and recording skills of Stuart Hamilton at Castlesound Studios who has done a stunning job on this recording. Supporting Gordon on this CD are Angela MacEachern, John Crawford, Brian Cruickshank, Billy Young, Malcolm Ross and Dougie Stevenson playing a key part in enhancing the various musical styles that I know will give you hours of listening. The album features fifteen sparkling tracks beginning with a great, superbly played, polka arrangement of Will Starr’s Jacqueline Waltz, followed by Gillian Irving’s Waltz, one of Gordon’s own compositions. Next is a great set of Irish jigs. Gordon also includes two wonderful tunes from Ian Holmes, namely
Moge and Stubete im Loosmuhle. Ian, like Gordon, was another accordionist who continually pushed the musical boundaries and I’m sure he will be delighted with Gordon’s treatment of his tunes. He really does do them justice. Other highlights include Le’ Two Step D’Armand, Wienerschnitzel Polka, Cowboy Lullaby, and Black and White Rag. Every track on this album is just simply top notch. If you really pushed me I would have to call out Gordon’s Canadian Two Step featuring the tunes Pat’s Two Step, Lord Alexander’s Reel, The Joys of Quebec and Ontario Swing as my personal favourite. As you would expect, the standard of musicianship from Gordon and his fellow musicians on this CD is quite simply breathtaking. I would strongly advise any young budding accordionist to get a copy of this masterclass CD and cherish it for the rest of their musical lives. Gordon Pattullo is a national treasure and we should equally cherish and appreciate his outstanding innovation, creativity and musical talent. He is without question one of the finest exponents of the piano accordion of his generation. If you love the accordion, you must simply get your hands on this landmark recording. Further information can be found at www.gordonpattullo.co.uk and facebook.com/gordonpattullo.
NAAFC
42nd Annual Festival Saturday 5 March 2016 Macdonald Inchyra Hotel, Polmont FK2 0YB
Composer for open accordion championship – Angus Fitchet Composer for open fiddle championship – Gordon Shand
Evening concert Commencing at the conclusion of the band competition
For further details contact: Margaret Knight, 34 The Square, Newtongrange EH22 4PW Telephone: 0131 660 1926 E-mail: magsknight19@gmail.com
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DESIGNED BY FREEPIK
Dance to Burns Brothers Ceilidh Band