Box & Fiddle January 2020

Fiddle

43rd Year No. 05 Jan 2020

£3.00

BOX& The magazine for Scottish music enthusiasts

MUSICAL MEMORIES PART TEN

Bruce Peebles IS CENTRE STAGE PLUS

ALL SCOTLAND ACCORDION & FIDDLE FESTIVAL

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS

NEWS, CLUB & DANCE DIARIES, REVIEWS AND MUCH MORE...

Welcome

B&F • EDITORIAL

3

...to the January 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 Martin mamidesigns@hotmail.com Cover: Freepik.com Printer • Ivanhoe Caledonian Printing Company Ltd Eskmills, Musselburgh, EH21 7PE

NAAFC Chairman Nicol McLaren Tel: 01250 874 526 nicol@boxandfiddle.com Vice Chairman Iain Cathcart Tel: 01555 661 017 iain@boxandfiddle.com Secretary Shona MacFadyen secretary@boxandfiddle.com Executive Committee: Scott Band Charlie Kirkpatrick Susan MacFadyen Richard Ross Liam Stewart

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2020 will be exceptionally good to you all. I also hope you have had a lovely restful time over the holidays and that you will manage to keep your New Year resolutions. Turkeys are definitely flightless – one is roosting around my midriff! Thank you so much for all the lovely greetings the team received; they Pia Walker, Editor were much appreciated.

Congratulations to the recent Trad Awards winners and inductees to the Hall of Fame. You will hear more in the February issue about this night in Aberdeen where so many people were celebrating traditional music in many forms. During the evening I saw many musicians connected to our type of music, which can only be a good thing.

We are now gearing up for the end of the season! Soon it will be the NAAFC Festival again – it is your festival, so do take time to add the date in your diary and enter a few competitions. Why not get a few musicians together and enter the club competition for a bit of fun and camaraderie? Then soon after that, it will be the golf day out and then the AGM – how the time flies, when you are having fun!

Please, committees, can you send in your dates, whether you have guest artists lined up or not? To be best able to promote your club, I need the information ca. two months before the actual event. Reporters, the word count is creeping up again, so please keep the club news to 250-300 words. Another small thing that would help me tremendously is if you did not format the file you send in. We have to redo it anyway - so there’s no need for you to spend time on that. Furthermore, nouns like guest artist, accordion, fiddle and drums should not be with capital starting letter within a sentence – I know they are all very important words, but … And readers, please send in snippets, photos and music to us - it is your magazine and I’d love to hear from you.

I hope you all enjoy this January issue, and please help promote the magazine. If you like it, I’m sure your friends will too!

Keep up with the latest news at

www.boxandfiddle.com Box & Fiddle (NAAFC)

Pia

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

10 6 News & Letters 9 Take the Floor BBC Radio Scotland

10 Centre Stage Bruce Peebles

12 14 20

Musical Memories Part Ten by Denis Shepherd

Festivals Angus Strathspey & Reel Society’s Annual Fiddle Festival; 70 years of the Perth Festival

Club News The latest news from our clubs

Deadlines:

B&F • CONTENTS

12 44

5

20

Club Diary You are never too old to go clubbing!

49

In Memory

50

Dance Diary

53

Reviews

Rory MacLeod

Find the nearest dances and ceilidhs

An Audience with the Accordion Champions; Young Trad Tour 2018 Norman MacKay

56

Music Tom and Isobel’s Diamond Wedding Waltz

All articles, adverts, club reports and text for the magazine must be e-mailed to the editor by the 5th of every month midday at the latest. Copy received after this date cannot be guaranteed to feature in the next issue.

B&F • NEWS

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Brandon McPhee Concert at Gretna AFC

By Robin & Deryn Our MC Robin Waitt welcomed a full house, and asked the audience not to video – this seems to happen far too often now!

Our first supporting player was accordion champion Julie Best from Carlisle. Julie showed why she is a champion, playing a very well thought out programme of numbers such as the Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka, Fantasie Polka and Spanish Gypsy Dance. Next came a star in the making! Accompanied on piano by Iain Wilson, 12-yearold accordionist Finn Hope’s quiet confidence endeared him to the listeners. Finn was very relaxed in his playing: he announced his tunes and communicated with the audience, even telling a story half-way through. He is such a credit to his family, and we wish

him all the best for his future.

It is difficult to find words to describe the sheer talent of Brandon McPhee. From the second he started playing, the audience were enthralled. With superb accompaniment from Manson Grant on keyboard and Robert Cameron on drums, Brandon produced a great programme of well-known and much loved tunes. Moving about the stage with a lovely smile on his face, he had the audience in the palm of his hand.

After the interval and a superb raffle, we welcomed well-known Dumfries character Graham Barbour to the stage.

We heard swing, jazz and scat singing as only Graham can do it. Accompanied by Ian Riddet on drums, this brilliant accordionist entertained the audience perfectly. It was great

to showcase so many different styles of music, and this concert did just that. Our last guest was comedian and ex-farmer John Dodd from Roadhead who had the audience in fits of laughter throughout.

The Brandon McPhee Trio returned to delight the audience thoroughly with tunes as Welcome Christmas Morning and a lovely arrangement of Christmas carols. We had the ever-popular Jacqueline Waltz and some very tricky marches.

We were then treated to a song – My Way – which proved beyond doubt the gift that this young lad has.

After his performance, Brandon spoke to all on their way out, ensuring that every single person went home happy after a brilliant night of entertainment.

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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM

Festivals Angus Strathspey & Reel Society’s Annual Fiddle Festival

By Joan Grant

W

ell, goodness me, what can I say this year about this fantastic little November festival? Our entries increase year by year and we were ‘nearly’ overwhelmed by the numbers in our junior competitions. While quantity is not always matched by quality, this year it was.

The standard of playing was stunning and we felt for Claire Telford, who had the forbidding task of tackling the adjudications. However she coped with sensitivity and all appreciated her thoughtful comments.

For the first time the Festival was held in Forfar. While we missed the wee red toon of Kirriemuir, Forfar East & Old Church made

an excellent alternative, with good acoustics and ample space. Our thanks go to the church, and particularly to Doug Robertson, who made sure all our requirements for a smooth-running festival were in place. A huge thank-you goes to our catering team who surpassed themselves: it would be hard to find tastier soup, sandwiches and cakes at any other festival! There were many compliments on the day!

The championship was won by Anne Mitchell from Inverurie who played with a wonderful, strong, traditional sound. One of the highlights was the hauntingly beautiful slow air Ossian, played with perfection by Maggie Adamson from Shetland.

Results AGE 9 & UNDER - ANY 2 TUNES

1. Andrew Farquharson, Fern 2. Jing Wang, Perth 3. Julia Pojda. Perth

COMPOSITION – STRATHSPEY

1. Yla Steven, Auchterarder 2. Michael Philip, Shetland 3. Angus Scott, Arbroath

HORNPIPE

JUNIOR SLOW AIR & REEL

SENIOR SLOW AIR

CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Jayden Moore, Shetland 2. Kristie Williamson, Shetland 3. Tyler Martin, Portlethen & Ellie Nicolson, Shetland

1. Maggie Adamson, Shetland 2. Anne Mitchell, Inverurie 3. Grazyna Mlynarczyk, Perth

JUNIOR MARCH, STRATHSPEY & REEL

Lindsay Downie, Lintrathen

1. Rhiann Matthew, Tarland 2. Holly Stephen, Shetland 3. Emma Leask, Shetland & Cassie Findlay, Keith

Confined Trophy:

SENIOR MARCH, STRATHSPEY & REEL

1. Alisha Taylor, Shetland

1. Maggie Adamson, Shetland 2. Anne Mitchell, Inverurie 3. Alisha Taylor, Shetland 1. Anne Mitchell, Inverurie 2. Maggie Adamson, Shetland QUARTET

1. The Deeside Loons & Quines Quartet, Tarland ORCHESTRA

1. The Shetland High Level Orchestra ‘B’

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s r a e Y

B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM

70 I

and still going strong

By Pia Walker

n 1950 so many things happened in the world.

NATO was created, and apartheid rose its head as did McCarthyism and the Korean War - and these were just a few.

In the UK we had a general election where Clement Attlee defeated Churchill and Clement Davies. Petrol rationing ended. The rebuilt House of Commons was used for the first time.

In Scotland the Stone of Scone was removed from Westminster Abbey by four students. And the first official Edinburgh Tattoo was held.

Closer to home Bill Wilkie (1922-2017) organised the first North of Scotland and East Coast Area Amateur Accordion Festival or, as it better known, Perth Festival on 30th September in the City Halls in Perth as the National Accordion Organisation (NAO) had asked him to run a classical accordion festival for the East and North East of Scotland.

It was to be self-financing with a 7/6 (37.5 pence) entry fee. It had five solo classes during the day, and at the concert in the evening one solo and five group contest all classical - BUT upon Jimmy Shand Senior’s suggestion, it also had just one solo contest for Scottish country dance music (won by Jimmy Blue). Over the years, this solo SCD contest has grown to be the coveted Senior Championship with a fiddle championship added a few years later. Perth festival today, held mainly in the Salutation Hotel but also in other nearby halls, is considered THE festival for Scottish dance musicians, more so perhaps than the classical and world music events.

When Bill Wilkie retired after 60 years at the helm, a group of people from the music and business community in Perth stepped in to keep the festival going. And, as were many others, I was at the latest one in October and managed to persuade busy festival committee member Simon Howie, a well-known Perthshire businessman and dance band leader, to say a few words . Simon has been a part of the Perth Festival since he

began competing in 1974. “It was exciting to take part,” he told me. “Everyone was hoping to do well, but it was also the fact that you were joining up with fellow competitors for a day of music and fun, just like any other gathering of friends, but in this case the common bond was through the music”.

“You were interacting with the top players and could met your heroes: John Huband, Jimmy Blue, Angus Fitchet (who often judged the accordion competitions despite being a fiddler), Ian Powrie and Bill Black not to mention Fraser McGlynn, Mickie Ainsworth and many more.”

Today competitor numbers have dropped overall, but with no reduction in the standard of playing; and, as with all present-day music events, the average audience age group is increasing, but the social aspect is still as important for all.

Simon told me that that the older players are now showing more interest in competing again, which has reinvigorated the competitions. For teachers, it is an important showcase for their pupils, giving them an outlet for their hard work, coupled with constructive and helpful feedback from excellent judges, as well as a chance to play in front of a most discerning audience. The festival competition is a terrific barometer of what the future may look like in terms of up and coming musicians, the people who will shape up the future of our beloved Scottish music scene.

Simon told me he still felt that Perth, even after 70 years, is an important festival for competitors and audiences alike.

I also cornered Scottish champion accordionist Peter Bruce, chairman of the organising committee.

His father first brought him as a 9-year-old in 1962 – which was also the worst night of the Cuban missile crisis, he tells me. He went on to win the junior Scottish in 67 and in 76 the seniors, and was part of the famous Bill Wilkie orchestra from 1967 to 2009. He remembers preparation for the festival as being recreational, something you did the day

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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM

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? Information in Club News helps attract visitors to your club, so make sure your club sounds like the place we want to go to.

ABERDEEN Chairman Scott Gordon welcomed a fairly good crowd to the British Legion, including quite a few superb visitors.

Committee member Keith Duncan started with backing from Stanley Flett on piano and Scott on drums. Scott and Stan stayed on stage and were joined by another accordion player, Brian Stanger. We then had a change of instrument as we heard two of the visitors, Gemma Donald on fiddle and another Shetlander, Niamh Wylie, who accompanied her on piano. They played a beautiful new as yet unnamed slow air, composed by Gemma.

Guests were the fantastic duo of West Coast fiddler Archie McAlister, all the way from Campbeltown, and Craig Paton from Edinburgh on piano - and what a night of music we enjoyed including waltzes like Ronas Voe, Sunset over Foula and Starry night in Shetland.

There was lots of variety and we kept our feet tapping until the tea break.

During the second half we had Charlie Lawie on accordion with another of the visitors, Graham Berry, on piano.

They were followed by Denis

Shepherd on mouthie with a few sets. Iona Cruickshank played some lovely tunes accompanied by her brother Callum on piano, and we then had Callum move to accordion with dad Brian on fiddle, Craig Paton on piano and Scott on drums. The last local players were Lynne Mciver, Susan Gordon on fiddle, Graham Berry on piano and Scott on drums.

Upon the return of the guests we were delighted to hear The Train Journey North, Little Cascades, Mr. Michie and Archie Menzies, all fantastic tunes, but one favourite was John Wayne Landry’s Farewell

by John Doyle. Sadly the wonderful evening had come to an end and we danced home to some Irish reels.

ALNWICK OCTOBER Our club night was opened

by Joan Kirk on accordion with Ian Riddell on drums and myself on second box. Next up were Elizabeth Younger on accordion, Joan Kirk on second box and Ian Riddell on drums.

It was great entertainment by these local players. Also playing for us were Yvonne (accordion) and Lyndsay (fiddle) Downie

from Kirriemuir who were on holiday locally and came along for a tune, which was most enjoyable.

The guest artists were George Rennie on accordion and David Ashbridge on drums and they played a great programme of music. Dovecote Park, The Grace Renwick Polka, The Rowan Tree and The Tyneside Dancers were just a few of the tunes played and enjoyed.

NOVEMBER Our club night saw a large audience and a great night of musical entertainment was enjoyed by all. The local players were Sylvia Youngson, Elizabeth Younger, Robin Cowens, Leonard Brown and Ronnie Patterson on accordion, Ian Woods on fiddle and Jimmy Little on mouth organ. Well done, every one of them.

The Adin Graham Trio were the guest artists, with Adin on accordion, Robbie Mackenzie on fiddle and Rory Matheson on piano. What a fine programme of well-rehearsed and well-presented material they produced, which was most enjoyable. Flett from Flotta, Bag of Plums, Leaving Barra, Dram Behind The Curtain and

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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM

Club Diary January 2020 DATE

CLUB

GUEST ARTIST

VENUE

TIME

CONTACT

5

Arbroath

Janet Graham Band

Arbroath Artisan Golf Club, Elliot,

By Arbroath DD11 2PE

7.30 pm

Babs Thomson 01241 858091

5

Clydesdale

Leonard Brown & Malcom Ross

St Mary’s Club Rooms, Lanark ML11 7JS

2.00 pm

Shirley Cathcart 01555 661 017

5

Gretna

Iain MacPhail Band

Richard Greenhow Centre, Gretna DG16 5AQ

7.00 pm

Robin Waitt 01387 371 423

6

Thurso

Addie Harper

Pentland Hotel, Thurso KW14 7AA

7.30 pm

Ian Wright 01847 892 050

7

Campsie

Gavin Piper (Solo)

Glazert Country House Hotel, Lennoxtown G66 7DJ

7.30 pm

Billy Hutton 07889 021 972

7

Fort William

Hector McFadyen

Railway Club, Inverlochy, Fort William PH33 6LY

7.30 pm

Alisdair MacDonald 01397 701 505

7

Islesteps

Scott Leslie Ceilidh Band

Locharbriggs Social Club, Locharbriggs DG1 1XS

7.30 pm

John Caskie MBE 01387 710 975 07711 573 071

8

Dingwall

Gillian Stevenson Band

British Legion, High Street, Dingwall, IV15 9SN

7.30 pm

Elspeth Weir 01349 877 675

8

Forres

Leonard Brown & Malcolm Ross

Victoria Hotel, Forres IV36 1EL

7.30 pm

Ann Sharp 01309 672 672

8

Inveraray

Ross MacPherson Duo

Inveraray Inn, Inveraray PA32 8XB

7.30 pm

Margaret Mather 01499 302 458

8

Montrose

Scott Band – 4 pce

Park Hotel, Montrose DD10 8RJ

7.30 pm

Ron Ramsay 01241 879 487

8

Orkney

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

The Reel, Kirkwall KW15 1KD

7.30 pm

Jim Marwick 01856 874 474

8

Renfrew

Jimmy Blair Accordion Orchestra

Moorpark Masonic Halls, Renfrew PA4 0SA

7.30 pm

Ian Murchison 0141 889 4711

9

Button-Key (Windygates)

Ian Cruickshanks Trio

The Greig Institute, Windygates KY8 5DG

7.00 pm

Mary Cook 01592 713 687

9

Canderside

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

Stonehouse Bowling Club, Stonehouse ML9 3EB

7.00 pm

Iain Morrison 07985 980 719

9

Isle of Skye

Lindsay Weir Duo

The Royal Hotel, Portree IV51 9BU

7.30 pm

Linda Shaw 01478 611 122

10

Oban

Charlie Kirkpatrick (Dance)

The Royal Hotel, Oban PA34 4BE

7.30 pm

Anne McFadyen 01631 562 077

12

Biggar

Richard Smith Trio

Biggar Bowling Club, Biggar ML12 6AX

2.00 pm

Charlie Todd 01899 308 327

14

Blairgowrie

James Coutts Trio

Red House Hotel, Coupar Angus PH13 9AL

7.30 pm

Helen Aitchison 01821 670 302

14

Dunfermline

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

Masonic Hall, Rosyth KY11 2BW

7.30 pm

Mr Bob Adam 01383 306 142

14

Seghill

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

Seghill Comrades Club, Cramlington NE23 7TQ

7.00 pm

James Youngson 01670 356 410

15

Dunblane

Nicol McLaren & The Glencraig SDB

Victoria Hall, Stirling Road, Dunblane FK15 9EX

7.30pm

Sheila Thomson 01786 822 643

B&F • JANUARY 2020

In Memory R

ory MacLeod is a name that is instantly familiar to Box and Fiddle readers as a star photographer and accordion and fiddle club enthusiast of the highest order! Sadly 80-year old Rory lost his fight with illness and passed away peacefully on 14th November, 2019.

Rory took up the accordion as a teenager at home near Ullapool and regularly played at weddings and ceilidhs with other local players. It is not well known, but Rory also played drums in various bands when needed but the three-row button-box was his forte and first love.

Rory was working at Lochcarron when he first met the legendary bandleader Jim Johnstone. Their close friendship was to last for many years and Jim wrote a tune in his honour. Since then Rory has had many tunes written in his honour, such was his standing in the accordion world.

Rory moved to Inverness, where he was a sales rep with car dealer MacRae and Dick. He met with many players and enthusiasts, and Highland Accordion and Fiddle Club was founded on 19th November 1973 in The Cummings Hotel, with Rory on the committee. Their very first guest was none other than Rory’s pal, Jim Johnstone.

Rory was MC at the Highland Club for years and remained chairman for almost as long. He retired as chairman in June 2008 and was made an Honorary Life Member to mark the occasion.

It was during his time as chairman that he altered the club logo, ditching the piano accordion for his favoured 3-row button-box, and it remains that way to this day.

He produced the club’s own Highland Showtime at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness for a number of years. He made all the arrangements for these events and did all the producing, arranging of artists, fees, publicity etc. and was exceptionally talented at it. Full houses at every show were testimony to this.

He was approached by BBC Radio Highland late in 1985 and on 15th January 1986 Rory’s Reel’went out as a pre-recorded programme. Only three pre-recordings were ever made and transmitted.

The rest (amounting to over 300) went out live. Rory

49

Rory MacLeod chose all of the music to be played on these shows and initially started with a half-hour slot before moving on to hourly broadcasts, owing to its popularity and the large audience figures it attracted. He had several invited guests on the show over the years, including many of the top names from the scene at the time.

The programme finally ended in January 1993.

He found the last programme to be a very emotional affair, which brought tears to his eyes, and he will be remembered for his catchphrase, with which he always finished: “I’ll be here if you’ll be there.”

Rory was equally at home with a camera and was a regular and valued contributor to the Box and Fiddle magazine with photographs from all over the country, but notably of club nights at the Highland Club in Inverness. Rory was also one of the official photographers of the NAAFC AGM for several years and contributed photographs for a special exhibition at the AGM in 2009.

Rory was inducted into the NAAFC Hall of Fame in 2009 and that was undoubtedly his proudest moment. He considered that accolade to be the equivalent of an Oscar Award. I remember travelling down in the car with him and the pride on his face was mixed with anxiety about his acceptance speech. He was concerned that he would be shown up in the company of the musicians he loved. No fears there and Rory did the speech superbly.

In 2010, Rory was equally thrilled when his beloved Highland Club scooped the Club of the Year award and later that year the Highland Club were crowned Club of the Year at the Trad Awards in Perth.

Rory was a true and valued member of The Highland Accordion and Fiddle Club in Inverness from its inception, and spread the accordion and fiddle gospel far and wide in a manner that was so infectious and likeable. He was known and respected across Scotland and beyond and will be a major loss to all who knew him. Our thoughts are with his wife Mhairi and their children Fiona and Gordon. l Bob Wares

Read Rory’s story on: https://boxandfiddlearchive.weebly.com/rory-macleod.html

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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM

Dance Diary

Contact: ceilidh@dancediary.info Tel: 01389 767718 or send your entry to: Alasdair Graham, 1 First Avenue, Dumbarton G82 2PU

Ceilidh & Old Time Dances

Regular Weekly Events

DATE

TOWN

HALL

BAND

TIME

COST

CONTACT

COMMENTS

Monday

Kirkwall

Royal British Legion (new venue)

Live Music

7.30 pm - 10.00 pm

£5/£2

Door - All Welcome 01856 873 534

Orkney Dance Assoc.

Wednesday

Stornoway

Primary School

-

7.00 pm - 9.00 pm

-

Janette Maciver 01851 704 870

Ceilidh & Old School Term time only

Wednesday

Midlem

Village Hall

Live Music

8.00 pm - 10.00 pm

£2 (tea)

Grace Belle Scott 01835 870 244

Old Time.

Thursday

Dumfries

Kirkton Village Hall

Live Music

7.30 pm - 10.00 pm

£4

John Caskie 07711 573 071

Restarts 9 January

Most Sundays

East Kilbride

Girl Guide Hall, Dundas Place

7.30 pm - 10.00 pm

£2 (tea)

Door or tel: 01355 230 134 or 245 052

Ceilidh & Old Time Club Info: 01294 212 267

Ceilidh & Old Time Dances

January 2019

DATE

TOWN

HALL

BAND

TIME

COST

CONTACT

COMMENTS

1

Canonbie

Village Hall

Lyne Valley

7.30 pm - 11.30 pm

£6 BYOB

07704 727 463

(own food) DG14 0UX

2

Foulden

Village Hall

Ewan Galloway

7.30 pm

£7 No Bar

01289 386 400

Pay at Door

2

Glencarse

Village Hall

Johnny Duncan

7.30 pm - 11.00 pm

£5 No Bar

01738 552 688

Set & Couples Dances-Lt. Supper

4

Aberdeen

Ashdale Hall

Scott Band (3 piece)

8.00 pm - 12.00 mn

Ticket

01569 731 465

Blackburn Club Charity Dance

4

Largoward

Village Hall

Johnny Duncan

8.00 pm - 11.00 pm

£5 Tea

07961 437 615

Weekly Dance KY9 1HZ

10

Irvine

Volunteer Rooms

Roy Hendrie

7.30 pm - 11.00 pm

£7 BYOB

01292 440 073

Ayrshire Ceilidh KA12 0BA

11

Elderslie

Village Hall

John Carmichael

7.30 pm

£5 BYOB

07710 162 087

Traditional Ceilidh + Singer

11

Tranent

Macmerry Club

Johnny Duncan

7.30 pm - 11.30 pm

£6 Bar

01875 615 138

Pay at Door

11

Daviot

Strathnairn Hall

Jimmy Cassidy

8.00 pm - 12.00mn

£6 Tea

01540 651 377

Cairngorm Dancers IV2 5XL

11

Largoward

Village Hall

Ian McCallum

8.00 pm - 11.00 pm

£5 Tea

07961 437 615

Weekly Dance KY9 1HZ

11

Canonbie

Village Hall

Iain Anderson

7.30 pm - 11.30 pm

£6 BYOB

07704 727 463

(own food) DG14 0UX

18

Carrington

Village Hall

Derek Hamilton

7.30 pm - 11.00 pm

£7

07535 417 331

Old Time Dancing EH23 4LR

18

Largoward

Village Hall

Leonard Brown

8.00 pm - 11.00 pm

£5 Tea

07961 437 615

Weekly Dance KY9 1HZ

19

Montrose

Park Hotel

Scott Carnegie

2.00 pm - 5.00 pm

£?

01241 879 487

A & F Club Sunday Ceilidh

19

Milnathort

Town Hall

Steven Carcary

2pm-5pm

£5 tea

01577 863 244

Proceeds to Charity. Pay at Door

B&F • JANUARY 2020

Reviews

53

If you wish your CDs, DVDs or books to be reviewed, please send them to: Bill Brown, 3 Galahad Close, Cippenham, Slough, SL1 9DT

An Audience with the Accordion Champions

By Derek Hamilton

The latest CD to come from the Leonard Brown stable is a live recording taken from the accordion champions’ showcase event he organised in the Salutation Hotel in Perth on Sunday 27th October.

The CD has 19 superb tracks with no fewer than six Scottish accordion champions plus three tracks from the current under-12 British champions in accordion and fiddle. Young Myles and April Macaulay from Glasgow are only 11 and 9 but they play like long-time mature players. They perform a duet followed by an accordion solo and a fiddle solo. This CD is worth buying just to hear these two sparkling youngsters.

The six Scottish accordion champions appear on the album in chronological order of winning the title.

Jimmy Cassidy is first up with a set of reels followed by a superb musette, Ma Sablaise. It’s easy to see why Jimmy was a winner (1967) from listening to his performance here with special guest Callum Wallace on drums. The 1974 champion was Jim Lindsay and on this album Jim shines through with a couple of tracks. My favourite is the Root Beer Rag, which is in the inimitable Lindsay style. We then fast forward to 1992, the year James Coutts was champion.

There are three great and varied tracks here: a set of jigs, a tango and some Scott Skinner marches.

In 2000 Michael Philip was millenium champion and he has three sets on this fabulous CD. Michael, with Margaret Robertson and Nicol McLaren, plays a set of Michael’s own waltzes, a set of reels including two of his own tunes and, to finish, a haunting slow air named Farewell to Sumburgh Head, another of his compositions. Liam Stewart from Galston in Ayrshire was champion in 2003 and again 10 years later in 2013. He plays, very traditionally, the Sir Jimmy

Shand favourite The Six Twenty Two-Step and, very modernly, a quickstep medley.

The year before Liam won the title for the second time, Leonard Brown, only the second Englishman to win the title, took the award in great style in 2012.

He continues the trend with two currently popular favourites, The Craic at Clashmore Hall and Kiwi Pipers - perfect for dancers- and The Jazz Twinkle!

His other two tracks are a set of very popular Iain MacPhail reels and the finger-wrenching Orange Blossom Special. All of the champions play together in a stramash to finish the CD off with three great tunes, Donald Ian Rankine, Miss Mary Printy and The New High Level.

It is a feast of music from accordion champions young and not so young, all backed superbly by Graham Berry on piano and Malcolm Ross on drums. This is a real good ‘punters’ CD’ from some of the best players in Scotland. It is a must for your collection. Contact Leonard on 07758 723 355 or www.leonardbrownaccordion.co.uk for your copy. l

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