Box & Fiddle Magazine - July 2019

Fiddle

42nd Year No. 11 July 2019

£3.00

BOX& The magazine for Scottish music enthusiasts

NAO UK

ACCORDION CHAMPIONSHIPS

Jim Stott SHAND MORINO DAY PLUS

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

Welcome

B&F • EDITORIAL

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...to the July 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: The Kirkjuvagr Ceilidh Band with their road crew photo by Alex MacDonald Printer • Ivanhoe Caledonian Printing Company Ltd Eskmills, Musselburgh, EH21 7PE NAAFC Chairman Nicol McLaren The Shian, Woodlands Road Blairgowrie, PH10 6LD 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

July is one of these months where the event of the year has happened, but so late in the previous month that I can’t tell you about it this month. So do keep a look out in August and September when I’ll be bringing news from the Celebrity Luncheon and the AGM. July has a lot of info from the various Pia Walker, Editor festivals and events that happened in May and June such as the Shand Morino Day, the golf day, and a little about pianist and dancer Jim Stott, not to mention Denis Shepherd’s Musical Memories. You should also read Keith Dickson’s account of the NAO UK championship – it is amazing the young talent appearing on the national scene from Scotland. Well done all of you! July also sees the updated guest artist directory. I hope committee members remember to buy the magazine this month and throughout the year too.

May was a great month for the magazine – I’m still on cloud 9. Following an e-mail asking for a couple of copies, the Box and Fiddle Magazine appeared in ‘Have I Got News for You’ as their featured publication. Subscriptions rose slightly right thereafter – I don’t believe in coincidences. There are still a lot of people out there who do not know what it is all about, so go forth and promote please. From July and throughout the season I aim to increase sales of the magazine, and I hope your comperes, committees and magazine sellers will help me do this.

I did hear that some of our readers were a little miffed by some comments made by Simon Cowell on one of his shows. I therefore sent him a copy of the June magazine in the hope of expanding his cultural knowledge I haven’t had a reply yet, and probably won’t get one.

Three months until the season starts again. At the time of writing this, there are still more than 20 clubs that haven’t sent me their dates. This means Marie can’t add them to the website, I can’t add them to the magazine and others can’t decide if they should visit your club!

Enjoy the sun (if you can find it).

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

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6 News & Letters 8 The NAAFC Billy Thom Memorial Golf Day

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Club News

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Club Diary

Held on Sunday 12th May

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By Denis Shepherd

Accordion Championships 2019

Guest Artist Directory Band Directory

Deadlines:

Dance Diary Find the nearest dances

Reviews An Evening with Nancy Kerr & James Fagan Beauties of the North

National Accordion Organisation UK

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You are never too old

and ceilidhs

Ya dancer

16 Festivals

The latest news from our clubs

to go clubbing!

10 Shand Morino Day 2019 12 Jim Stott Musical Memories

B&F • CONTENTS

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Take the Floor

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Music

BBC Radio Scotland

The Coupers of Delunna

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.

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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.

Dancing in the Sun April saw me visiting Malaga and 500 people of Irish extraction at a dance festival. What an experience! Live music from 10.30 in the morning until 3am! Workshops, dances and sessions adding to that sun, sea and … a 5-star hotel.

The dance forms were ceili – which is NOT Ceilidh, but more akin to quadrilles and lancers i.e. in square sets, and social dancing which was quicksteps, waltzes and foxtrots etc. (modern dancing). There were workshops in both – I did 2 x 1 hour of quickstep one day and joined in the ceili dancing whenever I could. There were music workshops too. The learning curve was steep! I had to learn a new dance language, different steps and that the formations were different even if they were called the same. It was GREAT fun. Added to that, there was a constant changeover of bands every day throughout the day and in the evening there were dances in two halls and a session in a third in which the guests who had brought their instruments could join in.

Why was I there? Well, it was to find out if we could do the same for Scottish dance and music: 8 days in the sun, with workshops in various Scottish dance forms and with music morning, noon and night. Wouldn’t it be great if we could? l

Letters

Dear Pia Could I commend Leonard Brown on his recent weekend in the Salutation Hotel in Perth. The whole weekend was very well

organised and absolutely brilliant. I would also like to thank the staff of the hotel for their exceptional care and attention.

Anne Hendry

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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM

The NAAFC Billy Thom Memorial

y a D f l o G

By Pia Walker

23 Golfers and a caddie

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n Sunday 12th May approx. 27 mostly musicians rose relatively early in order to get to the annual NAAFC golf day in Dunblane. The event started with a bacon roll, coffee and tea with golfers waiting for their tee time at 1.30. Despite their having got out of their beds early after some at least had been gigging the night away, the banter was cheerful (and loud), with 23 golfers straining at the leash to get going. As the intrepid reporter I spent time walking the course, not with a golf club in my hand but with my camera trying, I admit, to get the most unlucky shots. There were not many, although one particular golfer did seem at the 18th to go from bunker to bunker. The rest of the time I spent on the club veranda, and as it was yet again a lovely sunny day it was really no hardship sitting there chatting to Kate Murchison while waiting for the teams to come in.

After the competition, held in honour of the memory of drummer Billy Thom, we adjourned upstairs for a well-deserved and lovely meal after which the winners were presented with their prices.

The presenter of awards was again Billy’s lovely daughter Jennifer. The profits of the day, after meals and green fees had been paid, went to Alzheimer Scotland, a cause close to the family’s heart.

The 2019 results of the NAAFC golf day are as follows: THE BILLY THOM MEMORIAL TROPHY: Winner: Ian Murchison 2nd: Alan Sutherland 3rd: Ian Adamson TEAM WINNERS: Ian Murchison, Alan Sutherland, Charlie Kirkpatrick and Farquhar McGregor.

NEAREST THE PIN: Alan Sutherland and Alasdair MacPhail BEST DRESSED GOLFER!: Neil Galloway What followed was then a couple of hours of lovely music in a relaxed atmosphere; Gaelic waltzes were interspersed with 100 miles an hour jigs and reels, but then again nobody was dancing (the Duke of Perth set would have killed me if I had tried).

This year piper Calum Wynd and drummers Stuart Oswald and George Gray joined in the ceilidh.

This year quite a few ‘newbies’ including two ladies from Orkney and Shetland took part. Could we make 30 plus golfers next year? Even I, who do not play golf, thoroughly enjoy the day out in splendid surroundings and surrounded by nice people. l

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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM

Jim Stott

By Pia Walker

Dance and music goes hand in hand. Many dancers work tirelessly to keep dance alive and well, and thereby ensure that musicians have gigs - not only here in Scotland and the UK, but around the world. You all know them – or do you? Who are they, what makes them tick and how did they get involved? I asked Jim Stott, dancer, teacher and pianist, to tell a little about himself and his passion.

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im was born in Ellon, Aberdeenshire as one of 10 children. He began dancing in Balmedie Primary School in 1964. Later, in Bridge of Don Secondary School, he was asked to join the team for the Aberdeen Festival, where they won by dancing The Linton Ploughman. He also started to learn the piano as an 11-year-old. As he became a primary school teacher, he needed better piano skills and so went for lessons. “Kathleen Hadden taught me basic vamping and got me through Grade 8 piano.”

Jim used to attend Ellon A&F club to play for her and still plays piano with her, but at social gatherings

in her house. He had to give up going to the club as he took over the RSCDS Peterhead class, which was on the same night. He also plays with the Ythan Fiddlers, which he enjoys, especially the travelling.

As many others do, Jim ceased dancing for a while, but began again in his twenties. His teacher, Rachel Discombe, was a superb teacher who he says made dancing fun. He had then become a primary school teacher in Kellands School, Inverurie, where Scottish country dancing was taught. He was encouraged to begin to teach dance to children and has done so ever since. “It is really rewarding,” he states.

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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM

l a c i s u M emories M

PART SIX

By Denis Shepherd

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have previously told of my involvement with the Denis and the Menace duo since the mid-80s.

Since then I have also been part of the TMSA and Aberdeen Folk Club and on the committees of both organisations for much of the time – and this is all attributable to the duo.

The only musical club I had previously attended, in a purely listening capacity, was Aberdeen Accordion and Fiddle Club, originally held in the Gloucester Hotel. Up-and-coming players who regularly performed there included Graeme Mitchell and Graham Geddes, but my most vivid memory of the early days in 1975 is of the time when the stovies ran out, the manager apologised for under-estimating the numbers, and the compere promised the audience that this would not happen again because “next month I’ll be doon here in the aifterneen steerin’ them masel’!”

Ten years later, when Sandy Rennie, the original Menace, and I were starting to establish our act I saw an advert for a Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland event in the Holburn Bar. This was the first time I had heard of the TMSA, but we did our stint and promptly became members with the encouragement of two office-bearers, Alex Green and Madeline Miller. Shortly after this the

Aberdeen Branch held its 21st birthday party in the Gloucester at which the well-known singer Adam McNaughton was MC. When he saw the performers’ list he couldn’t believe there was a serious musical act called Denis and the Menace – and after hearing us he still didn’t believe it! Another singer, Kathleen Robertson, suggested we come along to Aberdeen Folk Club; we promptly did so and for some time we went along to do spots at the regular TMSA and Folk Club sessions, both held at that time in the Three Poceros. Sandy eventually ceased his memberships on developing his solo act but not before we had produced songs about performers and committee members of both organisations. For instance, The Crooked Bawbee was the basis for a song entitled O will ye gang wi’ me tae the TMSA? which describes how an enthusiast tries to persuade his lassie to come along by naming the galaxy of artists due to perform, one verse being: But I said, “There are ithers, like Florence and Mackie, Bert Murray, and Esma, and lots mair as weel; Maybe even Robbie Shepherd – that’s jist if ye’re lucky!”

She said, “The Robbie Shepherd? Ach, dinna be feal!”

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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM

Festivals NATIONAL ACCORDION ORGANISATION

Wallace Hall Junior Accordion Group

UK Accordion Championships 2019

By Keith Dickson

The bustling and vibrant city of Liverpool recently hosted the 2019 NAO UK accordion championships in the Britannia Adelphi Hotel, during the spring weekend of 27th - 28th April.

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he National Accordion Organisation was celebrating 70 years since its formation in 1949. However, the first accordion day was held in the 1930s in Westminster Central Hall, London, a few years before the NAO was officially formed. The first festival attendees included over 20 piano accordion solo area champions from around Britain – the programme lists Jack Morrell, all-scotland champion, competing for the ‘championship of Britain’ at Central Hall in 1936.

As well as these talented solo competitors who proudly represented their own area, more than 50 accordion bands, which were extremely popular at this time, regularly turned out to compete. The annual NAO accordion championships moved to Leicester in 1965 and after a few years were held in various locations including Margate,

Troon, Southampton and Perth, before settling in Scarborough for several years and most recently in Liverpool.

To celebrate their 70th Anniversary, the NAO displayed programmes from past festivals this year in Liverpool. It was interesting to find some wellknown names who have represented Scotland at senior or junior level at this event: Peter MacPhail Bruce, James Cassidy, Philip Cunningham, Peter Farnan, Roy Hendrie, Owen Murray, Donald Shaw and William Smith to name a few.

This year 14 young Scottish accordionists, all 16 years and under, travelled to represent Scotland, competing in a variety of solo, duet and group categories.

India Smith (16) from Milton Bridge, who represented the UK at last year’s CMA accordion

B&F • GUEST ARTISTS

Guest Artist Directory Please contact editor@boxandfiddle.com for any additions, deletions or amendments. Any changes will occur in online-format.

KEY: S = Solo D = Duo T = Trio Q = Quartet B = Band

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BILLY ANDERSON Band: Billy Anderson Band Area: Fife Band Size: D / Q Mob: 07778 178 716 Tel: 01334 840 469 E-mail: Billyandersonmusic@ gmail.com Web: www.billyanderson.co.uk MARIAN ANDERSON Band: Marian Anderson’s SDB Area: Falkirk Band Size: T / Q / 5 / B Mob: 07905 649 046 Tel: 01324 831 833 E-mail: mariansband@aol.com STUART ANDERSON Band: Stuart Anderson SDB & Borders Ceilidh Band Area: Scottish Borders Band Size: S / D / T / B Genre: SCD/Old Time/Ceilidh Mob: 07958 225 535 Tel: 01450 376 496 E-mail: sj_anderson@hotmail.

co.uk

Web: www.bordersceilidhband. co.uk

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SCOTT BAND Band: Scott Band SDB Area: Angus Mob: 07845 906 645 Tel: 01828 650 525 E-mail: scottbox@hotmail.co.uk Web: www.scottband.co.uk FREELAND BARBOUR Band: Occasionals (The) Area: Edinburgh Band Size: To suit Mob: 07434 959 724 Tel: 0131 662 4295 E-mail: contact@freelandbarbour.co.uk Web: www.theoccasionals.com

NEIL BARRON Band: Neil Barron SDB Area: West Yorkshire Band Size: S / D / T / Q / 5 / B Genre: Ceilidh & SCD Mob: 07909 906 060 Tel: 01937 588 352 E-mail: neilbarron@hotmail.com DUNCAN BLACK Band: Duncan Black SDB Area: Edinburgh Band Size: To suit Genre: Scottish Mob 07795 014 891 E-mail: duncan@duncanblack. net ROBERT BLACK Band: Robert Black Band & Jim Johnstone Tribute Band (The) Area: Falkirk Band Size: T / Q / 5 / B Mob: 07712 890 636 Tel: 01506 204 997 E-mail: robert@rbmusic.biz Web: www.robertblack.co.uk GARY BLAIR Band: Jimmy Blair Accordion Orchestra Area: Renfrewshire Band Size: B / S (Accordion) Genre: Mixed Mob 07813 712 594 Tel: 0141 886 2 564 E-mail: gazzapt@yahoo.co.uk Web: www.gbcb.co.uk JOAN BLUE Area: Perthshire Band Size: S / D Tel:01738 787 842 E-mail: joanna_pianna2010@ btinternet.com GREGOR BORLAND Area: Edinburgh Band Size: S (Fiddle) Genre: Traditional hybrid NorthEast fiddle / Highland Mob 07465125 525 E-mail: hammerstring@hotmail.com Web: www.fiddlingscool.com

COLIN BROWN Band: Pentlands Ceilidh Band Area: Fife Mob: 07967 014 986 / 07973 703 360 (Derek Rae) E-mail: pentlandscb@yahoo.co.uk Web: www.pentlandscb.co.uk GORDON BROWN Band: Gordon Brown SDB Area: Scottish Borders Band Size: To suit Mob: 07795 596 487 Tel: 01573 226 487 E-mail: spog.gordonbrown @sky.com LEONARD BROWN Band: Leonard Brown & his All Star Band Area: Tyne and Wear Band Size: S / D / T / B Mob: 07758 723 355 E-mail: leonardbrown accordion@gmail.com Web: www.leonardbrown accordion.co.uk IAIN BUCHANAN Band: Cairnhill Ceilidh Band Area: Lanarkshire Band Size: T Mob: 07736 937 428 E-mail: musicalservices@yahoo. co.uk Web: www.accordionrepairs -scotland.co.uk JOHN & GEORGE BURNS Band: Burns Brothers Ceilidh Band & Full Scottish (The) Area: North Lanarkshire Band Size: T / B / 6 Mob: 07941 357 942 Tel: 01236 821 020 E-mail: jwb1@talktalk.net Web: www.burnsbrothersceilidhband.com

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B&F • CLUB NEWS

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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.

players’ sets accompanied

by Scott Nichol, Callum Cruickshank and Scott Gordon.

Back came the guests with a superb selection of 4/4s, marches, jigs and reels and a solo from young Iona who entertained us with a march, strathspey and reel as well as the slow air Sailing South, all played to perfection. Jennifer’s band leader’s choices were The Hebridean Polka, Bert Shand’s Wee 2 Row Button Box and Robbie Shepherd MBE.

The Cruickshank Family Band, Aberdeen

ABERDEEN MAY The evening started with our AGM, and after all the reports were approved and office bearers elected the meeting closed and our guests the Cruickshank Family Band went on stage: mum Jennifer on accordion, son Callum on piano and daughter Iona and dad Brian on fiddle. We had a super first half where Jennifer dedicated a jig to Brian, The Absent Minded Man, and some great tales passed between husband and wife giving our audience a good laugh. Brian gave us a fiddle solo. Other tunes we enjoyed were The Piper’s Cave and Kenneth J

MacLeod. Callum and Jennifer swapped instruments to close the first half with the 2/4 marches Donald MacLellan of Rothesay and Donald MacLean’s Farewell to Oban.

After tea we had an abundance of local players and some kindly stepped down so that folk from further afield could play. First time visitor, fiddler student Shannon Stevenson, played us a march, strathspey and reel and the beautiful slow air Eleanor of Usan, while John Elliot, another visitor, was accompanied by Dennis Constable on drums.

Sandy McAllan, with Esma Shepherd and Denis Shepherd also did their turns before Gary Anderson completed the local

ANNAN The meeting took place in Newington Social Club on 19th May. Jack Murdock welcomed the large audience. He wished Rob Anderson and Steve Oswald all the best after their recent stays in hospital. He also sent good wishes to Deryn Waitt of the Bon Accords, following her recent illness.

The club sent their congratulation to young Reuben John, who entertained us last month, for winning the Dumfries Festival Shield at the Dumfries Musical Festival and his success at coming first in his section at the all Britain championships in Liverpool.

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B&F DIARY • JULY 2019 B&F • CLUB

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Club Diary July 2019 DATE

CLUB

GUEST ARTIST

VENUE

TIME

CONTACT

2

Seghill

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

Seghill Comrades Club, Cramlington NE23 7TQ

7.00 pm

James Youngson 01670 356 410

3

Banff & District

Steven Carcary Duo (Dance)

Banff Springs Hotel, Banff AB45 2JE

7.30 pm

Alison Coutts 01346 518 754

3

Glenfarg

Stella Wilkie & Joan Blue

Glenfarg Village Hall, Glenfarg PH2 9NU

7.30 pm

Stewart Smith 01577 830 296

3

Montrose

Cruickshank Family Band

Park Hotel, Montrose DD10 8RJ

7.30 pm

Ron Ramsay 01241 879 487

3

Orkney

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

The Reel, Kirkwall KW15 1KD

7.30 pm

Jim Marwick 01856 874 474

4

Crieff

Gordon Patullo & Malcolm Ross

The British Legion, Crieff PH7 3EB

7.30 pm

Irene Anderson 01764 654 298

4

Lewis & Harris

Susan & Shona MacFadyen

Caladh Inn, Stornoway HS1 2QN

8.00 pm

Janette MacIver 01851 704 870

4

Rothbury

Ian Cruickshanks Trio

Armstrong Hall, Jubilee Institute, Rothbury NE65 7SD

7.30 pm

Mary Davidson 01668 281 307

4

Turriff

Scott Band Trio

Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown AB53 5WJ

7.30 pm

Pat Steele 01888 562 486

9

Blairgowrie

Nicky McMichan

Red House Hotel, Coupar Angus PH13 9AL

7.30 pm

Helen Aitchison 01821 670 302

9

Seghill

Liam Stewart Trio

Seghill Comrades Club, Cramlington NE23 7TQ

7.00 pm

James Youngson 01670 356 410

10

Banff & District

Susie Simpson Trio (Dance)

Banff Springs Hotel, Banff AB45 2JE

7.30 pm

Alison Coutts 01346 518 754

10

Orkney

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

The Reel, Kirkwall KW15 1KD

7.30 pm

Jim Marwick 01856 874 474

11

Button-Key (Windygates)

Derek Hamilton & Friends

The Greig Institute, Windygates KY8 5DG

7.00 pm

Mary Cook 01592 713 687

11

Carlisle

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

St Margaret Mary’s Social Club, Carlisle CA2 4JX

7.30 pm

Alison Davies 01228 675 505

16

Seghill

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

Seghill Comrades Club, Cramlington NE23 7TQ

7.00 pm

James Youngson 01670 356 410

17

Banff & District

George Rennie Quartet (Dance)

Banff Springs Hotel, Banff AB45 2JE

7.30 pm

Alison Coutts 01346 518 754

17

Orkney

Leonard Brown Duo

Kings St Halls, Kirkwall

7.30 pm

Jim Marwick 01856 874 474

18

Tynedale

Brandon McPhee Trio

Tynedale Farmers Function Suite, Hexham Auction Mart, Hexham NE46 3SG

7.00 pm

Roddy Matthews 01434 672 424 / 07801 951 965

21

Annan St Andrew

Derek Hamilton

St Andrew Social Club, Annan DG12 5JW

7.30 pm

Mrs N Taylor 01461 204 604

23

Ellon

Scottish Accordion Music Group

Station Hotel, Ellon AB41 9BD

7.30 pm

Tom Jamieson 07864 824583

23

Seghill

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

Seghill Comrades Club, Cramlington NE23 7TQ

7.00 pm

James Youngson 01670 356 410

- supported by Seghill Comrades Accordion Band

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B&F • REVIEWS

Reviews An Evening with Nancy Kerr & James Fagan Nancy Kerr & James Fagan Little Dish Records

2010 saw the release of Nancy Kerr and James Fagan’s fifth album Twice Reflected Sun, an album which helped win them best duo for the second time at the 2011 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Since then, there has been a hiatus in their duo recording career, during which time they have moved to Sheffield, had two children and formed Melrose Quartet. Additionally Nancy has recorded two successful solo albums and won Folk Singer of the Year at the 2015 BBC Folk Awards as well as being part of The Full English, The Elizabethan Sessions, Sweet Liberties and Shake the Chains as the the revived group The Transports. James in that time has toured with the iconic Bellowhead and with Jamie McClennan (The James Brothers). It’s fair to say then that the sixth Kerr/Fagan collaboration has been highly anticipated for a long time. Nancy

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

and James are well known for their energetic and virtuosic live performances and a live album has finally arrived! The album was recorded at sellout shows in Kimpton Parish Church (Hertfordshire) and Crookes Social Club in Sheffield. An Evening with Nancy Kerr and James Fagan is the first chance to hear a top-class recording of this great duo in their favourite environment, live on stage, playing for each other and their audience in a joyous, thrilling outpouring of music and story telling. The quality and clarity of both the performance and the production are abundantly evident. Nancy and James hired long-term collaborators Tom Wright and Matt Gordon to set up and capture the two concerts exactly as they were performed. There are no overdubs and nothing has been added. You will hear Nancy and James exactly as their audience hear them at every show. What makes this record particularly special for Nancy and James is the fantastic audiences who joined them over two nights The energetic crowd reaction to what they heard and saw is thrilling and on two particular tracks the combined power of Nancy, James and the audience singing in harmony is something to behold. In some ways An Evening with Nancy Kerr and James Fagan can be seen as a 22 year career retrospective. It features some of the most requested songs from their previous five albums, including Dance to your Daddy and Anderson’s Coast. The set list though is far broader than a mere ‘best of’ collection as it includes several pieces never recorded before.

Some of these have been staples of their live shows for many years, like the storming Northumberland tunes by Willie Taylor, the breathtaking set of 7/8 time tunes called Kitchen Dance, and newly written Nancy Kerr songs Lovers of Us All, Mr Weather, Broadside and Fragile Water, all of which reflect the incredible output of original material she has been producing of late. This is another great recording from Nancy and James and live to boot which is well worthy of your listening attention. l

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