Fiddle
39th Year No. 10 June 2016
£2.70
BOX& The magazine for Scottish music enthusiasts
The Fiddle in Strathspey CLUB REPORTS
Joan Blue
GUEST OF HONOUR
PLUS News
Club & Dance Diaries and much more...
Welcome
B&F • EDITORIAL
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...to the June 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 Grace Elizabeth Wood © Malcolm Younger of Millgaet Media 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
Many of the clubs are now closed for the summer although some are still open, so keep reading the magazine over the summer to see where you can go. I have met quite a few travellers lately. Said hello to last year’s Guest Artist, Davie Graham, who told me that Windygates was his 72nd club since September. I think that’s impressive. Pia Walker, Editor Votes have come in for this year’s Baffis, a closely kept secret, but in this issue you can see who had the highest amount of nominations. The AGM and Luncheon with the awards will no doubt be superb as always. It will definitely be something to look forward to. I hope you will send in the dates for the next season as soon as possible. Don’t leave it until last minute. We publish the calendar 2 months at a time, so if you would like to show that you are open in September, I need something in early July. Due to hols, I really need to receive all information for the deadline 5th of July. Deadline, by the way, doesn’t mean that you have to wait sending in material until that date, if you have it before, send away. I did have one club this year who sent something in just after the deadline had passed. However, the information was for something that had happened 2-3 weeks earlier! Someone asked me how to start a new club, and I hope to bring a short article on what to do (and not to do) soon. If you have any ideas I can incorporate, please send them to me over the summer. It is not too late to send in your summer subscription, but do take a look at the list of stockists on page 10. I am so grateful to these businesses for stocking the magazine. Not only can readers get their magazine from there at the beginning of each month, but the magazine can also be seen by others who then may just start going to the clubs. ? Musicians! Do remember to update your guest artist information – if you don’t, you will not be on the hard-copy list in July. 5th June deadline! I hope to see many of you at the golf day oot and the AGM.
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.
PHOTO: ©GARETH REES-ROBERTS
Contents
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B&F • CONTENTS
News
A Rogart Visitation; Twenty One; BAFFI Award Nominees; Falkland Traditional Music Festival; Magazine Stockists
Take the Floor The Fiddle in Strathspey
Bill Sadler tells us the history behind the competition
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41 Deadlines:
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Joan Blue
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Club News
35
Club Diary
39
Dance Diary
41
In Memory
44
Sheet Music
Guest of Honour 2016
The latest news from our clubs
You are never too old to go Clubbing!
Find the nearest dances and ceilidhs
Bob McMath
Shauna’s 50th by Graeme Munro
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.
A Rogart Visitation
The Sutherland Accordion and Fiddle Club in Rogart had invited us to visit them, so after packing our bags and instruments we boarded the ferry at 6.30am for a trip to the mainland. We stayed in Inverness, so had an excuse to join Fraser Maclean and his cohorts at the Saturday afternoon shindig in Hootananny where Duncan Gordon, Graham Maclennan, Alex Morrison, DB Macleod, Dol Macdonald and Ishbel Crichton performed to a very enthusiastic audience. Afterwards we boarded the bus again and headed north. The Sutherland club opened playing the Lewis & Harris Gathering especially for us. After some presentations to local schools, some local guests took to the stage with a mouth organ followed by a singer and step dancers. At nine o’clock Lewis & Harris began with a stramash and
continued with Ishbel, Campbell Maciver, DB, Alex Morrison, Nicola Hines, Dougie Watson, Duncan, Dol, Graham Maclennan and Krisell Macdonald individually performing accompanied by Violet Morrison on keyboard and we pinched Sutherland’s Maggie Jamieson for the drums. After a short break for some excellent food and a large raffle Alex Morrison, DB, Violet and Maggie got together to play for the dance, a really nice way to finish off the evening. On the way back to Inverness Graham, Dol and Alex took their instruments onto the bus and entertained us back down the A9. The Lewis and Harris Club would like to express their appreciation and thanks to the Sutherland club for the invitation and excellent hospitality. We all had a wonderful time. Douglas Watson
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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM
Magazine Stockists The magazine continues to be printed during the summer month and again this year several retailers have agreed to stock the magazine over the summer (some stock all the year round).
l Concorde
Music Shop, 15 Scott Street, Perth PH1 5EJ. Tel: 01738 621 818 (all year)
l R
W M Domestic Spares, Victorian Market, Inverness IV1 1PG. Tel: 01463 220 506 (all year)
l High
Level Music, 62-64 Commercial Street, Lerwick, Shetland ZE1 0DL. Tel: 01595 692 618 (all year) Douglas Music, 9 Great King Street, Dumfries DG1 1BA. Tel: 01387 256 479 (all year)
l Robert
Rolston, Alloa Business Centre, Office 95, Whins Road, Alloa FK10 3RF. Tel: 01259 211 868 (all year)
l Scottish
Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR. Tel: 0131 556 9579 (all year)
l Skye
Music Shop, Bayfield Road, Portree, Isle of Skye IV51 9EL. Tel: 01478 611 980
l John
l Spences
l June’s
l The
l Music
l W
Card & Gift Shop, 51 High Street, Dingwall IV15 9HL. Tel: 01349 861 336 (all year) Station, 71 Bank Street, Galashiels TD1 1EL. Tel: 01896 754 554 (all year)
Music Shop, 4 Buccleuch Street, Hawick TD9 0HW. Tel: 01450 372 115 (all year) Violin Shop, 7/11 Blackie Street, Yorkhill, Glasgow G3 8TN. Tel: 0141 339 8078 (all year)
D Hutton, 11 Auchenreoch Holding, Milton of Campsie G66 8AF. Tel: 07889 021 972
Individuals who have copies for sale throughout the year: Charlie Kirkpatrick, David Cunningham, Tom Orr, Tom Riddell, Iain Cathcart, Charles Todd, Margo Maclennan, Richard Ross, Susan MacFadyen, Nicol McLaren, Pia Walker and Willie Johnstone. (A heartfelt thank you to you all!) You can also pick up a copy at the clubs that are running throughout the summer, but please let them know in advance so they can reserve a copy for you. Some dedicated club committee members still receive magazines and deliver them to members although the club has shut for the summer (My heroes!). The NAAFC and the Box & Fiddle team are very grateful for the service these people and many others extend to us. Don’t forget that you can also summer subscribe by filling in the subscription form on page 4 and sending it to me. l
B&F • JUNE 2016
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The Fiddle in Strathspey by Bill Sadler
T
he Strathspey or ‘Strathspey reel’ originated, it is said, from Strathspey, that broad Strath of the River Spey, north of the Cairngorm Mountains. It was originally written for the fiddle and used for dancing.1 It is actually a slow and stylised form of reel while the standard reel was known as an ‘Atholl reel’.2 It is the music of nature “The voice of the storm reverberant along the mountain tops, the soughing of the wind through forests of pine, the patter of summer rain on birch leaves, the rippling murmur of a highland burn, and the louder music of the silvery Spey...”3 The fiddle, of course, may not be Scotland’s oldest musical instrument though some form of bowed stringed instruments have been around in Scotland since Celtic times. The fiddle in the Highlands only grew in popularity in the late seventeenth century. It was not however unanimously popular with traditional harpists. Roderick Morrison, a harperpoet, allegedly declared (in Gaelic) “If fiddling be music, we’ve had enough of it!”4 Nevertheless, in the 1690’s Aberdeen University professor James Garden wrote to John Aubrey that groups of women entertainers used to go from place to place with a fiddler who accompanied them both in dancing and singing. Another such fiddler was the legendary cateran James Macpherson, hanged at Banff in November 1700 and whose companion Peter Brown was possibly of the family of Browns of Kincardine who were later considered the originators of the Strathspey style. “According to the tradition of the Country, the first who played them [Strathspey Reels] were the Browns of Kincardin: to whom are ascribed a few of the most ancient tunes. After these men, the Cummings of Freuchie, now Castle-Grant, were in the highest estimation for their knowledge and execution in Strathspey Music; and most of the tunes handed down to us are certainly of their composing.”5
The earliest Seafield reference to this family of hereditary pipers/musicians is possibly a 1653 “Letter of Pension, by which James Grant of Freuquhy becomes bound to cause his chamberlain of Inverallan to pay and deliver yearly to Alexander Cumming, his piper and violer [fiddler], twenty merks Scots money…”6 Alexander was succeeded as James McQueen the Laird’s piper by William Cumming whose famous 1715 Richard Waitt portrait now hangs in the National Museum of Scotland. He was followed by John and then Angus Cumming both of whom had been out in the Forty-Five. Angus settled in Old Grantown and then in a house built for him in 1767/8 in the New Town. This was the first house built on the ‘South Side’ and was on the site of what is now the Claymore Bar. Angus Cumming’s ‘Collection of Strathspey or Old Highland Reels’ was published posthumously in Edinburgh in 1780, “a volume which is still of the highest authority.”7 The Cumming tradition of composing Strathspeys was carried on by William Marshall (1748–1833) of Speyside who is described as “the most influential composer of the area”8 and “the most brilliant and prolific composer of reels and Strathspeys that Scotland has produced.”9 Through Marshall’s probable pupil, Charles Grant, Schoolmaster at Aberlour (1807-1892), something of his style of playing may have been passed on to James Scott Skinner (1843-1927) “The Strathspey King”. Meanwhile in Perthshire, fiddlers of the Athole Reel tradition such as Niel Gow (1727-1807) and Malcolm McDonald (b 1750) and many others in that golden age became well known, many of whom played regularly in Edinburgh. At the time when Niel Gow was at the height of his popularity there were a great many talented fiddlers in Strathspey. One such was the father of the Rev. Peter Grant, Baptist minister in Grantown and composer of numerous Gaelic hymns. He
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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM
Joan Blue by Pia Walker
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6 OF HONOUR 201
Much has been written about Joan Blue and there was a moment sitting with Joan in her lovely home in Bankfoot, I was thinking, “What on earth can I say that hasn’t already been said?”
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oan was born in February 1933 in Perth (the original Fair Maid of Perth). Her parents lived in a tenement just across from the tennis courts. Her father and his brothers were drummers, her grandfather a violin teacher, her sister an accordion player and her mother a keen singer. When Joan was 10 her parents bought a piano for the princely sum of £10. The first tune Joan picked out on the keyboard was In the Mood. She wasn’t too keen on being taught by an elderly Mr Edward Nicol and it was years before her mother realised that she used skive off these classes. When she was 13 she changed piano teacher and her interest improved tremendously, however, she readily agrees that if it wasn’t for Jimmy Blue her musical career would have been a little bit different to what it became. She began playing for various types of dance classes from the age of 14 and began an illustrious career as piano accompanist to many well-known bands from the age of 15. As was usual at that time, playing for dances meant learning both modern and Scottish styles and how to use the piano to support the individual musicians without drowning them out. She honed her skills and her ability to hold her own amongst other musicians in various bands including one where they didn’t play The Destiny Waltz, but called it The Dysentery Waltz. Joan also learnt to play without looking at the sheet music, a skill that came in handy when with another band they took a busload of women up to the Rannoch Hydro Electric Camp to play for the workers’ dances. She was far more interested in taking note of couples going out the door and how long it took before they came back in than the notes on the sheets of paper in front of her. She became the first pianist, at 16, in Bill Wilkie’s Accordion Orchestra and credits Bill with being the biggest influence in her musical life. It was here she learned to vamp from Mick Ainsworth and incidentally met her husband to be, Jimmy Blue. Apparently Joan’s mum used to feed half the band after practice while they were waiting to take buses back home and according to Joan, Jimmy fell first for the eggs and chips served up by Joan’s mum and then fell for Joan! They married in 1955. It should have been earlier, but Jimmy had to buy a new accordion as he was joining the Ian Powrie Band, and so the wedding got postponed as there wasn’t money for
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.
ANNAN ST ANDREW The guest band for April was the Robert Whitehead Scottish Dance Band, comprising Robert Whitehead on lead accordion, Graeme Whitehead on second accordion, Andy Kain on fiddle and Dave Ashbridge on drums. Robert is a former winner of the Senior Scottish Traditional Accordion Championship. He and the band play at venues across the country and have featured on BBC’s Take the Floor on numerous occasions. The evening began with a number of favourite dances. Local players, accompanied by Ian Wilson and Fiona Paul on keyboard and Billy Porter on drums, were: Kenny White from Rigg (piano accordion). Lawrence Wannop from Great Orton playing several good going tunes on piano accordion. Bill McMinn from Lockerbie with two sets on a two-row melodeon. Richard Brown from Aspatria played for a Square Tango on piano accordion. Norman Swainson from Wigton played piano accordion. Fiona Paul from Carnwath played two sets on piano accordion. Newby Park from Carlisle played several
popular tunes on an aged piano accordion. Les Hurst from Carlisle played two contrasting sets on piano accordion. Jim Fraser from Dumfries played piano accordion. Willie Little from Dumfries played several well-known tunes on whistle. David Bell from Carlisle played piano accordion. Roger Dobson from Langholm played a Shand Morino button-key accordion. John Waugh from Carlisle played piano accordion. The final local player was Barbara Fisher from Carrutherstown, who, accompanied by John Waugh, played piano accordion. The guest band then returned and played for further dances. Finally John Caskie from Dumfries joined the band to sing a couple of songs. BANFF & DISTRICT Andy welcomed all to the Banff Springs Hotel and was joined on stage by Graham Wilson (accordion), Calum McKaskill (guitar) and John Cook (washboard). This quartet put out some great joyful music including sing-alongs and Gaelic waltzes to begin the evening. After Andy stepped down, the trio continued and Graham also played a lovely
slow air and a Continental set. Our guest artists were The Lomond Ceilidh Band, with Alan Small on accordion, Gemma Donald on fiddle and Kyle Innes on drums. The band played a mixture of music ranging from Shetland tunes to sing-alongs and waltzes. Gemma played a solo dedicated to a friend who had passed away. Kyle took centre stage with Alan’s accordion and you could have heard a pin drop due to the great set of tunes played by him. He is 17 and I can see a future band leader in the making. They continued playing until the break with its tea, coffee, sandwiches and raffle. Andy, John, Graham and Calum started the second half with a grand selection of tempos including a set of Jim Reeves numbers. The guests came back on with a march, strathspey & reel to start with and Spanish Eyes were also included in one of the sets. Gemma, originally from Shetland, gave a wonderful solo performance with some Shetland reels. After a singalong set, she also sang a couple of songs and Alan just kept playing. It was such a good evening’s entertainment. Agnes Bain
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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.
June 2016 DATE
CLUB
GUEST ARTISTE
VENUE
TIME
CONTACT
1
Glenfarg
Perth Strathspey & Reel Society
Glenfarg Village Hall, Glenfarg PH2 9NU
8.00 pm
Russell Robertson 01577 830 642
1
Montrose
Gary Sutherland Band
Park Hotel, Montrose DD10 8RJ
7.30 pm
Ron Ramsay 01241 879 487
1
Orkney
Club Night (Visitors welcome)
The Reel, Kirkwall KW15 1KD
7.30 pm
Jim Marwick 01856 874 474
2
Crieff
Joan Blue and friends
The British Legion, Crieff PH7 3EB
8.00 pm
Irene Anderson 01764 654 298
2
Lewis and Harris
Andy Kain
Caladh Inn, Stornoway HS1 2QN
8.00 pm
Janette MacIver 01851 704 870
2
Rothbury
Deirdre Adamson
Queens Head Hotel, Rothbury NE65 7SR
7.30 pm
Mary Davidson 01668 281 307
2
Turriff
Nicol McLaren and Glencraig SDB
Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown AB53 5WJ
7.30 pm
Pat Steele 01888 562 486
7
North East
AGM
Royal British Legion, Keith AB55 5EN
7.30 pm
Mrs Petrie 01542 860 246
7
Seghill
Gavin Piper
Seghill Comrades Club, Cramlington NE23 7TQ
7.00 pm
James Youngson 01670 356 410
8
Forres
AGM
Victoria Hotel, Tytler Street, Forres IV36 1EL
7.30 pm
Mrs Ann Sharp 01309 672 672
8
Kelso
AGM
Kelso Rugby Club, Kelso TD5 7EH
7.00 pm
Fiona Oliver 01668 216 162
8
Orkney
Club Night (Visitors welcome)
The Reel, Kirkwall KW15 1KD
7.30 pm
Jim Marwick 01856 874 474
9
Button-Key (Windygates)
Leonard Brown & Malcolm Ross
The Greig Institute, Windygates KY8 5DG
7.00 pm
Mary Cook 01592 713 687
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Arbroath
Alan Small & Gemma Donald
Arbroath Artisan Golf Club, Elliot, By Arbroath DD11 2PE (Doors open at 7.30pm)
8.00 pm
Tony Simpson 01241 875 326
14
Blairgowrie
James Coutts SDB
Red House Hotel, Coupar Angus PH13 9AL
7.45 pm
Helen Aitchison 01821 670 302
14
Seghill
Club Night (Visitors welcome)
Seghill Comrades Club, Cramlington NE23 7TQ
7.00 pm
James Youngson 01670 356 410
15
Orkney
Club Night (Visitors welcome)
The Reel, Kirkwall KW15 1KD
7.30 pm
Jim Marwick 01856 874 474
16
Tynedale
Willie MacFarlane Band (AGM)
Hexham & District Ex-Servicemens Club Hexham NE46 3PQ
7.30 pm
Roddy Matthews 01434 672 424
19
Annan St Andrew
Local Night (Visitors welcome)
St Andrew Social Club, Annan DG12 5JW
7.30 pm
Mrs N Taylor 01461 204 604
20
Highland
AGM
The Waterside Hotel, Inverness IV2 4SF
7.30 pm
Jacqui MacDonald 01463 231 929
21
Ellon
Kevin Cheyne
Station Hotel, Ellon AB41 9BD
7.30 pm
Dr Tom R Jamieson 01358 729 575
21
Seghill
Club Night (Visitors welcome)
Seghill Comrades Club, Cramlington NE23 7TQ
7.00 pm
James Youngson 01670 356 410
22
Banff & District
Scott Band SDB
Banff Springs Hotel, Banff AB45 2JE
7.30 pm
Alison Coutts 01346 518 754
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Sheet Music
Shauna’s 50th by Graeme Munro ©
A tune composed by Shauna’s husband for her 50th and played for the first in public at her surprise party in Haddington in May 2016.
Shauna's 50th
© Graeme Munro