Fiddle
40th Year No. 10 June 2017
£2.70
BOX& The magazine for Scottish music enthusiasts
THE DUMFRIES ACCORDION AND FIDDLE FESTIVAL
G
eorge Darling
GUEST OF HONOUR
PLUS
We say farewell to
BILL WILKIE
M.B.E.
An invitation to
OF
THE FIDDLER STRATHSPEY FESTIVAL
NEWS, REVIEWS, CLUB & DANCE DIARIES AND MUCH MORE...
Welcome
B&F • EDITORIAL
3
...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 Martin mamidesigns@hotmail.com Section icons by: FlatIcon
Cover Image The Shand Brothers at the Dumfries Festival © Caroline Menzies 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 • Lorna Mair 7 Lathro Lane, Kinross KY13 8RX lorna@boxandfiddle.com Treasurer • Willie Johnstone treasurer@boxandfiddle.com Executive Committee: David Cunningham Charlie Kirkpatrick Susan MacFadyen Margo Maclennan Tom Orr Richard Ross
June is upon us, and many clubs have closed their doors for the summer. Not all though, and I hope that those clubs still open will have many visitors during the summer months. Note that we show 3 months worth of club diaries this month, so you can see which clubs are open and plan thereafter. I have managed to get out and about too, Pia Walker, Editor and hope to do some more visiting during the summer months as my dance classes close for the summer. In this issue, we also show which retailers and others stock the magazine, so you can still get your B&F-fix every month, even if you can’t get to a club. You can, of course, always summer subscribe. And although May is not half-way through yet, I am already working on the July issue, so keep the letters, articles, photos and music etc coming. If you don’t send in, I can’t publish. Bring the inner journalist to the fore and start writing. June is the month of the NAAFC AGM. I will be bringing the ‘Go Clubbing’ stickers again this year, so you can purchase them for the new season. They are meant as an advert that your members can carry around on their instrument cases, ring binders etc to promote the club scene. I also hope that you will tell me what you want in your magazine. Write down your ideas and hand them to me on the day - that way I won’t forget, and can take them into consideration when I am back in the office! We discuss all ideas, and if they are feasible we try and implement them. I do look forward to see many of you there. It is always great to touch base with you all. I know it is only June, and I am writing this in May, but I would appreciate if all entries to the August issue can be in before the deadline of 5th July to allow for various holidays etc. I will still be contactable throughout the month, but online access can be somewhat interesting when you are travelling the Highlands! Enjoy the summer, but don’t stop playing or listening.
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
B&F • CONTENTS
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11 6 8 10
News Magazine Stockists Find out where to pick up your Summer issue
The Dumfries Accordion and Fiddle Festival Gavin Foster reports the results of the day
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Fiddler of Strathspey Festival
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George Darling
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Club News
40
An invitation to Grantown
We speak to one of this year’s Guests of Honour
The latest news from our clubs
Take the Floor
Deadlines:
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Centre Stage
41
Club Diary
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Dance Diary
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Memories
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Reviews
52
Music
5
Marina Bruce
You are never too old to go clubbing!
Find the nearest dances and ceilidhs
Bill Wilkie M.B.E.
Ports of Call A Toast to Scotland Copious Notes
Alasdair Macleod of Tobermory by Niall Kirkpatrick
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.
B&F • NEWS
Letters
N
BAFFI
AWARDS 2017 Dear Pia May I through your columns air my views with regard Bill Brown’s article in the May edition of the Box and Fiddle re.: Brandon McPhee ‘In Country Song’ CD. Since I was 20 years old, music has been my life and livelihood. I have always had the greatest respect for Bill Brown and his opinions, however, would like to point out that from the CD in question, two of Brandon’s songs have already made the top ten in the European Country Music charts, as compiled by Joyce Ramgatie based in Holland. Brandon’s albums in general, including this one, sell thousands. In the first two lines of Bill’s review, he writes of Daniel O’Donnell’s opinion. Daniel freely did a review of Brandon’s singing album and I must say reading Bill’s comments it would seem he was listening to a different CD. The response we at Pan Records have had for this album and its musical content from many top names in the country music business have been numerous. On this CD, Brandon has some of the biggest names in the country music world singing and playing music with him, every single one of them was complimentary about his singing. People of that calibre do not do sessions or record with anyone they think sub-standard. Our TV programme ‘Caithness Music Show’, on which Brandon presents, sings and plays the accordion, have had literally thousands of positive comments on his performances. I am very disappointed having to put my opinions this way, constructive criticism is always welcome, however I find nothing in Bill’s article constructive, nothing more than a put down based on his own opinion. Robert Cameron, Pan Records
Voting closed on 5th May and these are the top 4 nominees for each category (in alphabetical order):
Club Supporter of the Year l Maxine Cummings l Janet Graham l Billy Hutton l Kenny Jackson
CD of the Year l Back on Track (Lomond Ceilidh Band) l His Master’s Moothie (Jake MacKay & Friends) l Joy of Sets (James Coutts) l Platinum Anniversary (Marian Anderson)
Club of the Year l Campsie l Mauchline l Islesteps l Clydesdale
Guest Artist of the Year l Alan Small & Gemma Donald l Ewan Galloway l Janet Graham l John Morgan
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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM
The Dumfries Accordion and Fiddle Festival By Gavin Foster, joint secretary, accordion and fiddle section. Photos by Caroline Menzies
All fiddle competitors
T
he Dumfries Accordion and Fiddle Festival, part of Perform in Dumfries, was held on Saturday 25th March, and what a success this turned out to be. We had a very good entry this year especially in the accordion classes making for a day of superb music enjoyed by a very appreciative audience. Competitors came from as far afield as An Caol, Dunfermline, Glasgow and Edinburgh, with many local players. It was particularly pleasing to have several young local fiddle players entering for the first time. We had an accordion band of eighteen young players from Wallace Hall Primary who had been taught as a project sponsored by Dumfries Education Authority. They played along with some musicians from KODA and proved a great success. We also had a visit from The Easter Bunny (cunningly disguised as Sheena Dickson) who presented a chocolate egg to all competitors. This was a nice touch from Keith and Sheena! The adjudicators this year were Susan Harrison from Keir for fiddles and Leonard Brown from
Adjudicator Susan Harrison with A & F Secretary Gavin Foster
Newcastle for accordions. They put the competitors at ease and passed on useful tips for their future playing careers. All competitors appreciated their relaxed and encouraging manner. The aim of the Festival is to encourage traditional music, and with the talent on show, traditional music is in safe hands. Of course, festivals don’t just run themselves and I would like to thank all who contributed in any way to the success of the Festival. The day finished off with a lively family ceilidh, which featured many of the competitors from the festival performing in a more relaxed environment. It was nice to see the winner of the beginners’ fiddle class, Niamh Stainthorpe from Cummertrees, asking to be included and playing a lovely set. l 1. Adin Graham. 2. Ciorstaidh-Sarah Chaimbeul. 3. Niamh Stainthorpe. 4. Alice Parker. 5. Emma Morrison. 6. David McDonald. 7. Elspeth Smith. 8. Sheena Dickson. 9. Wallace Hall Primary p5 Accordion Group. 10. Emma Dickson. 11. The Shand Family. 12. Kyle Rowan
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B&F • JUNE 2017
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Fiddler of Strathspey Festival 23rd - 25th June
An invitation Traditional musicians and music lovers are warmly invited to join us in Grantown for a celebration of the wonderful music of ‘the lands and peoples of the Spey’.
T
he festival promises to be a major event focused on St Columba’s Church and Wheatley Hall, the Ben Mhor Hotel, the Community Centre, cafes, shops and restaurants with opportunities to listen and play, to learn and share, to celebrate and showcase our traditional Highland musical culture and heritage. On the Friday evening, the Grantown Society presents ‘Song of the Spey – a prelude’ exploring the story of the music of the Spey. It will include a rare appearance of the Carnyx, the fearsome war horn of the Picts, and music from harps and pipes. Fiddle music will play a major part, for this is indeed the land of strathspeys, with reference to such as Lachlan Macpherson, the Strathmashie tacksman, Angus Cumming, the laird’s piper and violer and the better-known names of Grant, Marshall and Skinner. There will also be traditional sessions in various venues. Saturday starts with an informal and friendly fiddle competition. Later, there will be master classes, displays illustrating the music of the Spey, demonstrations of both playing techniques and fiddle construction, and of course sessions, refreshments, and encouragement. The ‘Deskford’ Carnyx is the focus of a talk and demonstrations. A fiddlers’ rally in the evening, led by Donald Barr and the Badenoch Fiddlers, will be followed by a gala concert and a ceilidh with the ever popular Forres Accordion and Fiddle Club. Those with enough stamina on Saturday night can continue at the Ben Mhor’s late
night disco. The fiddling events are led by Lauren MacColl, Paul Anderson and Charlie McKerron , along with Paula Starritt, Michael Kerr and Donald Barr as well as Patrick Kenny (carnyx) and Marie-Louise Napier (harp). The tutors will give recitals as well as leading sessions, workshops and master classes. The latter will include Strathspey and Reel techniques, bowing skills, the Strathspeys and Old Highland Reels of Angus Cumming. There will be opportunities for novice and experienced players to take part and chances galore to listen to fine music and to give encouragement to young players. The festival continues into Sunday with further sessions and an open air ‘churches together’ service with singing led by fiddlers from around the area, thus following the tradition of the great 19th century Pastor and hymn writer, Peter Grant. Further information is available from info@ thegrantownsociety.org or www.thegrantownsociety. org. Discounted accommodation is available in the host hotel, the Ben Mhor, and bookings should be made as soon as possible through Booking.com or telephone 01479 873216. Ticket prices are as low as £15.00 for a full weekend events ticket and can be preordered through info@thegrantownsociety. org. Similarly, entry to the Fiddler of Strathspey Competitions can be made online. l
Come and make it happen and enjoy the music.
B&F • JUNE 2017
George Darling by
GU E
G
S T OF
017 2 R U H ON O
eorge was born in 1931 in Newcastle. His father, Ralph, was a tenant farmer and neither he nor his mum, Millie, was musical. George tells me that his father took no interest in music, as his life was his farm. Likewise his only sibling, James, also a farmer, had no interest. His mum liked dancing and perhaps this is where George inherited his rhythmic talent. George too likes to dance, he tells me, especially the modern stuff – quicksteps etc. George is obviously still the unique one in the family. His late wife, Moira, whom he met in the 60s at a dance, was not interested in music and neither is his son Kevin nor his grown-up grandsons, Michael, Adam and Liam. But perhaps his baby great granddaughter will change that! George learnt to play the drums from Scottish soldiers stationed on the estate opposite his father’s farm near Alnwick during the war when he was used as a messenger boy between locals of a certain
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gender who were not allowed into the camp and the gentlemen who resided there. George told me that the drummers used to practise with dinner plates held under their arms, to learn to keep their arms as close to their bodies as possible, and if they dropped the plates and broke them, they had to pay for them out of their pay. If you notice, George always keeps his arms close to his sides while drumming - now you know who he got it from! After the war, George started an apprenticeship in Alnwick, but didn’t like it much and transferred to a NCB colliery to finish as a time-served mining engineer. He had also started a band in a boys’ club with Bryce Anderson and John Thompson – The Alnmouth Boys’ Club Band. Later, after leaving the boys’ club, they named themselves The Minstrel Boys and started playing at local dances. The BBC later called them The Cheviot Ranters, a Northumbrian band that lasted well into the 70s. DJ John Peel was very fond of this band, although by then George had left to do something different. Playing for the BBC was a challenge, as the BBC didn’t like the bands to repeat tunes, or play too much Scottish. It had to be a Northumbrian local programme. “It was not easy to get hold of music in those days.” I asked if it was a problem finding the sheet music, to which George replied wryly: “In those days only the bass session player could read music … we listened to the tunes and mostly busked”. I also think he quietly mentioned something like “… and we repeated a few tunes too by renaming them”. As his reputation grew, he was gigging more and more. It was pretty hard coming home from a gig at 4 in the morning to go down the mine at 7am, work a shift and then go back out and play. While he was single and living with his mum, he sometimes tried to avoid his call-out duties when there were problems at a mine. His mum used to tell him it was his duty and duly ensured he got up and went. Later on, after getting more and more gigs in Scotland and with his marriage failing, George moved across the border and decided to become a full time musician in Scotland: “I thought about it hard and decided that if I didn’t do it, I would regret it for the rest of my life.” Now followed an interesting and busy life of playing music with some very well-known bands. When ‘resting’ he worked in various jobs as an engineer.
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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.
Craig Paton and friends, Aberdeen
ABERDEEN Scott Gordon welcomed everyone and apologised for a change of guest artists for the second month running, this time because bandleader Gordon Shand was in hospital. He wished Gordon a speedy recovery and hoped the band would guest next season. The local players in the first half were Frank Burnett and Keith Duncan on accordion, Ernest Mitchell and Susan Gordon on fiddle and Denis Shepherd on moothie. Stanley Flett accompanied them all on piano with Scott Gordon on drums. The last minute guest artist was Craig Paton and friends - Scott Gordon (second box), Scott Nichol (piano), Brian
Cruickshank (bass) and Duncan Christie (drums). They produced a very polished and varied programme of marches, jigs and waltzes, the popular two step Out at the Meadowbank Inn and a beautiful slow air Niel Gow’s Lament for the Death of his Second Wife. They finished the first half with a great set of reels. After the tea and raffle, Charlie Lawie and Stanley Flett on accordion with Scott Nichol on piano continued, followed by three fiddlers. Abbie Dawson, our youngest player, had her debut with her teacher Susan Gordon, her dad Neil and Scott Gordon on piano. Last local player was visitor Ewan Reid on accordion with Craig on piano. Well played Abbie and Ewan please come back and lower the average age of the club!
The guests started their second half with a super set of 4/4 marches followed by a great selection of jigs, reels, singalong two steps, schottishes and waltzes. They played a superb rendition of the Band Boys Polka and finished off with some modern reels to rousing applause. The last minute band certainly didn’t disappoint. We hope to see everyone next month, our last night of the season and AGM, so I had better get the books ‘cooked’! SB ANNAN ST ANDREWS The April meeting took place on Easter Sunday in Newington Social Club with a packed audience to hear the guests Scott Band and his Scottish Dance Band. Scott was on accordion, Bill Ewan on piano, and Graham Sherrit on drums. John Watret was compere and welcomed the band. They soon had the dancers on the floor with an Edinburgh Mixture, Memory Waltz, Shiftin’ Bobbins and a White Heather Foxtrot. Scott swapped his piano accordion for his threerow button-key Shand Morino showing what an accomplished player he is. The band continued with an Eva Three
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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM
Memories
Bill Scrimger Wilkie M.B.E. (1922 - 2017)
B
ill Wilkie, legendary accordion tutor, impresario, dance bandleader, raconteur – Bill was all of these but, up until a few months before his death, he drove to Dunkeld every Sunday and walked to the Hermitage, often on his own. In earlier days, he liked nothing better than having his accordion orchestra set out for Little Glenshee for picnics – and fun. Bill was good at having fun and making others enjoy themselves. Bill started the accordion orchestra in 1948 and having performed at a festival in Dundee, he was impressed with the aspirations and dedication of the competitors. When the National Accordion Organisation asked if he would organise a festival in Perth, he was keen to do so. The first one was held in 1950 and as well as some classical music classes, he held an open solo class for Scottish country dance music. Eventually this became the popular Scottish Championship. The Perth City Hall became the focus of countless wee lassies and laddies congregating with proud, nervous parents as well as accordionists of all ages and capabilities meeting and greeting each other. I was the first pianist in his orchestra, from1949 until 1955, and I learned so much from Bill. He taught me how to vamp; Mickie Ainsworth, who was lead accordionist, taught me how to play chords and, of course, through him I met my future husband, Jimmy Blue. Band practices were on Sunday afternoons. Bill was a perfectionist and knew exactly when a mistake was made, AND who had made it! We played such a variety of music and many classics: Vienna, City of Dreams, and music from the operas ‘La Traviata’ and ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’ with such beautiful arrangements. On the lighter side, when I began with the orchestra, there was still food rationing. Some of the band who lived in the country would bring in eggs for Bill to take home. Invariably, he would take one out and suddenly, look at one of us, shout “Catch” and throw the egg! This sometimes got out
of hand with the egg thrown back and quite often there were more than a few eggs on the floor! Occasionally things would go wrong in concerts. At one Festival concert, comedian Jimmy McNab, dressed as a policeman, came walking from the back of the City Hall through the audience announcing: “Ah’m the Buchan bobby”. Unfortunately, many in the audience didn’t realise he was saying BUCHAN! This resulted in quite a number of complaints. Bill loved parties and party games. He liked nothing better than having his ‘boys and girls’ (as he called us) enjoy themselves after working hard towards perfection at concerts. There should have been a book written about Bill’s life. His wartime experiences alone - he joined the RAF in 1940 - would run to two volumes. After his ‘passing out’, on his first day, he was ordered to paint a circle of big stones white. He refused and when the sergeant came back, Bill hadn’t even opened the tin. He was taken before the warrant officer, but that didn’t worry Bill who laid into him: “I can run a concert party, play for dances, form a dance band, and you want me to paint stones?” Not bad for an 18-year-old! And it worked. Next day he started as the WO’s clerk and soon got right into the forces entertainment circuit, which eventually led him to Ralph Reader and his famous Gang Show. Just before a tour of entertaining the troops in India, Bill took some leave and married his girlfriend, Ena Groundwater, whose father was minister in Coupar Angus. He then set off to entertain from Karachi to Calcutta, West and East Pakistan, Burma, Ceylon, often suffering from heat and exhaustion. Peter Sellars was drummer in the Gang Show band and he and Bill had many ‘adventures’ together and remained friends after the war.
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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM
Reviews Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas Ports of Call CUL1250 The combination of fiddle and cello is quite a powerful combination which is aptly demonstrated throughout this excellent new CD from Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas. The musical partnership between consummate performer Alasdair Fraser and the brilliant Californian cellist Natalie Haas spans the full musical spectrum from intimate chamber music to an exciting dance energy that just has to be heard to be fully appreciated. Having spent eighteen years creating a buzz at festivals and concert halls across the world, the duo has truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music. Their playing is virtuosic and the chemistry between the two is almost telepathic, underpinning the sheer joy and spontaneity of their music. Alasdair Fraser has a concert and recording career spanning over 30 years, with a long list of awards, accolades, radio and television credits, and feature performances on top
”
Their playing is virtuosic and the chemistry between the two is almost telepathic
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movie soundtracks (Last of the Mohicans and Titanic to name but two). In 2011, he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. Natalie Haas, a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, is one of the most sought after cellists in traditional music today. She has performed and recorded with a who’s who of the fiddle world including Mark O’Connor, Natalie MacMaster,
Solas, Altan, Liz Carroll, Dirk Powell, Brittany Haas and Darol Anger and many more. The duo’s debut recording, Fire & Grace, won the coveted Scots Trad Music “Album of the Year” award. Since its release, the two have gone on to record four more critically acclaimed albums that blend a profound understanding of the Scottish tradition with cutting-edge string explorations. This new album, Ports of Call, is destined to add to their list of critically acclaimed credits. It’s hard to imagine fiddle (and cello) music being played any better than this. Alasdair and Natalie are very much at the top of their game! The album features thirteen tracks: Freedom Come All Ye, Derrière Les Carreaux, Silver and Stuff, Muińeiras, Waltzska for Su-A, Keeping Up with Christine, Megan and Jarrod, Moon Over Mono, Professor Cherry Clark, Foliada!, The Devil and the Gypsy, Hanneke’s Bridal March and Polonessa Spoof. The cardboard CD cover is beautifully produced. Inside there is detailed information outlining the background to each tune. A wonderful CD which I would highly recommend.
If you wish your CDs, DVDs or books to be reviewed, please send them to: Bill Brown, 3 Galahad Close, Cippenham, Slough, SL1 9DT