Box & Fiddle - September 2016

Fiddle The magazine for Scottish music enthusiasts

Festivals

FALKLAND TRADITIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL 2016 ANGUS ACCORDION & FIDDLE FESTIVAL

Centre Stage

CECIL HUGHSON NAAFC AGM CHAIRMAN’S REPORT PLUS

News, Reviews, Club

Diaries and much more...

40th Year No. 01 Sep 2016

£2.70

BOX&

Welcome

B&F • EDITORIAL

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...to the September 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 Paul Anderson © Sean Purser 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

AND welcome to a new season, hopefully with lots of music throughout the land.

This is going to be the 40th year for Box & Fiddle Magazine, and I hope you will celebrate with us. If you have any short, amusing anecdotes, please send them in.

I have just been told a tale about a band leader (no names) who was certain he had Pia Walker, Editor 50 miles in his tank after the little red light came on, before he ran out of petrol, resulting in a spluttering stop 10 miles outside Perth at 3 am. While waiting for the AA, picture the drummer doing press-ups or hand stands in the middle of the road! They then had to go back to Perth for petrol, before going home as the AA-man only had a trickle of petrol with him. Has something like that happened to you? (Do remember it is a family magazine) ☺ For you musicians out there, why not write in about the gig you most value and why it remains such a big thing for you.

It’s soon going to be the Trad Awards again. I got hold of a copy of Nicol’s AGM speech. In this he is asking you to nominate and vote in Hands up for Trad. We want everyone to know how important Scottish dance music is and the best way to do this is by showing that a lot of people care, so as he says, Vote! Vote! Vote!

We have a new club starting this month – All the Best, Clydesdale – and we are still trying to find a suitable venue here in Cupar and area for another new club, a venue that ticks all the boxes. Someone wrote in and asked me how a club was started.

I think first of all get a group together to discuss the format of the club. The meeting we held in May here Cupar certainly came up with some great ideas to work from.

Finally do also put the 2 October festivals in your diary, Shetland in the beginning of October and Perth towards the end, always a good way of meeting like-minded new and old friends.

Let’s start the music and …

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.

B&F • CONTENTS

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News Open Day at Gretna Accordion & Fiddle Club; A tribute poem to Bill Black; Variety concert in Montrose; Letters

NAAFC Chairman’s Report 2016

By Nicol McLaren

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Centre Stage

14

Festivals

19

20

Club News

28

Club Diary

32

Dance Diary

34

Reviews

We chat to Cecil Hughson

Falkland Traditional Music Festival 2016; Angus Accordion & Fiddle Festival

Reporters Club reports hints and tips

Deadlines:

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5

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The latest news from our clubs

You are never too old to go Clubbing!

Find the nearest dances and ceilidhs

Border Mixture Two; His Master’s Moothie; The Long Journey Home; Leonard Brown & His Band; Accordion Anthology

Take the Floor Sheet Music John Crawford’s Waltz

by Brandon McPhee

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.

© PHOTO: SEAN PURSER

Contents

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NEWS

News

Send in your story. If you have a photo that tells a story, send it in with an explanation.

Open Day at Gretna Accordion & Fiddle Club The new Committee of the above club held an open day in The Solway Lodge Hotel, Gretna, on Sunday afternoon 31st July.

The new premises proved to be very comfortable, but very hot due to the capacity audience, and many people took advantage of the hotel’s great reputation for meals.

A large audience was very well entertained by accordionists Deryn & Robin, Norman Swainson, Jock Fraser, Kenny White, Les Hurst, Newby Park, Janet Graham, Richard Brown, David Bell and Andy Philip who, luckily for us, was visiting the area! We were also delighted to have three fiddlers, namely Roddy Matthews, Robert Dalgleish and Charlie Carr. Another instrument was the whistle, played very well by Wullie Little and also bagpipes in the capable hands of a very smartly dressed Iain Bell.

Accompanying the players was Rosalind Snaith on keyboard and drummers Graham Woods and

Here at the Traditional Music Forum we are undertaking a census of involvement in traditional music in Scotland. In 2012 we gathered information from about 20 member organisations and discovered that over 9000 people of all ages were learning traditional music.

Since then no other comprehensive data has been gathered so we thought it was time to rectify this. For the first stage we wish to capture how many people are learning traditional music in community settings e.g. in fiddle workshops, summer/holiday schools, Feisean, weekly classes etc., and also where this happening in the country.

Can you help by either completing this survey and/or sending it around the clubs in your network? Here is the link to fill in

Jock Thompson. A huge thankyou to everyone who took part.

We hope, when the new season starts at 7pm on Sunday 4th September with the superb Iain MacPhail as guest, we’ll have the same great support from both players and audience.

the survey: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/239Q2LL It is just 10 questions and should be straightforward to complete. We are looking to capture involvement over the time period Autumn 2015 - Autumn 2016. If you are still to run a summer or October week event, please keep this to hand and fill in after you have had the event. If you are running an Easter holiday event or a term based activity then please fill in the numbers taking part over this ‘season’.

If we can capture the extent and range of involvement we can use the information in lots of ways: To showcase how important traditional music is, how embedded in communities it is, how it is funded (or not) and where there might be gaps. This could be quite powerful information.

B&F • SEPTEMBER 2016

NAAFC Chairman’s Report 2016 Nicol McLaren, NAAFC Chairman

Trad Awards

The 2015 MG Alba Scottish Traditional Music Awards were held in Dundee on 5th December and was again broadcast live by BBC Alba.

Inductee to the Hall of Fame from “our side” was Angus Fitchet.

The NAAFC once again sponsored the Scottish Dance Band of the Year. Finalists this year were Iain Cathcart, Alan Crookston, Simon Howie and The Full Scottish and won

by Simon Howie. Clubs were well represented with both Haddington and Orkney (Winners) in the shortlist for Club of the Year. Tom Orr was nominated for Instrumentalist of the Year, Marie Fielding for Composer of the Year and our own Box and Fiddle was nominated for the Trad Music in the Media Award.

Again, the category SDB of the year, had the fewest number of votes cast of all the categories. With this in mind, can I ask all of you to take this back to your clubs and ask them to Vote, Vote, Vote? Please!

Box and Fiddle

After last year’s success in the reform of the Box and Fiddle, consolidation was the initial aim. But with great drive and enthusiasm from Pia and Marie, we have, for the first time in many years, returned a profit for the full 12

month’s production. We have a few ideas to run past you all as to how we can continue to increase demand and the incentive to sell more! So watch this space.

Festival

This year’s festival – the 42nd - at Inchyra Grange was, again, a great day. However, sheer lack of numbers has resulted in a significant loss financially. The festival committee are currently working on ideas and plans to resolve the situation.

NAAFC Golf

On a much lighter note we held our 6th NAAFC Golf day at Dunblane Golf Club on Sunday 5th June. 23 golfers, including 6 first-timers along with 6 Caddies participated and competed for the Billy Thom Memorial Trophy and the winner was: Richard Ross. A great day and evening of superb music!

Finally, Can I thank the entire committee for their hard work and frank opinions throughout the year, and in particular today to Charlie Kirkpatrick for all his work in organising today, and especially to Susan, who is stepping down from the Secretary’s position today after 4 years of keeping me right! l

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tre Sta n e

ge

What is your most cherished childhood memory?

Growing up in West Yell and visiting all the old people living close by.

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B&F • SEPTEMBER 2016

Who was a big influence in your life and/or your music?

My mother never missed the Scottish dance music every Saturday night.

What was your first job?

School teacher.

What was the first time you performed in public?

At our school concerts.

What do you appreciate most in life?

My family’s good health.

What is your greatest indulgence?

Single Malt Whisky.

What is your abiding musical memory?

Winning the Trad. Awards Best Dance Band in 2004 and 2014.

Cecil Hughson Bass player with Shetland Band Da Fustra since their beginnings.

Proprietor of the camera shop in Lerwick.

What makes you angry, annoyed or short tempered?

What are your worst fears?

A member of my family having poor health.

People with no musical abilities

What are the best places in the world you have visited?

Las Vegas and the Canaries.

What is your favourite location in

What is your favourite musical venue?

A good night at the Shetland accordion club in the Shetland Hotel.

If you had to leave, what would

How would you like to be remembered?

For keeping Da Fustra going for nearly 50 years.

then thinking they can play a bodhran!

Scotland?

Shetland.

you miss and what would you be glad to see the back of?

I would miss my friends, but not cold, windy winters.

If your house was on fire what item would you save?

Family photos.

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Who are your heroes and why?

All the famous players like Iain MacPhail, Jim Johnstone, Jimmy Shand, Willie Hunter, Rudy Meeks and Bryan Gear have given me so much musical pleasure during my life.

The Scottish Dance Music scene? your thoughts and hopes: The great old players are being well replaced with great young players. I hope James Leask keeps Da Fustra going for a very long time.

What 5 people would you invite to your dream dinner party?

My band who are Alan Gifford, Kevin Gifford, James Leask and Derek Hendry plus I would add our friend Iain MacPhail. My wife Sheila would want to add her favourite accordion player Sandy Nixon and her friend and favourite fiddle player Rudy Meeks.

Your 1,2,3 of favourite tunes/ songs? In no particular order: The Hughsons of Sandwick (Iain MacPhail), The Glen Mavis Two-step (Sandy Nixon) and Cecil’s Forty Years (Brian Morrison). What an honour to have these fantastic tunes written for me and Sheila.

Today I will Eat: Shetland mutton Drink: Malt whisky Read: The Sunday Post Visit: My mother and my motherin-law Watch: Football on TV

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Festivals Falkland Traditional Music Festival 2016

© PHOTOS

: SEAN PU

RSER

A

nother festival has come and gone and what a great weekend of music it was! The festival opened with its annual ceilidh on Friday night, led by Freeland Barbour and The Occasionals including Kevin Macleod, Malcolm Jones and Alison Smith. Their music was as good as ever and the dance floor was full all night! Visitors from as far and wide as France and South America were able to experience a genuinely traditional evening of music and dance. Festival guests Paul Anderson, Shona Donaldson and Geordie Murison also performed. Saturday afternoon saw the Instrumental and Singing competitions. The Instrumental competitions were judged by Paul Anderson and Fife’s own Colin Dewar. Despite only a small number of entrants, the quality was very high. This year’s winners included Catherine Speight, Bryony Baxter and Brian & India Smith.

Some of our prize-winners also took part in our evening concert, something we always encourage them to do to be able to gain confidence in performing on stage.

Saturday afternoon also saw some great sessions in the pubs in Falkland. A small but lively session got going in The Bruce Inn, led by Gary Sutherland who was joined by Jim Broon, Alf Hunter and Ken Orrock amongst others. A bigger

session took place in The Stag Inn with a wide variety of instruments including guitars, banjos, fiddles, melodeons and even a harp! The Saturday evening session in The Bruce Inn was again of a very high standard. Predominantly a singing session, there was a good mix of songs and tunes to provide a balanced evening.

Workshops throughout the weekend were well attended with Brian Miller leading a workshop on guitar accompaniment, while Paul Anderson led a fiddle masterclass. Both musicians brought a wealth of knowledge and experience which they generously passed on to the many visitors, both participating and listening. The Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon concerts were a great chance to hear all the festival guests with a wide selection of songs and tunes and we always feel very lucky to have some of Scotland’s finest singers and musicians as our guests. This year our Sunday concert featured a guest spot from some of the members of the Windygates Buttons & Bows playing many fine tunes, even some well-known songs and raising the roof!

Falkland Traditional Music Festival continues to be the small and intimate festival as established

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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 July was the Jimmy Lindsay Scottish Dance Band, comprising Jimmy Lindsay on lead accordion, his son Sandy on second accordion and Billy Porter on drums.

Jimmy resides at Almuree in Perthshire, whilst Sandy lives in Pitlochry. They are both accomplished musicians and play three-row button-key accordions with impeccable timing, and like all good buttonkey players, they give the music tremendous ‘lift’. They began by playing for a selection of dances.

The local players, accompanied by Ian Wilson and Fiona Paul on keyboard and Ian Riddet and Billy Porter on drums were: Kenny White from Rigg who played several tunes on piano accordion including Agnes Waltz; Bill McMinn from Lockerbie played Londonderry Air on a two-row melodeon; Fiona Paul from Carnwath, a very gifted musician, played several pieces of music on piano accordion including Gallowa’ Hills’; Kenny Jackson from Stonehouse played several well-known tunes on piano accordion. Kenny was recently honoured by the National

Enthralled capacity audience at Arbroath for Leonard Brown

Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs as ‘Club Supporter of the Year’; Norman Swainston from Wigton played piano accordion; Newby Park from Carlisle played several popular tunes on an aged piano accordion; Willie Little from Dumfries played several tunes on whistle including Edith’s Waltz; Les Hurst from Carlisle played for a Boston Two Step on piano accordion; David Bell from Carlisle played for a Festival Glide on piano accordion; John Waugh from Carlisle played piano accordion.

Amongst the tunes played was the marvellous composition Robbie Shepherd MBE. The guest band then returned and played for further dancing.

ARBROATH A full house was welcomed by our Chairman, Tony Simpson.

No time was wasted and our local players all supplied us with some great tunes. On accordions were Margaret Patullo, John Hart, John White, David Fairbairn, Alan Petrie, John Davidson, Barbara and Ewan Archibald, Eric Davidson, Arthur Wood and Cora Wilson.

Dave Smith was the only fiddler and on drums respectively were Avril Abbott and Malcolm Ross. Tony Simpson, Bill Ford, John White and Liam Stewart accompanied the various groups on keyboard.

Our guest artist, Leonard Brown, surprised the

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Club Diary September 2016 DATE

CLUB

GUEST ARTISTE

VENUE

TIME

CONTACT

1

Crieff

Ronnie Easton and friends

Crieff Hotel, Crieff PH7 3HY

8.00 pm

Irene Anderson 01764 654 298

1

Lewis and Harris

Tony Kearney

Caladh Inn, Stornoway HS1 2QN

8.00 pm

Janette MacIver 01851 704 870

1

Rothbury

Nicol McLaren and the Glencraig SDB

Queens Head Hotel, Rothbury NE65 7SR

7.30 pm

Mary Davidson 01668 281 307

1

Turriff

Luke Brady Trio

Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown AB53 5WJ

7.30 pm

Pat Steele 01888 562 486

4

Arbroath

Nicol McLaren

Arbroath Artisan Golf Club, Elliot, By Arbroath DD11 2PE (Doors open at 7.30pm)

8.00pm

Tony Simpson 01241 875 326

4

Clydesdale

Nicol McLaren & The Glencraig SDB & The Alasdair MacCuish Band (Grand Opening)

St Mary’s Club Rooms, 70 Bannatyne Street, Lanark ML11 7JS

2.00 pm

Shirley Cathcart 01555 661 017

4

Gretna

Iain MacPhail Band

The Solway Lodge Hotel, Gretna DG16 5DN

7.00 pm

Robin Waitt 01387 371 423

5

Thurso

Tony Kearney

Pentland Hotel, Thurso KW14 7AA

7.30 pm

Ian Wright 01847 892 050

6

Campsie

Glencraig SDB

Glazert Country House Hotel, Lennoxtown G66 7DJ

7.30 pm

Billy Hutton 07889 021 972

6

Islesteps

Alan Gardiner Qrt.

Locharbriggs Social Club, Locharbriggs DG1 1XS

7.30 pm

Ian Gray 01387 760 276

6

North East

Tony Kearney

Royal British Legion, Keith AB55 5EN

7.30 pm

Mrs Petrie 01542 860 246

6

Seghill

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

Seghill Comrades Club, Cramlington NE23 7TQ

7.00 pm

James Youngson 01670 356 410

7

Dingwall

Brandon McPhee Trio

National Hotel, Dingwall IV15 9HA

7.30 pm

Elspeth Weir 01349 877 675

7

Glenfarg

Robert Whitehead Trio

Glenfarg Village Hall, Glenfarg PH2 9NU

8.00 pm

Russell Robertson 01577 830 642

7

Langholm

Gordon Gunn

British Legion, Langholm DG13 0DN

7.30 pm

Adam Grant 01387 371 423/ 01387 381 305

7

Montrose

Tony Kearney

Park Hotel, Montrose DD10 8RJ

7.30 pm

Ron Ramsay 01241 879 487

7

Orkney

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

The Reel, Kirkwall KW15 1KD

7.30 pm

Jim Marwick 01856 874 474

8

Button-Key (Windygates)

Tony Kearney

The Greig Institute, Windygates KY8 5DG

7.00 pm

Mary Cook 01592 713 687

8

Carlisle

Rosemary Wright

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

7.30 pm

Alison Davies 01228 675 505

13

Blairgowrie

Ian Thomson SDB

Red House Hotel, Coupar Angus PH13 9AL

7.45 pm

Helen Aitchison 01821 670 302

13

Dunfermline

Adin Graham Band

Sportsman Bar, Rosyth KY11 2NX

7.30 pm

Mr Bob Adam 01383 306 142

13

Seghill

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

Seghill Comrades Club, Cramlington NE23 7TQ

7.00 pm

James Youngson 01670 356 410

14

Alnwick

Iain MacPhail and his Band (40th Anniversary)

The Farriers Arms, Alnwick NE66 2XX

7.30 pm

Leonard Brown 07758 723 355

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Dance Diary

View the Scottish Country Dances online at www.dancediary.info/index.html 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

Mondays

Kirkwall

St Magnus Centre

Live Music

7.30-10pm

£4/£2

Door - All Welcome

01856 873 534

Wednesdays

Orkney Dance Assoc.

Garelochhead

Parish Church

-

2pm-4pm

£2 (tea)

01436 671 089

Social Club

Glasgow

St Andrews in Square

Live Music

7.15 pm 9.30 pm

£5.50 Bar

Door (Tricia Matthews) 01324 716855

Ceilidh & Old Time Class

Bonnyrigg

Pitcairn Centre

Live Music

7.30-10 pm

£4

Door (Jennifer Johnstone)

Ceilidh & Old Time

Stornoway

Primary School

-

7pm-9pm

-

Janette Maciver 01851 704 870

Ceilidh & Old Term time only

Fridays

Stornoway

Primary School

-

7.30 pm 9.30 pm

-

Janette Maciver 01851 704 870

Ceilidh & Old Time Term time only

Most Sundays

East Kilbride

Girl Guide Hall, Dundas Place

-

7.30 -10pm

£2 (tea)

Door or tel : - 01355 230 134 or 245 052

Ceilidh & Old Time Club

Ceilidh & Old Time Dances

September 2016

DATE

TOWN

HALL

BAND

TIME

COST

CONTACT

COMMENTS

9

Foulden

Village Hall

Gordon Clark

8pm-12mn

£6 No bar

01289 386 400

Soft drinks sold

9

Bridge of Earn

The Institute

Kerr Barrack

8pm-11pm

£5 [No Bar]

07952 026 633

Pay at Door

9

Edinburgh

Masonic Club

Canongate Cadjers

8pm-11pm

£8

07815 741 699

Dances & Requests – EH7 4PB

9

Irvine

Volunteer Rooms

Roy Hendrie

7.30-11.30

£7 B.Y.O.B.

01292 316 815

Ayrshire Ceilidh Club

10

Canonbie

Village Hall

Neil Hardie

7.30-11.30

£6 B.Y.O.B.

07704 727 463

(own food)

10

North Kessock

Marine Park Hall

Garioch Blend

8pm-12mn

£5 Tea

01463 870 508

Social Dancers - B.Y.O.B.

10

Largoward

Village Hall

No Dancing Private Function

07961 437 615

KY9 1HZ

10

Kelso

Rugby Club

Bon Accords

7.30-11.30

£7 Bar

01573 224 300

Supper Available

11

Glencarse

Village Hall

George Rennie

7.30-10pm

£3 [No Bar]

01738 552 688

Set & Couples Dances

11

Aberdeen

Ashdale Hall

Wayne Robertson

7.30-10pm

£4 at Door

01224 713 674

Blackburn Club Local Charities

17

East Kilbride

Calderwood Hall

Johnny Duncan

7.30-11.30

£6 tea/bisc.

01355 230 134

Highlanders Dance - BYOB

17

Daviot

Strathnairn Hall

Dave Husband

8pm-12mn

£6 BYOB

01540 651 377

Cairngorm Ceilidh dancers

17

Carrington

Village Hall

Ewan Galloway

7.30-11.30

£6

01875 830 333

Old Time Dances

17

Largoward

Village Hall

Lindsay Weir

8pm-11pm

£5 Tea

07961 437 615

Weekly Dance KY9 1HZ

18

Montrose

Park Hotel

Steven Carcary D.

2pm-5pm

£?

01241 879 487

A & F Club Sunday Ceilidh

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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM

Reviews Border Mixture Two Donald Ridley DR020

Border Mixture Two is the second release from Donald Ridley and I have to say it’s every bit as good as his first album and a cracking good listen to boot. Donald is supported on the album by Jim Nichol and Roddy Matthews.

Donald’s playing is extremely disciplined and technically accurate. You will not find Donald engaging in the overplayed act of trying to play tunes as fast as you can. That isn’t his style and the recording is very much the better for it. If good traditional Scottish music played with style and class is your thing then this new CD from Donald is definitely for you.

His Master’s Moothie Jake MacKay & Friends BRCD083

Just released on the Bryansroom label is this enchanting mouth organ CD from Jake MacKay and friends. Jake’s friends are Jack Delaney on accordion and Agnes Liddell on keyboard. Jake was born and brought up in Glen Aray, Inveraray and by his own admission has always been an ardent follower of Scottish dance music. Jake taught himself to play the ‘moothie’ after receiving one as a present and it would be fair to say Jake has taught himself well.

The album begins with Lynn’s Wedding, one of Donald’s own compositions and the harmony on this opening track is to die for. I’m a bit of sucker for great accordion harmonies, which for me adds musical colour and spice, so it ticked all my boxes from the start. Incidentally, Donald is quite a prolific composer, which is demonstrated by the fact that

Jake, along with keyboard player Agnes Liddell, regularly performs at many social gatherings and it was while playing at Inveraray Accordion and Fiddle Club (where Jake is also a committee member) that the seeds for this fine CD were sown.

The recording has been well mixed and produced and one of the first things that strikes you on first listen is that Jake’s moothie is very much to the fore and isn’t overpowered by Jack’s accordion or by Agnes’s fine keyboard playing. Both Jack and Agnes’s sensitivity and touch throughout the recording complement Jake’s playing superbly and allow the

this album includes over twenty of Donald’s own compositions!

It’s so refreshing to see accordion players writing and recording their own material, which in this case, makes Donald’s album all the more special. As you know, we have a wealth of great Scottish tunes, but sadly the perennial evergreen favourites have been done to death. I especially enjoyed the set Waltzes for Friends, which features four of Donald’s own compositions, namely Rev Andrew and Lizzie Longshaw, Mrs Joan Cartwright, Alison Rees and The Grand Old Gentleman.

Other highlights include Andrew Rankine’s Compliments to Jimmy Clinkscale, John and Betty Robson’s Diamond Wedding and Alice Elisabeth Ritson. This is another fine album from Donald which I would highly recommend.

“

Jack and Agnes’s sensitivity and touch throughout the recording complement Jake’s playing superbly

”

by Brandon McPhee 2015 ©

John Crawford’s Waltz

Sheet Music