Box & Fiddle - April 2017

Fiddle

40th Year No. 08 Apr 2017

£2.70

BOX& The magazine for Scottish music enthusiasts

NAAFC

Festival

THE FIERY SESSION

Graham Wilson is Centre Stage

Violet Tulloch

GUEST OF HONOUR

PLUS

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

Welcome

B&F • EDITORIAL

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...to the April 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 Shetland winners © Marie Irvine 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

March went flying past with wind and rain and the NAAFC Festival. In my opinion there was no better way to spend a rainy and windy Saturday than at Inchyra saying hello to so many lovely people who all in their way support the NAAFC, the clubs and the Festival.

We are now in April, and in this issue, we Pia Walker, Editor introduce the first of the Guests of Honours who are to be presented with their award in June. The committee receives many suggestions and nominations during the year.

There are many opinions to why such and such should get and award. All are taken very serious, and all are taken into account during several rounds of voting. We have again this year found three who are extremely deserving of an award. With so many suggestions and nominations, many are bound to be disappointed that their suggestion was pipped at the post. In my opinion 3-4 awards is just right – any more and it would dilute the honour of being selected by your peers and turn it into a meaningless conveyor belt process. Many may not agree with me, but… Many more than can be honoured of course deserve recognition and it is not that you are not valued, you definitely are. So many of you have turned a hobby into a lifestyle and the committee, I and all readers see your names pop up again and again every month, not just as guest artists, but as regular attendees at clubs.

This brings me to the Baffis, which are now open for you to nominate someone in the various categories. Here the Supporter of the Year is a way to honour the non-playing club attendees; they very seldom get a mention, but are the ones that give you musicians the opportunity to play. They are the users of the music you produce. Guest artists, do also vote for your Club of the Year.

It means a lot that you acknowledge that the clubs are where many of you have learnt to play in front of an audience and thus they are important to preserve the music. You don’t have to be a musician to nominate and vote, in my opinion we all know what we like and who we like, so put that pen to paper and vote, vote, vote!

Pia

Keep up with the latest news at

www.boxandfiddle.com Box & Fiddle (NAAFC)

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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10 6 8

News BAFFIs Your chance to vote for this year’s awards

10

The Fiery Session

11

NAAFC Festival

15 19

Grant Crawford tells us about the Fiery Session

The 43 Annual Championship rd

Violet Tulloch We speak to one of this year’s Guests of Honour

Musings A hobby like no other

Deadlines:

B&F • CONTENTS

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42 21

Club News

42

Centre Stage

43

Club Diary

48

Dance Diary

50

Reviews

50 52

The latest news from our clubs

Graham Wilson

You are never too old to go clubbing!

Find the nearest dances and ceilidhs

Easy Folk Fiddle

Take the Floor Music Memories of Ernie by Arthur Wood

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.

Ronnie Patterson with Shona MacFadyen

New sponsorship Ronnie has sponsored a new section, Open Gaelic Waltz Solo, in honour of his late wife Dorothy. Both Ronnie and Dorothy have been long time supporters of and volunteer workers at the Festival.

Kirsty Grant wi th Kirsty Laird-Biss et

Kirsty Laird-Bisset with Kirsty Grant, winner of the shield sponsored by Kirsty and friends for Junior Fiddle Solo – March, Strathspey & Reel

With Sympathy Jan Petrie passed away at the beginning of February; she will be a big loss to the North East club. Jan was secretary and treasurer for 16 years.

Our sympathies go to her husband, Jimmy. Together they saved the future of the club through sheer hard work and good organisation. Proof of which is seen as the club now has an average of around 80 in attendance each club night.

B&F • APRIL 2017

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NAAFC Festival The 43rd Annual Championship

The 43rd Annual Championships were held on 4th of March, 2017. In this issue we show the list of winners and photos of some of them (as not all had their photo taken). It was another great day, so add the date to your calendar for 2018 – first Saturday in March as per usual.

We hope to have a small article on the day itself in the May issue with lots of photos.

Winners of the band competiton at practice

Results UNDER 12 FIDDLE SOLO NAAFC Musselburgh Festival Trophy 1. Kirsty Grant 2. Emily Laurenson 3. Erin Leslie

JUNIOR FIDDLE SOLO March, Strathspey & Reel Association Cup & Kirsty’s Ceilidh Shield 1. Kirsty Grant 2. Anya Johnston 3. Jodie Smith

JUNIOR FIDDLE SOLO – Slow Air Dougie Welsh Memorial Trophy 1. Anya Johnston 2. Kirsty Grant 3. Rhiann Matthew

SENIOR FIDDLE SOLO Slow Strathspey, March, Strathspey & Reel St Boswells Cup 1. Ellie McLaren 2. Shona MacFadyen 3. Catherine Speight

SENIOR FIDDLE SOLO – Slow Air Ron Gonella Cup 1. Shona MacFadyen 2. Ellie McLaren 3. Catherine Speight

OPEN FIDDLE GROUP Lesmahagow Quaich 1. Strings ‘N’ Things 2. Deeside Loons & Quines

OPEN FIDDLE CHAMPIONSHIP Banchory Strathspey & Reel Trophy 1. Shona MacFadyen 2. Ellie McLaren 3. Eilidh Anderson

OPEN FIDDLE SOLO Hornpipe & Jig John Ellis Trophy Ellie McLaren Shona MacFadyen Catherine Speight

UNDER 10 ACCORDION SOLO (Traditional Music) Islesteps Shield Inver Shand Fin Hope

UNDER 12 ACCORDION SOLO (Traditional Music) Pentland Cup Clelland Shand Blythe Shand

12 & UNDER 16 ACCORDION SOLO (Traditional Music) Jim Johnston Cup 1. Kyle Rowan 2. India Smith 3. Cameron McLaren

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B&&F •• APRIL APRIL 2017

Violet Tulloch

by Pia Walker

GU E

S T OF

017 2 R U H ON O

On a beautifully sunny, cold and windy day at the end of January just after Up Helly Aa, I had the pleasure of interviewing one of our Guests of Honour for 2017.

H

armonist extraordinaire, Violet Tulloch, has been called ‘The Star’ by Jimmy Burgess and ‘The Queen of Lerwick’ by Phil Cunningham and I asked her what she thought of that? “It’s embarrassing, but I have learnt to live with it.” she replied with one of those lovely smiles she bestows on people. My first impression of Violet Tulloch, at probably my first ever festival Saturday dance, was of a smiling, mildmannered, brilliantly turned-out lady playing second box. I can see her as being a calming influence with many a band, although she does have a temper, she tells me, and can and will let loose from time to time. “But it doesn’t last long and I don’t carry grudges,” she adds with a twinkle in her eye.

Violet initially learned accordion from her

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father, John Scott, a driver for John Leask & Sons. John was a dance bandleader with the first dance band in Shetland, the John Scott Dance Band.

He died when Violet was 14, and after that times were hard in the Scott household. Everyone had to help keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. This was one of the reasons Violet started playing accordion with ‘Tammy’ Anderson’s renowned Islesburgh Band, although she had to have special dispensation from her headmaster and was only allowed to gig in weekends. She taught herself to play the piano, and credits the Isleburgh Band for helping her in her music by encouraging her and asking her, “How about trying this?” She calls it the greatest education in her life – “the bar was set by them”. She used to practise during the week and would walk to Isleburgh house and lose herself in the music. This was a bone of contention at home as she would forget to come home for meal times.

The Isleburgh Band were also instrumental in shaping the life of another Shetlander: Aly Bain, who once told Violet that he heard them once and from then on knew he wanted to be a musician. Ali is now a close family friend. Violet was greatly taken with the Powrie band and another great harmonist, Pam Wilkie, also influenced her style.

Later life became easier, when her mother married an old family friend. Her stepfather Jim Stewart was a fiddler and the house remained full of music. Her stepfather’s composition Shack’s Farewell to the Workman’s Club is still played by many. The title came about because of a joke about a 6 penny arrears, which had Shack banned from the workmen’s club.

Few read music at that time and Violet has indeed taught herself to read music sufficiently, she says, to be able to look through books and pick tunes.

Tunes used to be picked up by musicians from the wireless, especially from Norwegian broadcasts.

She explained to me that Shetlanders also went to South Georgia on the whaling boats and mixed with and learned music from Norwegians, which is why Shetland music has such strong affinity with Norwegian music.

Violet didn’t only play piano and accordion; she also joined the brass band, by chance. She was waiting for a friend who was at brass band practice. At the time the band was struggling for

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B&F • APRIL 2017

Musings

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By Tom Orr

A hobby like no other

I

was privileged to be asked to play on this year’s BBC Hogmanay Show, joining Phil & Aly and playing live to around 2 million viewers. I am an engineer to profession and many of my work colleagues must have thought that their home brew was too strong this year, causing hallucinations! Cue the surprised text messages - they had no idea that my hobby is to play music.

I ask - what other hobby would provide such a unique experience?

Music has shaped my life. Although I did not pursue it as a career I believe I would not be doing my chosen occupation if it wasn’t for it. It provides a passport to opportunities that no other hobby can provide. It exaggerates life experiences from performance to meeting all different kinds of people. It teaches you as a kid the basic life lesson that practice makes perfect – one hurdle at a time, goal by goal. I have always been delighted to have music in my locker: it’s my own unique stamp that no-one else has. It’s a passport into different circles and different places but, most importantly, it gives you self-pride and confidence.

Traditional music is also unique. It is all about expression, improvisation and energy – you get to put your own stamp on the music and it is not just about

mimicking your favourite pop song in your bedroom, just like the 10 other kids on the street. However, the fact is that this isn’t obvious to most teenagers as they strive to conform. To pursue it they must find a hook that bonds them to traditional music. That hook is different for everyone. It can be social, competitive, performance, admiration, romance ...?

It is our responsibility to try and create as many ‘hooks’ as possible. We rely heavily on our tutors to provide them with the enthusiasm to lift them to that first hook. Thereafter the enthusiasm should be natural and the tutor merely guides. However, unfortunately there might be less obvious hooks out there at the moment and the customary ones may not be as effective as they could be. I don’t know the answer, but we need to think about what would give kids the enthusiasm to play our music rather someone else’s? l

The Annual

FC Golf Day NAA Dunblane New Golf Club

Perth Road, Dunblane FK15 0LJ Stableford competition for the Billy Thom Memorial Trophy.

Bacon rolls at 12 noon with 1st tee time at 1pm.

Followed by great music and camaraderie from 7pm.

Contact: Nicol McLaren, nicol@boxandfiddle.com Charlie Kirkpatrick, cjkirkp@googlemail.com

ay M 14 17 20 th

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.

Ewan Galloway, Arbroath

ANNAN ST ANDREW The guests at the February meeting were The Iain Anderson Band, with Iain Anderson (accordion), Eddie Goodfellow (drums) and Neil MacMillan (keyboard). Neil is a regular player on ‘Take the Floor’. They soon had the dancing under way playing well-known tunes including A Mother’s Love’s a Blessing and Forty Shades of Green. Iain is a very accomplished player and played all the tunes from memory.

Nine local players from Dumfries, Lockerbie and over the Border continued the entertainment showing their skills on a variety of accordions and a whistle. John Watret was in fine voice singing Waters of Kylesku and Lovely Stornoway.

The Band returned to complete the evening with further dances.

MC Jack Murdoch closed the meeting by thanking the band and local players for an enjoyable night.

ARBROATH Chairman Tony Simpson welcomed a large crowd to our March meeting, which commenced with our AGM. All matters were proposed and adopted by various members, and the existing office bearers were re-elected en masse. Tony informed the company that committee member John White was ill in hospital and we wish him a speedy recovery.

The music soon started with our floor players who were on accordions Dave Fairbairn,

Eric Davidson, Cora Wilson, Margaret Smith, John Davidson, Alan Petrie, Scott Band, Kyle Innes, Tony Simpson and a newcomer, Sandy Mess. Fiddle players were Dave Smith and Liz Arthur. Bill Ford was on keyboard and thanks to Bill Ewan for his accompaniment to most of the groups.

Our guest artists the Ewan Galloway Band had, with a rousing start, the audience tapping fingers and toes all through their performances.

Ewan on accordion, Kyle Innes on drums, Bill Ewan on keyboard and Andrew Knight on fiddle gave us a wide variety of music from an Irish singalong to an Italian classic.

Bill performed a Scott Joplin number and Andrew gave us a traditional march, strathspey and reel. The band was put on the spot with a piece of music written by one of our members, John Davidson, for Avril Abbott, which she had asked them to play. It was beautifully played and is a lovely waltz.

An extremely good evening came to a close with a lively stramash and the usual thanks to everyone who helped out with raffles etc.

Scott Band and his Scottish Dance Band will be our guests next month.

EA

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B&F • CLUB DIARY

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Club Diary April 2017 DATE

CLUB

GUEST ARTIST

VENUE

TIME

CONTACT

2

Arbroath

Scott Band SDB

Arbroath Artisan Golf Club, Elliot,

By Arbroath DD11 2PE

7.30pm

Tony Simpson 01241 875 326

2

Clydesdale

Richard Ross SDB

St Mary’s Club Rooms, Lanark ML11 7JS

2.00 pm

Shirley Cathcart 01555 661 017

2

Gretna

Graeme McKay

The Solway Lodge Hotel, Gretna DG16 5DN

7.00 pm

Robin Waitt 01387 371 423

3

Thurso

Nicky McMichan

Pentland Hotel, Thurso KW14 7AA

7.30 pm

Ian Wright 01847 892 050

4

Campsie

Liam Stewart SDB

Glazert Country House Hotel, Lennoxtown G66 7DJ

7.30 pm

Billy Hutton 07889 021 972

4

Fort William

Hannah Macrae

Railway Club, Inverlochy, Fort William PH33 6LY

7.30 pm

Alisdair MacDonald 01397 701 505

4

Islesteps

Charlie Kirkpatrick Trio

Locharbriggs Social Club, Locharbriggs DG1 1XS

7.30 pm

Ian Gray 01387 760 276

4

North East

Graeme Mitchell

Royal British Legion, Keith AB55 5EN

7.30 pm

Rory Smith 07769 801 996

4

Seghill

Leonard Brown Bavarian Night. Pooled supper

Seghill Comrades Club, Cramlington NE23 7TQ

7.00 pm

James Youngson 01670 356 410

5

Dingwall

David Oswald Band

National Hotel, Dingwall IV15 9HA

7.30 pm

Elspeth Weir 01349 877 675

5

Glenfarg

Donald McLeod SDB

Glenfarg Village Hall, Glenfarg PH2 9NU

7.30 pm

Russell Robertson 01577 830 642

5

Montrose

Steven Carcary Trio

Park Hotel, Montrose DD10 8RJ

7.30 pm

Ron Ramsay 01241 879 487

5

Orkney

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

The Reel, Kirkwall KW15 1KD

7.30 pm

Jim Marwick 01856 874 474

6

Crieff

Peter Stewart Duo

The British Legion, Crieff PH7 3EB

7.30 pm

Irene Anderson 01764 654 298

6

Galashiels

Colin Dewar SDB

Clovenfords Hotel, Galashiels TD1 3LU

7.30 pm

Robert Cleland 01896 754 463

6

Isle of Skye

Iain Cathcart SDB

The Royal Hotel, Portree IV51 9BU

7.30 pm

Linda Shaw 01478 611 122

6

Lewis and Harris

Hector McFadyen

Caladh Inn, Stornoway HS1 2QN

8.00 pm

Janette MacIver 01851 704 870

6

Oban

Lindsay Weir

The Royal Hotel, Oban PA34 4BE

7.30 pm

Anne McFadyen 01631 562 077

6

Rothbury

Duncan Black & Marie Fielding

Queens Head Hotel, Rothbury NE65 7SR

7.30 pm

Mary Davidson 01668 281 307

6

Turriff

John Stuart SDB

Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown AB53 5WJ

7.30 pm

Pat Steele 01888 562 486

9

Biggar

Hector MacFadyen SDB

Biggar Bowling Club, Biggar ML12 6AX

2.00 pm

Charlie Todd 01899 308 327

11

Blairgowrie

Tony Kearney

Red House Hotel, Station Road, Coupar Angus PH13 9AL

7.45 pm

Helen Aitchison 01821 670302

11

Dunfermline

Club Night (Visitors welcome)

Sportsman Bar, Rosyth KY11 2NX

7.30 pm

Mr Bob Adam 01383 306 142

11

Renfrew

Kyle Innes Trio

Moorpark Masonic Halls, Renfrew PA4 0SA

7.30 pm

Ian Murchison 0141 889 4711

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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM

Reviews

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

Easy Folk Fiddle, with accompanying CD Schott ED 138844 www.schott-music.com Reviewed by Mare Fielding Easy Folk Fiddle is a publication from Schott’s World Music Series.

Slightly different in approach and layout from other books, this collection focuses on music from around the world, including the UK, Germany, America and China. As it is aimed at Grades 1-3 standard, however, I do not feel that this is of huge importance.

There are 52 tunes for solo fiddle.

Some require position work, secure technique and an ability to hear or read rhythms that are more complex.

The book is edited by Vicky Swan, a multi-instrumentalist who studied double bass at the Royal College of Music, and Jonny Dyer,

a performer, writer and arranger.

The CD with music performed by John Colinson is helpful, although it lacks slightly in traditional fiddle style. The chords in the book are for guitar, but there is a piano accompaniment available free to download, as well as play-along MPS-Midi downloads.

The introduction does state that the recordings are ‘at a nice easy

speed’ and ‘to feel free to play the tunes faster adding swing’.

The author also encourages the user to add his or her own style, interpretation and bowing. Some bowing has been included as a guide.

I guess this book is an introduction to fiddle playing, exploring a varied repertoire.

The music is easy to read. All the melodies are traditional and simply state where their origin is.

There are some well-known tunes such as Drops of Brandy, Tail Toddle, Rowan Tree, Hava Nagila and Arkansas Traveller. Some of these are in unusual and not always attractive key signatures.

It does provide instant access to more unusual tunes from China or the USA for example. Teachers would perhaps find it useful as a ‘change of scene’ resource.

This is a helpful publication for anyone wishing to broaden his or her repertoire in folk fiddle.

Take The Floor 1st April – Ian Smith Scottish Dance Band 8th April – Iain Anderson Scottish Dance Band 15th April – Easter Weekend – Jimmy Shand Special – Repeat 22nd April – The best of our bands from Vinyl 29th April – The Clappy Doo Ceilidh Band