Fiddle
42nd Year No. 07 Mar 2019
£3.00
BOX& The magazine for Scottish music enthusiasts
THE YOUNG GENERATION
Rhiann Matthew
DAVID OSWALD SDB Take the Floor
REVIEWS
e i h c Do allum McC 9
01 2 r u o n o H Guest of
PLUS
NEWS, CLUB & DANCE DIARIES AND MUCH MORE...
Welcome
B&F • EDITORIAL
3
...to the March 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 Front cover Rhiann Matthew © photo by Heather Anderson Section icons by: FlatIcon
Printer • Ivanhoe Caledonian Printing Company Ltd Eskmills, Musselburgh, EH21 7PE
NAAFC Chairman Nicol McLaren The Shian, Woodlands Road Blairgowrie, PH10 6LD Tel: 01250 874 526 nicol@boxandfiddle.com Vice Chairman Iain Cathcart Tel: 01555 661 017 iain@boxandfiddle.com Secretary Shona MacFadyen secretary@boxandfiddle.com Executive Committee: Scott Band Charlie Kirkpatrick Susan MacFadyen Tom Orr Richard Ross Liam Stewart
The days are getting longer, which means that the nights are getting shorter – except during festival time, that is, and March is THE festival month for NAAFC. I hope to bring you more on who won the championships with lots of photos in our April issue. We are fast heading for the close of the Pia Walker, Editor club season! Now is the time to send me your dates with or without guest artists. Please help me to get the diary into shape before the summer holidays (yours and mine!). As you know, the magazine is published throughout the year, and from now and during the summer you will find the summer subscription form within. This way you can get your magazine delivered through your door during summer. You will also see the BAFFI voting slips – please use them! Or vote online via our website. Clubs will have extra forms sent too. Think about whom and what you will vote for. Who in your club deserves to be nominated as club supporter of the year? Which CD published in the last 12 months is the best? I am still looking for retailers to stock the magazine throughout the year (or just during the summer) – so please, could clubs investigate if they have a friendly shop nearby. This may be a particularly good idea if your meetings are held at the end of each month. It would then be a service to your audience who could pick it up at the beginning of each month, and having the magazine on display outside the clubs would mean more people could see it and perhaps get interested in visiting your club. Inside this issue, you will also see a letter from a less than happy reader- so please ensure that your sellers know they can order more from me. In this issue, we have the first of the Guests of Honour articles and interviews are currently ongoing in connection with the rest of the people the NAAFC are honouring this year. So don’t forget to pick up your copy from now on.
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
46
7
7 News & Letters 8 The Young Generation 10 Guest of Honour 2019 Duncan (Dochie) McCallum
10
43 Deadlines:
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Club News
37
Club Diary
42
Take the Floor
43
In Memory
44
Dance Diary
46
Reviews
48
Sheet Music
The latest news from our clubs
You are never too old to go clubbing!
David Oswald SDB
Dr Ian Hall, John McLeod White
Find the nearest dances and ceilidhs
Midnight & Closedown - Lau
Duncan McCallum’s Farewell to the 70th
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 • NEWS
NEWS
News
N
Send in your story. If you have a photo that tells a story, send it in with an explanation.
Young Fiddler of the Year 2019
Benedict Morris
I began playing the fiddle through my local branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, St. Patrick’s CCE, Coatbridge at the age of 5. After taking classical lessons a few years later, I joined the Junior Conservatoire of Scotland and went on to study the BMus Classical programme at university where I am now in my final year. Classical tuition became a major factor in how I play my traditional music. Being able to have a good foundation of technique enables you to have
control over your sound and the instrument and I try to use this to express emotion and character in my playing while still keeping the lively feel to the rhythm that makes traditional music what it is. One of my current projects in which I try to explore this is with duo partner and guitarist Cormac Crummey from Belfast. Our album is a culmination of four years of playing music together, bringing a broad palette of styles together along with own compositions to form driving, energetic and intelligent music
in a stellar partnership. We have just released our debut album Wavelength in November 2018, enjoying sell-out shows during our album launch tour of Scotland and Ireland. I also play for five-times world champion Irish dancer and Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist David Geaney from Dingle, Co. Kerry. We enjoyed appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 and then on Broadway, New York in 2018 for a 2-week stint in the New Victoria Theatre. Moving into 2019, the first event that hits you is Celtic Connections. It’s a phenomenal festival with so many amazing acts throughout the three weeks and this year it was made even better for me when I was announced as BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year. It was an amazing night in the City Halls and the music throughout was fantastic - all the other finalists played outstandingly. I’m delighted and very much looking forward to a recording session with the BBC as well as performing at this years HebCelt Festival. I have lots of plans for 2019 and couldn’t be more excited to see where the year takes me.” l
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B&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM
19 0 2 r u no o H f to s e u G
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) e i h c o D ( n a c n Du McCallum
was recently looking through my collection of music books when I came across a tune called Dochie McCallum Esq. in Graeme Mitchell’s excellent collection of compositions. To paraphrase Graeme who writes of Dochie, a fine exponent of the three-row Shand Morino accordion: “Dochie sits down and meticulously works out the best possible usage of bellows and rows to achieve a more flowing style of playing, the end product being a massively ‘chunky’ and ‘canny’ style of playing that for me demonstrates great control and expertise.” Thinking about this tune took me back to the early sixties when one of my favourite bands on Scottish Dance Music was the Hamish Menzies Band from Callander. My recollection is that the band had a great tight, swingy sound and also that, although it was normal at the time for bands to play the original tune then two alternatives before returning to the original, this band played the original along with three alternatives. A number of years later I saw them playing at the Highlanders Institute in Glasgow and
as an aspiring button-box player was entranced by the button-box player who, although he was playing the tune, hardly seemed to be moving the bellows. This button-box player was Dochie MacCallum. Duncan McCallum, or Dochie McCallum as he is universally known, was born in Dubh Loch Cottage, Rowardennan on the banks of Loch Lomond and has lived all of his life in that area. This is the same Dubh Loch Cottage that gained fame some years later when Fiona MacMillan composed a 4/4 march in its honour – a tune that has featured many times on Take the Floor. After leaving the local Balfron High School, Dochie worked for several years with the Forestry Commission before becoming the local postie in the Drymen area for 16 years. A change of career saw Dochie working with Scottish Water before taking early retirement in September 1994. Our readers of course will mostly know Dochie through his amazing ability on the Shand Morino button-box. He was given a melodeon by an uncle when he was four years old and in a comparatively
B&F • CLUB NEWS
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.
Lynne Maciver Band, Aberdeen
ABERDEEN Our chairman Scott Gordon opened by wishing everyone a happy, healthy New Year and hoped for a successful season. We had just enough local players to keep us entertained until the guest spot, and we started with Brian Stanger on accordion, Stanley Flett on piano and Dennis Constable on drums. The latter two stayed on to accompany Denis Shepherd on moothie, and also Morag Sinclair on accordion, who is a welcome visitor when visiting her wee granddaughter Bella! Morag usually goes to the Beith club. Haste ye back: we all enjoyed your tunes. Guests were our own Lynne
Maciver Band, with Susan and Scott Gordon on fiddle and drums and Scott Nichol on piano. We had a fantastic evening of music. Lynne gave us a great selection of every tempos and tunes included Flett from Flotta, Sprig of Ivy, The Starry Nights of Shetland. We had a superb solo from Susan accompanied by Scott: The Sweetness of Mary, Jack Daniels and Miller’s Reel. After tea and the raffle, we had a lovely selection from Sheila and Graham Reid on fiddle, after which regular Sandy McAllan played buttonbox accompanied by Esma Shepherd. It was great to see Esma back and looking so well. Last local performer was
singer Alison Pirie whose Star O’ Robbie Burns was enjoyed by all. We then had more from this wonderful but rarely seen guest band! Tunes included Nicky McMichan’s Canny Man Sessions, Babes in the Wood, The Hayfield Two-Step and two beautiful waltzes. Susan and Scott also played the fantastic slow air Herr Roloff’s Farewell. Thanks to Lynne for a superb programme that kept our feet tapping. Get your bookings in for this band - you won’t be disappointed! ARBROATH Vice chairman Avril Abbott opened the meeting with a welcome to everyone, but it was with sadness she intimated the death of John White, a long time committee member, and a minute’s silence was held. Thoughts are also with the family of John Davidson who is very ill. A piano solo from Bill Ford in respect of John White was beautifully performed and set the tone for the exceptional music delivered by all. On guitar was Ian Ramsay, while fiddlers were Tom Truesdale, Liz
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F • MARCH B&F •B& CLUB DIARY 2019
37
Club Diary March 2019 DATE
CLUB
GUEST ARTIST
VENUE
TIME
CONTACT
3
Arbroath
Sandy Nixon (AGM)
Arbroath Artisan Golf Club, Elliot, By Arbroath DD11 2PE
7.30 pm
Tony Simpson 01241 875 326
3
Clydesdale
Archie McAllister Duo
St Mary’s Club Rooms, Lanark ML11 7JS
2.00 pm
Shirley Cathcart 01555 661 017
3
Gretna
Frank Morrison Band
Richard Greenhow Centre, Gretna DG16 5AQ
7.00 pm
Robin Waitt 01387 371 423
4
Thurso
J Morgan
Pentland Hotel, Thurso KW14 7AA
7.30 pm
Ian Wright 01847 892 050
5
Campsie
James Coutts SDB
Glazert Country House Hotel, Lennoxtown G66 7DJ
7.30 pm
Billy Hutton 07889 021 972
5
Fort William
Marian Anderson Band
Railway Club, Inverlochy, Fort William PH33 6LY
7.30 pm
Alisdair MacDonald 01397 701 505
5
Islesteps
Martin Donaldson Band
Locharbriggs Social Club, Locharbriggs DG1 1XS
7.30 pm
John M Caskie MBE 01387 710 975 / 07711 573 071
5
North East
Leonard Brown
Royal British Legion, Keith AB55 5EN
7.30 pm
Rory Smith 07769 801 996
5
Seghill
Club Night (Visitors welcome)
Seghill Comrades Club, Cramlington NE23 7TQ
7.00 pm
James Youngson 01670 356 410
6
Dingwall
Roddy Matthews Band
National Hotel, Dingwall IV15 9HA
7.30 pm
Elspeth Weir 01349 877 675
6
Glenfarg
James Coutts SDB
Glenfarg Village Hall, Glenfarg PH2 9NU
7.30 pm
Stewart Smith 01577 830 296
6
Montrose
Ewan Galloway Band
Park Hotel, Montrose DD10 8RJ
7.30 pm
Ron Ramsay 01241 879 487
6
Orkney
Club night (Visitors welcome)
The Reel, Kirkwall KW15 1KD
7.30 pm
Jim Marwick 01856 874 474
7
Crieff
Joan Blue & Stella Wilkie
The British Legion, Crieff PH7 3EB
7.30 pm
Irene Anderson 01764 654 298
7
Galashiels
Club night (Visitors welcome)
Gala YM RFC, 4 Roxburgh Street, Galashiels, TD1 1PF
7.30 pm
Robert Cleland 01896 754 463
7
Isle of Skye
Gillian Stevenson Band
The Royal Hotel, Portree IV51 9BU
7.30 pm
Linda Shaw 01478 611 122
7
Lewis and Harris
Leonard Brown
Caladh Inn, Stornoway HS1 2QN
8.00 pm
Janette MacIver 01851 704 870
7
Oban
Duncan Black
The Royal Hotel, Oban PA34 4BE
7.30 pm
Anne McFadyen 01631 562 077
7
Turriff
Brandon McPhee
Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown AB53 5WJ
7.30 pm
Pat Steele 01888 562 486
10
Biggar
Robert Robertson & Ross Wilson
Biggar Bowling Club, Biggar ML12 6AX
2.00 pm
Charlie Todd 01899 308 327
12
Blairgowrie
Burns Brothers Ceilidh Band
Red House Hotel, Coupar Angus PH13 9AL
7.30 pm
Helen Aitchison 01821 670 302
12
Dunfermline
Iain MacPhail Band
Masonic Hall, Rosyth KY11 2BW
7.30 pm
Bob Adam 01383 306 142
12
Seghill
John Morgan
Seghill Comrades Club, Cramlington NE23 7TQ
7.00 pm
James Youngson 01670 356 410
13
Alnwick
Iain Anderson 4-Piece Band
Jubilee Hall, Newton on the Moor NE65 9JY
7.30 pm
Mungo Riddell 07836 637 638
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&F • WWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM B&F • BWWW.BOXANDFIDDLE.COM
Dance Diary
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
Monday
Kirkwall
St Magnus Centre
Live Music
7.30 pm - 10.00 pm
£4/£2
Door - All Welcome
01856 873 534 Orkney Dance Assoc.
Wednesday
Coupar Angus
St Anne’s Church Hall, Forfar Road
-
7.00 pm - 9.00 pm
£2.50
Tracy Thom
01828 628 747 Ceilidh Class.
Wednesday
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
Wednesday
Stornoway
Primary School
-
7.00 pm - 9.00 pm
-
Janette Maciver 01851 704 870
School term time only
Wednesday
Midlem
Village Hall
Live Music
8.00 pm - 10.00 pm
£2 (tea)
Grace Belle Scott 01835 870 244
Old Time
Thursday
Dumfries
Kirkton Village Hall
Live Music
7.30 pm - 10.00 pm
£4
John Caskie 07711 573 071
Old Tyme Dance Class with Tuition
Most Sundays
East Kilbride
Girl Guide Hall, Dundas Place
Phone to check time
2.30 pm - 4.30 pm or 7.30 pm - 10.00 pm
£2 (tea)
Door or tel : 01355 230 134 or 245 052
Ceilidh & Old Time Club 01294 212 267
Ceilidh & Old Time Dances
March 2019
DATE
TOWN
HALL
BAND
TIME
COST
CONTACT
COMMENTS
2
Tranent
Rannoch House
Ewan Galloway
7.30 pm - 11.30 pm
£5 Bar
01875 615 138
Pay at Door
2
Largoward
Village Hall
Willie McFarlane
8.00 pm - 11.00 pm
£5 Tea
07961 437 615
Weekly Dance KY9 1HZ
2
N. Kessock
Village Hall
George Rennie
8.00 pm - 12.00 mn
£6 Tea
01463 222 393
Social Dancers BYOB & Food
2
Midlem
Village Hall
Robert Whitehead
7.30 pm - 11.30 pm
£7 Bar
01835 870 244
Own Food
8
Irvine
Volunteer Rooms
Johnny Duncan
7.30 pm - 11.00 pm
£7 BYOB
01292 440 073
Ayrshire Ceilidh KA12 0BA
8
Bridge of Earn
Institute
Scott Band
7.30 pm
£5 No Bar
01738 813 997
Tea & Biscuits
9
Canonbie
Village Hall
Ewan Galloway
7.30 pm - 11.30 pm
£6 BYOB
07704 727 463
(own food) DG14 0UX
9
Stow
Town Hall
Stuart Anderson
7.30 pm - 11.30 pm
BYOB/ Food
01578 730 355
Old Time TD1 2QS
9
Largoward
Village Hall
Keith Robertson
8.00 pm - 11.00 pm
£5 Tea
07961 437 615
Weekly Dance KY9 1HZ
9
Glen Douglas
Village Hall
Ian Cruickshanks
7.30 pm - 11.30 pm
£7 own food
07803 951 298
BYOB Raffle
16
Largoward
Village Hall
Bon Accord
8.00 pm - 11.00 pm
£5 Tea
07961 437 615
Weekly Dance KY9 1HZ
16
Daviot
Strathnairn Hall
Marian Anderson
8.00 pm - 12.00 mn
£6 Tea
01463 222 393
B.Y.O.B. & Food IV2 5XL
B&F • MARCH B&F • DANCE DIARY 2019
Ceilidh & Old Time Dances
45
March 2019 cont.
DATE
TOWN
HALL
BAND
TIME
COST
CONTACT
COMMENTS
16
Glasgow
Pollockshaws Hall
Andy Gordon
7.00 pm
£10 Tea
0141 848 0308
(tickets) www.hdscotland.org
17
Milnathort
Town Hall
Scott Band
2.00 pm - 5.00 pm
£5 Tea
01577 863 244
Proceeds to Charity. Pay at Door
17
Glencarse
Village Hall
Johnny Duncan
7.30 pm - 10.00 pm
£4 No Bar
01738 552 688
Set & Couples Dances
17
Ayr
Heathfield C.C.
Recorded
7.30 pm - 10.00 pm
Pay at Door
01292 440 037
Monthly Dance Club
23
East Kilbride
Calderwood Hall
Steven Carcary
7.30 pm - 11.30 pm
£7 Tea/bisc.
01355 230 134
Highlanders Dance - BYOB
23
Largoward
Village Hall
Ian McCallum
8.00 pm - 11.00 pm
£5 Tea
07961 437 615
Weekly Dance KY9 1HZ
27
Dufftown
Memorial Hall
-
7.30 pm - 10.00 pm
-
01340 871 529
Monthly Social
28
Windygates
Greig Institute
Bruce Lindsay
7.30 pm - 10.30 pm
£5 Tea
01333 351 127
Monthly Dance-Tea & Eats
29
Helensburgh
Commodore Hotel
Lomond Ceilidh
8.00 pm - 12.00 mn
£10 Tea
01436 831 284
Highlanders Advance Ticket
30
Largoward
Village Hall
Tommy Newcomen
8.00 pm - 11.00 pm
£5 Tea
07961 437 615
Weekly Dance KY9 1HZ
30
Daviot
Strathnairn Hall
Dave Husband S.
8.00 pm - 12.00 mn
£6 Tea
01540 651 377
Cairngorm Dancers IV2 5XL
30
Hightae
RFT Hall
Neil Hardie
7.30 pm - 11.30 pm
£7
01387 810 423
Bring & Share Supper
31
Glencarse
Village Hall
Wayne Robertson
7.30 pm - 10.00 pm
£4 No Bar
01738 552 688
Set & Couples Dances
Ceilidh & Old Time Dances
June 2015 April 2019
DATE
TOWN
HALL
BAND
TIME
COST
CONTACT
COMMENTS
6
Tranent
Rannoch House
Gavin Piper
7.30 pm - 11.30 pm
£5 Bar
01875 615 138
Pay at Door
6
Largoward
Village Hall
Steven Carcary
8.00 pm - 11.00 pm
£5 Tea
07961 437 615
Weekly Dance KY9 1HZ
6
Daviot
Strathnairn Hall
Ewan Galloway
8.00 pm - 12.00 mn
£6 Tea
01463 222 393
BYOB & Food IV2 5XL
6
Dufftown
Memorial Hall
Ian Cruickshanks
7.30 pm - 11.30 pm
Pay at Door
01340 871 529
Old Time Dance
8
Orkney
Islands
Various
Islands Ceilidh Week
01856 873 534
Finishes 15th April
Dance Diaries can also be read online at www.boxandfiddle.com/dance-diary.html
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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
Midnight and Closedown Lau Reveal Records Reveal 078CDX
Lau return with their new album, Midnight and Closedown, produced by John Parish. This new record was released on 8th February 2019 and the release was supported by a nationwide tour taking in a diverse collection of venues such as Derby Guildhall, Norwich Arts Centre, Birmingham Glee Club, Leeds City Varieties Music Hall and the Cardiff Royal Welsh College of Music & Dram Theatre. For further dates, check out the band’s website at www.lau-music.co.uk. Already acknowledged as thrilling live performers and folk music pioneers, Lau arrive at a new creative peak with Midnight and Closedown. The band’s 12 year recording career is resplendent with unexpected collaborations, accolades and innovative ideas. The sound of Lau in 2019 is perhaps closer to late period Beatles than to the traditional tunes and ballads of their 2007 debut Lightweights and Gentlemen. And yet the new album’s closing track Riad marks a full circle, stripping the line-up back to bare acoustic instruments. Midnight and Closedown is Lau’s first new music since 2015’s The Bell That Never Rang, which was both the Guardian’s and the Herald’s album of the year. Producer John Parish, widely celebrated for his recordings and collaborations with PJ Harvey, Eels, Sparklehorse, This is the Kit, Aldous Harding, Rokia Traore, M Ward, Giant Sand and many more, has captured the essence of Lau’s songwriting which is tender, bewitching, mournful, uplifiting, experimental and political. These are new sounds still rooted in the traditional music that brought together the UK’s three finest folk artists in Kris Drever, Martin Green and Aidan O’Rourke. Lau have pushed out the boundaries of modern folk music
”
Already acknowledged as thrilling live performers and folk music pioneers, Lau arrive at a new creative peak with Midnight and Closedown
”
with each successive release and now comes this bold, progressive new statement. Reading between the lines and the enigmatic album title, it could be suggested that this album could be Lau’s swansong, but equally, Midnight and Closedown, Lau’s finest artistic statement to date, could also prove to be the opening of a brave new chapter. Only time will tell. The eight-track set list comprises I Don’t Want to Die Here, She Put on Her Headphones, Toy Tigers, Echolalia, It’s Hard to Seem to be Okay When You’re Not, Dark Secret, Return to Portland and Riad. l