2005 Newsletter, Issue 4
News from Bute
Gillie Banks sends in all the recent news from Bute
Branch:
Bute is delighted to be part of the TMSA Young Trad Tour
2005 and we are busy collecting sponsorship, raffle prizes
and arranging final details for Sunday 27 November. The
Pavilion Cafe is a lovely venue with everything available
down to dressing rooms and a big pot of soup for us all,
which should lift the weary travellers after their long trek
down from Skye!! Once again we are accommodating
those who wish to support the event but live off the Island.
For that reason, the Concert will run from 5.00 - 7.30pm
and the last departure from Rhubodach is 8.00pm.
Did anyone else watch the Proms? It was just amazing to
see our 2005 winner Stuart Cassells command the stage
with his pipes and those thrilling drummers. This highlight
from Proms on the Green in Glasgow was transmitted to
London and all round the world on BBC 2. What a career
start eh? Well done Stuart. It even kept me out of the pub
and yes, if you were listening to the Proms on Radio Scotland, it was my text which was read out.
Gillie Banks and Dave Sandilands enjoy the McEwan’s
Session at the Argyll Arms in Rothe\say
hosting a St Andrews Ceilidh on Saturday 3 December.
The venue is the 292, Rothesay, starting at 8.00pm. As
you may appreciate we will be busy with the Young Trad
Tour the previous weekend and , as we don’t have the
same funding this year, it was not possible tto profile a big
weekend event as we did in 2004. However, it will be a
good night!
We have had four great Sundays playing at the McEwan’s
Sessions in the Argyll Arms, Rothesay and we would like
to thank Sarah for organising them. I also had a fabulous
weekend as a musician/singer with Kenny and Stuart in
Tarbert, Loch Fyne at their McEwan’s session in the Corner House Tavern and onto the Kames Hotel on the Sunday before I meandered back to Bute.
New Year fast approaches and one duo, Meander, who
are Iain Findlay (our treasurer) and Agnes Findlay, will be
bringing in the bells with fine music at the St Blane's Hotel,
Kilchattan Bay.
(Continued overleaf)
A good crowd gathered together for the McEwan’s Session at the
Argyll Arms in Rothesay
Inside this issue:
Bute Branch News
1-2 Listings
4
We are all looking forward to supporting Scotland's Young
Trad Ambassadors and Bute will be honoured to be hosts
to them all.
Music in Galloway
3
Kirriemuir Festival
4
Competition
4
We will be working together with Bute Outdoor Centre in
Aberdeen Branch News 3
TMSA Young Trad Tour 3
PAGE 2
Newsletter 2005, Issue 4
(Cont. from front page)
The local Rothesay Pipe Band are having a fundraising
New Year Ceilidh in the Pavilion with the Garry Forrest
Ceilidh Band. I have been asked to sing a few sons and
bravely I have said yes! I met Garry (what a brilliant musician) when we were on a mammoth Birthday celebration
week for our Shetland friend Diana Peterson and, would
you believe it, nicely timed during their Fiddle and Accordion Festival too.
Til' next time frae Bute - have a guid new year!!!
Liz Clark and Hilary Cusker, along with eight other adventurers, had a wonderful time. We hired a minibus. Liz was
our driver, Diana was our tour guide, as all ten of us were
let loose in Shetland . Da music wis braw I'm just
surprised nae TROWS kidnapped us.
Our Fiddle Workshops need a wee bit of injected energy
and funding but I am sure other branches, on starting out,
came across the same hurdles. We are open to advice,
so if any branch wish to contact us with ideas please do
so through myself.
Catriona MacIntyre on whistle and Iain Findlay on Guitar
Glasgow Branch at Celtic Connections 2006
Glasgow Branch of the TMSA and Celtic Connections are pleased to announce the following list of concerts to take
place in the Universal Folk Club, Sauchiehall Lane. TheUniversal has a superb menu at affordable prices and after the
concerts, a late night Folk session will take place in the same venue.
We are also hosting the famous House of Song at the Festival Club which takes place at the Holiday Inn City West. It
will be hosted by our own Doris Rougvie from 11pm to the small hours each night during Celtic Connections. As festival
club tickets can sell out quite quickly it is suggested to purchase them well ahead of time to avoid disappointment.
The programme for all events at Celtic Connections is available for download from the website and hard copies will be
available at the usual outlets. Tickets available through the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall - www.grch.com - box office:
0141 353 8000. Now you know what to buy folks for their Christmas!.
Events hosted by Doris Rougvie, wiith Elspeth Cowie, Ishbel MacAskill & Nancy Nicolson
Thur 12 January
Fri 13 January
Sat 14 January
Sun 15 January
Mon 16 January
Tue 17 January
Wed 18 January
Thur 19 January
Fri 20 January
Sat 21 January
Sun 22 January
Mon 23 January
Tue 24 January
Wed 25 January
Thur 26 January
Fri 27 January
Sat 28 January
Sun 29 January
Glasgow Stramash
Ayrshire and Burns Country: Elspeth Cowie; Gillian Frame; Ishbel MacAskill and John Morran
Edinburgh & Lothian: Gill Bowman; Robin Laing; Brian and Siobhan Miller
Border Ballads and Riding Songs: Willie Beattie; John Morran and Lori Watson
Dumfries and Galloway: Emily Smith; Linkum Doddy, Phyliss & Billy Martin; Agnes & Tam
Whiteman
The Isle of Barra: Roddy Campbell; Maggie MacInnes; Mave MacKinnon & Cathy Ann McPhee
The North East: Shona Donaldson; Jock Duncan & Geordie Murison
The Isle of Lewis: Murdigan MacDonald; Calum & Shaunie MacMillan
Dundee: Barbara Dymock; Maureen Jelks; Sheena Wellington & Ewan Sutherland
Angus: Jo Aitken; Steve Byrne; Scott Gardiner & Jim Malcolm
Fife: The Sangsters
The Isle of Uist: Margaret Callan; Gilbert MacMillan
Perth & Kinross: Doris Rougvie; Shelia Stewart; Euan Sutherland
The Isle of Skye: Margaret Bennett; Kenna Campbell & Darren MacLean
Aberdeen: Elspeth Cowie; Norman Kennedy; Pete Shepherd; Tom Spiers & Arthur Watson
Moidart, Lochaber & Wester Ross: Charlie MacColl; Allan MacDonald; Steven MacIver & Margaret
MacLellan
Shetland & Orkney: Jillian Isbister; Nancy Nicolson
Glasgow: Arthur Johnstone; Brian Miller; Charlie Sloane
Please note the artist list is correct at time of printing and may be changed and added to at a later date. Check on www.
celticconnections.com for the latest information.
Liz Clark
Newsletter 2005, Issue 4
Traditional Music in Galloway
TMSA member and willing Geordie exile, Jim Bainbridge has
been hosting music nights on an irregula basis (ie. whenever
he has a free Saturday) at the House o’ Hill Hotel in
Bargrennan, since 2003. He tells us more:
The hotel is 4 miles south of the Galloway/Ayrshire
border, just off the Girvan-Newton Stewart road. There's a
tradition of music at the pub, and the current management
are all for reviving that.
Its not a folk club, nor a session, just a Saturday music night,
or a 'come all-ye'. Jim played and lived in Ireland for many
years and believes that the music is only part of the tradition,
and can still fit into local culture. For that reason, although he
loves the old songs & music, he positions himself between
the locals and the musicians so he can respond to any
requests from the 'non folkies' present and is quite happy to
play 'Flower of Scotland' or ' Your Cheatin' Heart' if thats what
the company wants. The downside is the usual one that
sometimes the locals are having such a good time that, not
knowing the conventions, they can get very noisy, but that's
something which is inevitable in a public bar and it really
hasn't got too difficult just yet!
Despite all that, we've had lovely old ballads from Linkin
Doddy, moothie tunes from Tam Maxwell, bothy ballads from
Dave Mcfadzean, lovely Scots songs from her own
family from Janet Weatherstone, and the inimitable John
Eaglesham adding to the mix, not to mention the songs &
music on fiddle, mandolin & spoons from the Stranraer
contingent, among other visitors, about every 2/3 weeks in
summer.
Galloway is a remote area, beautiful & quiet, even in summer,
but many musicians & singers have contributed to the
success of the evenings, the content of which depends to
some extent on who turns up! The unwritten rules of the
singaround apply and people are NOT allowed to 'take over',
all get a chance... folk clubs are not thriving locally & its an
important platform for folk/traditional (or literally any)
performers these days. Although the dates are finished for
this year, they will probably be starting up again in April
2006, although you can always phone the management, Pam
& Heather to find out if anything's happening over the winter!
(01671 8402430). It'll certainly happen again next year so if
you're anywhere near the place next year, give a call to Jim
on 01671 840262 & he'll tell you when it's on - let's give the
music back to the people, they still love it!!
PAGE 3
Aberdeen News
The Branch held ‘Anither Meal an’ Ale’ concert at Cookney Hall as part of the Doric Festival. We feel it is important to keep these old traditions alive so they will not be
forgotten. It was a great success with a waiting list for
tickets again. The members who took part did the branch
proud.
A ‘Meal an’Ale’ was a gathering held on farms in the north
east until the 1920’s to mark the end of the harvest and
was one of the highlights of the year for the fee’d men
and women. It was a night of singing and dancing, everyone taking their turn to perform when asked to do so. In
the morning the farmer’s wife would put the oatmeal,
home brewed ale, honey and whisky into a large earthenware bowl and leave it to mellow until the arrival of the
guests in the evening. The bowl would be placed in the
middle of a table and everyone supped from the bowl with
a spoon. Apparently it was a very potent brew and led to
all sorts of indiscretions!
We make a bowl of ‘meal an’ ale’ for our concert and give
everyone a small glass when they arrive. However, it
does not suit modern palates as we do not have many
people coming back for seconds. The kebbeck and oatcakes served at half time go down a treat though!
We are having an afternoon ceilidh on Sunday 27th November at Garlogie Hall which will be our St Andrew Day
event. Our branch Christmas party is on Saturday 10th
December.
Joyce Murison
Photo of Jim Taylor, compere, courtesy of Dr Ian Russell.
The strong lineup includes three winners of the BBC Radio
Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award, all of whom are
busy establishing successful professional careers and perThe dates and venues for this year’s TMSA Young Trad forming around the world. This year’s winner, Highland piper
Stuart Cassells from Falkirk, is joined by last year’s title
Tour have been announced and are as follows:
holder and first male winner, Gaelic singer James Graham
from Lochinver and 2003 winner, multi-instrumentalist Anna
25 Nov - Lochinver Village Hall - 01571 844262
Massie, from Fortrose.
26 Nov - Isle of Skye, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig - 01471 844207
27 Nov - Isle of Bute, Pavilion Cafe - 01700 831614
They’ll be joined by the other five finalists from this year’s
2 Dec - Glasgow, Partick Folk Festival, The Annexe - 0141
competition, fiddler Sarah Naylor and Gaelic singer Darren
357 6747
MacLean, from Skye, Scots and Gaelic singer Maeve
3 Dec - Edinburgh, Trad Music Awards, The Queens Hall Mackinnon from Glasgow, fiddler Mike Vass from Nairn and
0131 667 7776
Gaelic singer and clarsach player Rachel Newton, from Edinburgh.
(contact venues directly for ticket information)
TMSA Young Trad Tour 2005
PAGE 4
Newsletter 2005, Issue 4
Listings
Kirriemuir Festival 2005
18-20 Nov Fiddle 2005. Weekend of events celebrating the music of the fiddle. Includes concerts, recitals, workshops, talks, ceilidhs and stalls. Contact ALP Scots
Music Group on 0131 346 0977 or email
info@scotsfiddlefestival.com.
25-30 Nov Burnsong. Dumfries. Six days of gigs, concerts, performances, clubs, talks, open mic sessions, masterclasses, films and gatherings. More info from www.
burnsong.com or contact 01387 2533
3 Dec
Scots Trad Music Awards, Queens Hall Edinburgh.
See www.handsupfortrad.co.uk for further details.
10-29
Jan
Glasgow Fringe Festival. Small scale concerts, sessions etc. Programme available December. Contact
Bernadette Collier on 0141 423 2154
11-29
Jan
Celtic Connections. Contact Glasgow Royal Concert
Hall Box Office on 0141 353 8080.
Jan
New Scots Music Group Courses - Absolute beginners whistle classes. Absolute beginners fiddle
classes. Age 16+. Contact ALP –Scots Music Group
Feb
Fiddle Concert Fundraiser for QV School, Dunblane.
Takes place in Stirling. Contact sarahgrotrian@lumison.co.uk
Left is a snap of some of the participants at the
‘Survivors’ Ceilidh on the Sunday evening during the
Kirrie Festival (Courtesy of Jim Taylor).
The weekend was a great success, as ever.
Next year will be the festival’s Silver Jubilee and it is
hoped that as many people as possible will be able to
attend. The branch are particularly keen to see more
participants in competitions, especially in less well
subscribed events such as ‘squeeze box’.
AUCHTERMUCHTY AWARD NOMINATION!!
Auchtermuchty Festival has been nominated as ‘Event of
the Year’ at the Scots Trad Music Awards 2005.
Download a voting form from www.handsupfortrad.co.uk
or vote online at www.bbc.co.uk/celticroots. You can also
request a voting form from the TMSA office. Deadline for
votes is the 25th November.
Jim Bainbridge, Bob Hay, David Cordiner, Ed from Glasgow
Copy Deadline for January
Newsletter – 12th December 2005
Competition
As we head into this year’s TMSA Young Trad Tour, this newsletter’s prize is a copy of the TMSA Young Trad Tour
2004-LIVE CD. A chance to hear last year’s finalists at work!
If you don’t know the answers to the quiz questions or if you would like to purchase copies of the album then contact
TMSA National Office or log on to www.tmsa.org.uk to purchase at our online shop. The first correct entry out of the
TMSA hat wins. Closing date for entries is the 12th December.
1. Which well-known singer and song-writer edited TMSA’s Jubilee Song Book, “Come Gie’s a Sang’’ ?
2. Which well known singer and song-writer has successfully set several Violet Jacob poems to music?
3. Which well-known singer and song-writer has successfully set several Shakespeare plays to music?
Please send general enquiries and correspondence to:
Caroline Scott, Office Manager,
TMSA National Office,
95-97 St Leonard’s Street,
Edinburgh EH8 9QY
Tel: 0131 667 5587
E-mail: office@tmsa.org.uk
Web: www.tmsa.org.uk
The TMSA
acknowledges the
support of the