paulanderson

Adventures of a Scottish Fiddler

Salute to the King 

Saturday the 25th of April was the special concert to raise funds for the life size bronze statue of James Scott Skinner, titled "Salute to the King."
The attendance was good and a full page article on the event in Press and Journal (biggest newspaper in the North of Scotland) did no harm at all.
The audience were treated to a wonderful night of some World class traditional Scottish music and song. Arriving at Aberdeen Music Hall they were met by members of the Invercauld Highlanders with pipers, creating quite a stir on Union Street. The lads then started the show off by escorting the evenings host, Fiona Kennedy OBE on stage to the rousing strains of "Scotland the Brave."
Fiona has a long and distinguished career in entertainment and despite a broken collar bone managed to keep things moving beautifully, introducing conductor Jane Davidson to the stage to conduct the massed fiddlers led by the Banchory Strathspey and Reel Society. There were almost 90 musicians on stage with players from the Elgin Strathspey and Reel Society, the Fochabers Fiddlers, Strathbogie Fiddlers, Garioch Fiddlers, Ythan Fiddlers and Aberdeen Strathspey and Reel Society joining Banchory. Despite the afternoon rehearsal being the first time everyone had played together, they played together beautifully and you would have thought they'd been rehearsing for weeks.
Shona Donaldson, who is a winner of Scots Singer of the Year and a two time winner of the Bothy Ballad Champion of Champions (only woman to win it) was on top form and when the audience wasnt singing along you could've heard a pin drop. It was lovely to join Shona for Robert Burns' most famous song "My Luv is Like a Red, Red Rose" to the original melody with Tim Edey on guitar; really rather moving.
The 30 young members of the Banchory Junior Strathspey and Reel Society were just superb and were a big hit with the audience; a real credit to parents and tutors alike.
Fiona, an acclaimed singer, actor and TV and radio presenter (Record Breakers, Wicker Man etc) gave us some wonderful songs accompanied by the talented Nils Elders on guitar. Like Shona, she had the audience singing along at times and gave a varied programme of self penned songs like "The Maple Tree" and favourites like "Wild Mountain Thyme."
Top of the bill was the sensational Ross Ainslie and Tim Edey who are virtuoso performers on multiple instruments and not surprisingly in demand the world over. Ross was actually heading off to Vancouver the next morning.
Their playing was unbelievable and they undoubtedly deserve the acclaime of being two of the most exciting and talented ted musicians in Scotland today. A personal favourite from them was their performance of JS Skinner's "Mathematician" and "The Hurricane."
For myself, I stuck more or less to the music of Skinner although I did perform "Lament for King George V" by Donald Riddell. Donald’s son and grand-daughter were in the audience and Donald was a great admirer of Skinner. It was a highlight for myself to have Tim accompany me on "Tullochgorum" with Skinner's variations and then to be joined by Ross for Skinner’s classic lament "Hector the Hero."
The concert ended with everyone joining the massed fiddlers for "The Atholl Highlanders." Standing ovation and the end to a great and memorable night. 
PS the Strathspey King Memorial Fund committee members collected almost £1000 on the night collecting with buckets; a superb effort.

A Busy Weekend 

One of my regular haunts is at the Balmoral Arms Hotel in Ballater where I play regularly with Alastair MacDougall and Ian Murray. We're there twice a month on a Thursday nights and it's always a very enjoyable night. The 16th of April was also the 280th anniversary of the Battle of Culloden which ended the hopes of the Jacobites in returning the Stuart's to the throne of Great Britain.
The next day saw me heading north ower the Lecht to Drumossie Moor for a midnight memorial event at the memorial on the battlefield organised by Cran Tara. It was a rather moving experience at night by the memorial with burning torches and flying Saltires. I played my tune "The Bloody Field of Culloden" and the lament "Mo Rùn Geal Og" which would prove to be quite a strange coincidence.
Mo Rùn Geal Og was composed by a woman who's husband was killed at the Battle of Culloden. His name was William Chisolm of Strathglass and he was the Clan Chisolm standard bearer at the battle. In the aftermath of the battle he was killed while defending wounded Clansmen, shot seven times after having cut down sixteen Red coated Government soldiers. 
His wife first learned of William's death when a group of Tinkers passed her house. One of them was wearing the coat which she had made for her husband and recognising it she realised that he would never return.
As part of this year's memorial event, an account was given of the Chisolm Clan's part in the battle with special mention of William and the composition of Mo Rùn Geal Og. It was quite by chance that I chose this particular lament.
It was also memorable for the temperature; I have never ever been so cold while playing my fiddle. The temperature was close to zero and the wind cut to the bone. It was far from being a good performance as I couldn't feel my hands. Was in bed by 4am for a few hours sleep before a day of fiddling at the first Tarland Fiddle Gathering. A memorable night indeed.
 

Saturday the 18th was the first Tarland Fiddle Gathering which saw around 80 fiddle players attend classes with four different tutors including myself, ranging from beginners to advanced. It was organised by Margaret Robertson from Shetland who's now living in Tarland and who has been organising the fiddle element at the Royal Edinburgh Milirary Tattoo for many years. 
The night before, there was a superb music session in the Aberdeen Arms with about 40 musicians attending although I was unable to take part due to my commitments at Culloden. 
After the last workshop had finished I led a musical walk which began by the Peter Milne memorial and headed out of the village and up to Tomnaverie Stone Circle which affords wonderful panoramic views of the Howe of Cromar. Tunes played included "Tarland Memories," "The Muir o' Gellan," "Return to Kincraigie" and "The Beauty of Cromar Before Me." The weather varied from glorious Spring sun to absolutely pouring with rain which is not untypical in Scotland at any time of the year. We made it back to the village for dinner with 15 minutes to spare.
In the evening the concert in the MacRobert Hall was headlined by Ross Couper and Tom Oaks who were on magnificent form. The tutors joined them on stage for the finale which appropriately finished with the event anthem "John MacNeil" by Peter Milne; without a doubt one of the World's greatest reels (John MacNeil was a champion Highland dancer during the Victorian era). After the concert, many of the musicians headed up to the Golf Club where there was another epic session.  A great event and hopefully tye first of many.
 

Guided walk at Tomnaverie