Alastair Hunter
The subject of our feature this month is accordionist Alastair Hunter, leader of the Lorne Scottish Dance Band. Alastair has lived in Aberdeen for the last 35 years, but was brought up in Oban where his love of Scottish music, especially Scottish music, stemmed largely from the influence of this father, the late Charlie Hunter, founder of the Oban and Lorne Strathspey and Reel Society. After a few years of piano tuition, a purely chance encounter with a friend of his father led to a 12 year old Alastair being given a loan of a small 12 bass Pietro. A few years and several “boxes” later, Alastair, at the age of 16, formed his first band with school friend Charlie McLean from Tiree (now living Busby) and Duncan Campbell of Oban – two “boxes”, drums and an old Grampian amplifier which gave out electric shocks every time anyone touched the casing!
The band continued to play in the Oban area for the next ten years or so, apart from breaks necessitated by National Service and studying for a Degree in Agriculture at Glasgow University. With the exception of Duncan Campbell, the band personnel changed over this period and Alastair has many happy memories of the musicians he was associated with including pianists Ann McCallum, Margaret Fletcher and Peter McKillop; fiddlers Callie McInnes (the “Ariogan Fiddler”), Colin Bannatyne and of course, father Charlie (David McBrayne & Co permitting!); drummers Donnie McLeod and Freddie Nicholson; bass players Tony and Maurice Thomson. In due course Duncan Campbell was to relinquish his drums and become the band’s bass player.
While still at University, Alastair, now playing a Hohner Atlantic, was persuaded to compete at the Perth Festival. The idea came from Jimmy Parker of Auchencairn, whom Alastair met while a student working on a farm near Kirkcudbright, and the visit to the Fair City, “chaperoned” by Duncan Campbell and Orcadian Sinclair Moodie, certainly proved worthwhile. He won the Senior Scottish Trophy at the first attempt in 1956 and again two years later. In 1959 he was runner up. His subsequent associations with the Festival were to be in the role of adjudicator. It was around this time that Alastair and the band cut their first solo and band discs with the Gaelfonn Recording Company.
A major change came in Alastair’s life when he moved to Aberdeen in 1958 to take up an appointment with the then North of Scotland College of Agriculture. Contacts were soon made with other musicians in the north-eat and the nucleus was formed of what was to become the Lorne Scottish Dance Band.
Within a month of arriving in Aberdeen, an invitation came to play at an International Festival in Strasbourg, then the following year a two week tour of France with Bobby Watson and the Clan Hay Dancers of “Kilt is My Delight” fame. The venues on this tour were many and varied and included the Deauville Casino, the British Embassy in Paris and also a whisky importers reception on the second stage of the Eiffel Tower where the combination of hospitality and altitude played havoc with the demonstration Eightsome Reel! It was on this trip that the inspiration came for Alastair’s musette-style composition “The Cockroach Inn”.
One of the first musicians to join forces with Alastair in Aberdeen was pianist Jessie Cruickshank who, in spite of ill-health, remained the band’s pianist till shortly before her death in 1990. She holds a very special place in the story of the Lorne SDB. Along with Alasdair Cameron, who hailed from Beauly and is now minister of Sherwood Church in Paisley, Alastair and Jessie formed the Lorne Trio and, after several recording for the B.B.C. Gaelic Department , joined the ranks of the Saturday evening “Scottish Dance Music” regulars. A couple of years later they were joined by Ron Gonella on fiddle and Jack Stephen on drums to make up their now established 5 piece group. Later, Ron’s place was taken by Florence Burns and, apart from the loss of Jessie Cruickshank and her replacement by Alistair’s daughter Eileen, the band personnel have remained the same for almost 20 years. No “rent-a-band” here!
Overseas travel has featured largely in Alastair’s recent career. Visits to Festivals in Brittany started as far back as 1969 with a visit to the Fete de Cornouaille in Quimper, followed by several trips to the Lorient Festival when the band was augmented by such first class musicians as Jim Halcrow and Ivor Britton.
The opportunity to take early retirement arose in 1986 and since then Alistair has clocked up more than 30 overseas trips. These have mainly been to St Andrew’s Balls or Scottish Country Dance Schools in such places as Oman, Kuwait, Istanbul, Ankara, Rio de Janeiro and Florida, in addition to numerous visits to Holland, Belgium and Germany. Currently on the cards for next year are visits to Norway, Belgium, New Zealand, Canada and a return visit to Florida.
The recorded scene has not been neglected either and, in addition to several L.P.s and a couple of privately released cassettes, the Lorne SDB has recorded the music for two of the R.S.C.D.S. books of dances.
Alastair now devotes most of his time to teaching accordion and keyboard and his playing is almost entirely for Scottish country Dancing, either solo with electronic bass or as a 3 or 4 piece group with Florence Burns, Jack Stephen and daughter Eileen. On occasions when Florence is unable to get time off from her daytime teaching post, Alistair’s son Russell, now established as a Scottish Dance musician in his own right, steps into the breach and has enjoyed several of the band’s overseas trips.
The distinctive sound of the Lorne SDB is due in no small measure to the 32 year old Gola which Alastair bought in 1964 for £220! The advert appeared in the local evening paper and Alastair, though sorely tempted, quickly put the idea out of his mind as the need to replace his aging car was a higher priority. He reckoned however without accordionist and motor engineer friend Skene Foote who was not going to see an opportunity like that pass by. Skene insisted that Alastair went to see the instrument and volunteered to overhaul the car engine free of charge. A deal was struck and Alastair, still the proud possessor of the Gola, is forever grateful for his friend’s foresight and generosity.
Box and Fiddle
Dec 1993 / Jan 1994
The band continued to play in the Oban area for the next ten years or so, apart from breaks necessitated by National Service and studying for a Degree in Agriculture at Glasgow University. With the exception of Duncan Campbell, the band personnel changed over this period and Alastair has many happy memories of the musicians he was associated with including pianists Ann McCallum, Margaret Fletcher and Peter McKillop; fiddlers Callie McInnes (the “Ariogan Fiddler”), Colin Bannatyne and of course, father Charlie (David McBrayne & Co permitting!); drummers Donnie McLeod and Freddie Nicholson; bass players Tony and Maurice Thomson. In due course Duncan Campbell was to relinquish his drums and become the band’s bass player.
While still at University, Alastair, now playing a Hohner Atlantic, was persuaded to compete at the Perth Festival. The idea came from Jimmy Parker of Auchencairn, whom Alastair met while a student working on a farm near Kirkcudbright, and the visit to the Fair City, “chaperoned” by Duncan Campbell and Orcadian Sinclair Moodie, certainly proved worthwhile. He won the Senior Scottish Trophy at the first attempt in 1956 and again two years later. In 1959 he was runner up. His subsequent associations with the Festival were to be in the role of adjudicator. It was around this time that Alastair and the band cut their first solo and band discs with the Gaelfonn Recording Company.
A major change came in Alastair’s life when he moved to Aberdeen in 1958 to take up an appointment with the then North of Scotland College of Agriculture. Contacts were soon made with other musicians in the north-eat and the nucleus was formed of what was to become the Lorne Scottish Dance Band.
Within a month of arriving in Aberdeen, an invitation came to play at an International Festival in Strasbourg, then the following year a two week tour of France with Bobby Watson and the Clan Hay Dancers of “Kilt is My Delight” fame. The venues on this tour were many and varied and included the Deauville Casino, the British Embassy in Paris and also a whisky importers reception on the second stage of the Eiffel Tower where the combination of hospitality and altitude played havoc with the demonstration Eightsome Reel! It was on this trip that the inspiration came for Alastair’s musette-style composition “The Cockroach Inn”.
One of the first musicians to join forces with Alastair in Aberdeen was pianist Jessie Cruickshank who, in spite of ill-health, remained the band’s pianist till shortly before her death in 1990. She holds a very special place in the story of the Lorne SDB. Along with Alasdair Cameron, who hailed from Beauly and is now minister of Sherwood Church in Paisley, Alastair and Jessie formed the Lorne Trio and, after several recording for the B.B.C. Gaelic Department , joined the ranks of the Saturday evening “Scottish Dance Music” regulars. A couple of years later they were joined by Ron Gonella on fiddle and Jack Stephen on drums to make up their now established 5 piece group. Later, Ron’s place was taken by Florence Burns and, apart from the loss of Jessie Cruickshank and her replacement by Alistair’s daughter Eileen, the band personnel have remained the same for almost 20 years. No “rent-a-band” here!
Overseas travel has featured largely in Alastair’s recent career. Visits to Festivals in Brittany started as far back as 1969 with a visit to the Fete de Cornouaille in Quimper, followed by several trips to the Lorient Festival when the band was augmented by such first class musicians as Jim Halcrow and Ivor Britton.
The opportunity to take early retirement arose in 1986 and since then Alistair has clocked up more than 30 overseas trips. These have mainly been to St Andrew’s Balls or Scottish Country Dance Schools in such places as Oman, Kuwait, Istanbul, Ankara, Rio de Janeiro and Florida, in addition to numerous visits to Holland, Belgium and Germany. Currently on the cards for next year are visits to Norway, Belgium, New Zealand, Canada and a return visit to Florida.
The recorded scene has not been neglected either and, in addition to several L.P.s and a couple of privately released cassettes, the Lorne SDB has recorded the music for two of the R.S.C.D.S. books of dances.
Alastair now devotes most of his time to teaching accordion and keyboard and his playing is almost entirely for Scottish country Dancing, either solo with electronic bass or as a 3 or 4 piece group with Florence Burns, Jack Stephen and daughter Eileen. On occasions when Florence is unable to get time off from her daytime teaching post, Alistair’s son Russell, now established as a Scottish Dance musician in his own right, steps into the breach and has enjoyed several of the band’s overseas trips.
The distinctive sound of the Lorne SDB is due in no small measure to the 32 year old Gola which Alastair bought in 1964 for £220! The advert appeared in the local evening paper and Alastair, though sorely tempted, quickly put the idea out of his mind as the need to replace his aging car was a higher priority. He reckoned however without accordionist and motor engineer friend Skene Foote who was not going to see an opportunity like that pass by. Skene insisted that Alastair went to see the instrument and volunteered to overhaul the car engine free of charge. A deal was struck and Alastair, still the proud possessor of the Gola, is forever grateful for his friend’s foresight and generosity.
Box and Fiddle
Dec 1993 / Jan 1994