Box and Fiddle
Year 21 No 06
March 1998
David Vernon
by ?
‘Hilarious, hated and hugely talented’ was the quote use dafter his performances at the 1997 Shetland A&F Festival. Certainly he has humour in great abundance, both in his introductions and the stand-up way he delivers his program of music. The hat, that was a cover-up for the fact that he had shed his ponytail since his last visit to Shetland. “It kept everyone guessing who I was, and certainly drew attention” says David. The one thing that cannot be questioned however is his talent. His technique and fingerwork are dazzling, the range of world music he performs is extremely diverse, and when he starts bending notes and playing sets of reels on the bass end, you become aware that something very special is happening.
A native of Dumfries, David started playing accordion at the age of 6, under the guidance of local teacher Jimmy Mason, and later with family friend Joe Russell. The lessons lasted until the age of 11, during which time David was involved with local concert parties, along with fellow Doonhamers such as Alec Little, Ian Holmes and John Douglas. At 12, a lifelong friendship began with Gary Coupland, who later went on to achieve success with ‘The Singing Kettle’ children’s show. “The rivalry between us was intense in those days” recalls David, “speed was all important, finesse got thrown out the window!” David abd Gary performed in and around Dumfries as the Cairn Valley Duo, and the highlight in those early days was sharing a concert with the legendary Jimmy Shand. “I recall him asking us the name of our signature tune – The Frank Jamieson Two-Step – because he didn’t know it. I got the shock of my life, as I thought we had written it, along with everything else that we played!” Another early experience was as a teenager, playing every Wednesday in ‘The Hole in the Wa’’, under the watchful eye of proprietor Max Houliston. “That’s where I really cut my teeth, having to back singers, and work out super-fast what key they were singing in. Some singers liked to change key several times during one song, and I always got the blame. Still, never mind, the money was great, £10 for three hours!”
An early musical influence for David was Irish accordionist Dermot O’Brien. “I was always more interested in solo performers who did their own thing, rather than groups. Dermot O’Brien was the classic example. He would develop stunning arrangements of tunes which I really admired, and then stand up and play them. Freedom of expression is what it’s all about”.
Having been educated at Dumfries Academy, David left school at 16, and began work at the ICI factory in Dumfries, where he served his apprenticeship and worked as a fitter. After 7 years of “getting my fingers busted” and almost losing his right hand in an accident, he quit and decided to make a career in music. He therefore moved to Edinburgh where he still resides, playing music in a variety of forms, including tourist shows, weddings, ceilidhs, French/Italian nights, restaurant strolling, even Irish bars and Jewish weddings.
David has also toured extensively overseas, mostly with musicians from the world of folk music. Among his many ports of call are Canada, USA, Switzerland, Poland, Sicily and Bahrain to name but a few. He claims 3 visits to Bangladesh to be among his most bizarre. “It’s like the old colonial days, people with extreme wealth on one side, and people literally dying from starvation on the other. We were well looked after, however, after playing for the Caledonian society. And don’t ask me about the rickshaw races through Dhaka, with Peter Wood.
David is married to his long-term partner-in-life Katrina, also from Dumfries. They have two sons, Craig (6) and Andrew (5). Katrina works as a Pre-School Teacher and both boys are now at Liberton Primary School, Edinburgh. Craig and Andrew have recently started learning the accordion, under instruction from Keith Dickson.
It’s when you talk to David about accordion music from around the world, that his passion really comes alive. He is an avid collector and performer of a huge range of world music. During a performance he can produce music from places as diverse as Bulgaria, Brazil, Israel, Poland and Greece as well as inviting members of the audience on stage for a spot of Arabic belly-dancing or a Spanish Paso-Doble. “As much as I love playing Scottish music, there is some incredible stuff going on beyond these shores” he says. “My desire in life is to make everyone aware of this, and share in my enjoyment. The trick is in working out what makes a particular type of music tick and also how to present it on stage in an interesting way”.
David has one album available, entitled ‘The White Castle’ (Kelvin Records, Kel 20) which contains 20 of his own compositions, played with dazzling dexterity. He is currently working on a CD of World Accordion Music, which will highlight his own particular interests.
If you are looking for an evening of hugely entertaining accordion music, way out of the ordinary, then look no further. Contact David on 0131-467-2048.
by ?
‘Hilarious, hated and hugely talented’ was the quote use dafter his performances at the 1997 Shetland A&F Festival. Certainly he has humour in great abundance, both in his introductions and the stand-up way he delivers his program of music. The hat, that was a cover-up for the fact that he had shed his ponytail since his last visit to Shetland. “It kept everyone guessing who I was, and certainly drew attention” says David. The one thing that cannot be questioned however is his talent. His technique and fingerwork are dazzling, the range of world music he performs is extremely diverse, and when he starts bending notes and playing sets of reels on the bass end, you become aware that something very special is happening.
A native of Dumfries, David started playing accordion at the age of 6, under the guidance of local teacher Jimmy Mason, and later with family friend Joe Russell. The lessons lasted until the age of 11, during which time David was involved with local concert parties, along with fellow Doonhamers such as Alec Little, Ian Holmes and John Douglas. At 12, a lifelong friendship began with Gary Coupland, who later went on to achieve success with ‘The Singing Kettle’ children’s show. “The rivalry between us was intense in those days” recalls David, “speed was all important, finesse got thrown out the window!” David abd Gary performed in and around Dumfries as the Cairn Valley Duo, and the highlight in those early days was sharing a concert with the legendary Jimmy Shand. “I recall him asking us the name of our signature tune – The Frank Jamieson Two-Step – because he didn’t know it. I got the shock of my life, as I thought we had written it, along with everything else that we played!” Another early experience was as a teenager, playing every Wednesday in ‘The Hole in the Wa’’, under the watchful eye of proprietor Max Houliston. “That’s where I really cut my teeth, having to back singers, and work out super-fast what key they were singing in. Some singers liked to change key several times during one song, and I always got the blame. Still, never mind, the money was great, £10 for three hours!”
An early musical influence for David was Irish accordionist Dermot O’Brien. “I was always more interested in solo performers who did their own thing, rather than groups. Dermot O’Brien was the classic example. He would develop stunning arrangements of tunes which I really admired, and then stand up and play them. Freedom of expression is what it’s all about”.
Having been educated at Dumfries Academy, David left school at 16, and began work at the ICI factory in Dumfries, where he served his apprenticeship and worked as a fitter. After 7 years of “getting my fingers busted” and almost losing his right hand in an accident, he quit and decided to make a career in music. He therefore moved to Edinburgh where he still resides, playing music in a variety of forms, including tourist shows, weddings, ceilidhs, French/Italian nights, restaurant strolling, even Irish bars and Jewish weddings.
David has also toured extensively overseas, mostly with musicians from the world of folk music. Among his many ports of call are Canada, USA, Switzerland, Poland, Sicily and Bahrain to name but a few. He claims 3 visits to Bangladesh to be among his most bizarre. “It’s like the old colonial days, people with extreme wealth on one side, and people literally dying from starvation on the other. We were well looked after, however, after playing for the Caledonian society. And don’t ask me about the rickshaw races through Dhaka, with Peter Wood.
David is married to his long-term partner-in-life Katrina, also from Dumfries. They have two sons, Craig (6) and Andrew (5). Katrina works as a Pre-School Teacher and both boys are now at Liberton Primary School, Edinburgh. Craig and Andrew have recently started learning the accordion, under instruction from Keith Dickson.
It’s when you talk to David about accordion music from around the world, that his passion really comes alive. He is an avid collector and performer of a huge range of world music. During a performance he can produce music from places as diverse as Bulgaria, Brazil, Israel, Poland and Greece as well as inviting members of the audience on stage for a spot of Arabic belly-dancing or a Spanish Paso-Doble. “As much as I love playing Scottish music, there is some incredible stuff going on beyond these shores” he says. “My desire in life is to make everyone aware of this, and share in my enjoyment. The trick is in working out what makes a particular type of music tick and also how to present it on stage in an interesting way”.
David has one album available, entitled ‘The White Castle’ (Kelvin Records, Kel 20) which contains 20 of his own compositions, played with dazzling dexterity. He is currently working on a CD of World Accordion Music, which will highlight his own particular interests.
If you are looking for an evening of hugely entertaining accordion music, way out of the ordinary, then look no further. Contact David on 0131-467-2048.