Box and Fiddle
Year 16 No 05
February 1993
Introducing the Clubs
No 13 Shetland
by Gussie Angus
It was on the 4th October, 1978, that a small group of traditional music enthusiasts met in the Freefield Centre in Lerwick to consider the establishment of a local Accordion and Fiddle Club to provide a focus to encourage the playing of traditional music in the islands.
Oddly enough, it was an Orcadian, David Robertson, a box player and daytime banker, who was the principal driving force behind the inaugural meeting and who was to become the Club’s first Secretary/Treasurer.
Frank Chadwick was the obvious choice for Chairman, and he was duly proposed and seconded by Jeemie Burgess and Willie Hunter – a threesome whose contribution was to be so significant in the Club’s subsequent success.
The Grand Hotel in Lerwick was the venue chosen for the Club, where it took its first faltering steps during November and December of 1978.
It took the visit of the Club’s first guest artistes, the Alisdair Hunter Band from Aberdeen on 18th January, 1979, to really establish the Club’s popularity amongst local musicians and enthusiasts – Alisdair and the Band were to pay a return visit for the Club’s 10th Birthday celebrations.
Alisdair was closely followed by Bill Black and his two teenage sons and this served to demonstrate the new heights to which traditional music was aspiring in terms of musicianship and technical expertise.
Over the years since, the visiting artiste list reads like a ‘who’s who’ of the accordion and fiddle world, including the likes of Jack Emblow and Martin Taylor from the jazz scene, as well as Arnstein Johannsen and Cornelius Lund from Norway, not forgetting the Cape Breton Symphony.
Of course, our local musicians are the backbone of the Club and the likes of Willie Hunter, Jim Halcrow, Jeemie Burgess, Violet Tulloch, May Gair, Alan Bruce, Henry Henderson, Cecil Hughson and so on, continue to support the Club with the same dedication and enthusiasm as they did fourteen years ago.
Alongside these stalwarts troop a large number of younger musicians who are now established artistes in their own right – the likes of Colin Sutherland, Alan Nicolson, David Halcrow, Iain Nicolson, Margaret Couper, Debbie Scott, Bryan Gear and Ivor Scollay spring immediately to mind, but there are many others and we like to think that the Club played some part in their development as performers. Certainly, it has provided for the fellowship which has prospered between musicians and enthusiasts both at home and away.
No history of the Club would be complete without acknowledging the contribution of Ronnie Cooper in the early days. His sudden death in 1982 was acutely felt in the Shetland community at large and traditional music lovers felt a special grief at the passing of a friend. Ronnie never missed a Club night and it must be a rare night yet that some of his compositions are not played. The fact that his music continues to be played as it is, pays a more eloquent tribute to him than any words of mine.
1985 was a crisis year for the Club with the news that we would have to move from the central Lerwick location at the Grand Hotel. As a temporary measure, the Club repaired to the Shetland Hotel on the outskirts of the town where, in fact, it has remained despite the protests of some members as to its suitability as a venue - a guaranteed agenda item at each A.G.M.
After some years of notice, the membership in 1989 finally accepted with reluctance that Frank Chadwick wished to step down as Chairman of the Club. Robert Henderson, who assumed the mantle, certainly spoke for the entire membership when he paid tribute to this unassuming Englishman who adopted Shetland as his home and traditional music as his passion (after his wife, Lillian, that is).
As our Festival drew to a resounding close last October, it was time to reflect that it was, in fact, the fifth such and seems to be as popular as ever with both locals and visiting musicians and enthusiasts alike.
The formula of concert/supper/dances at venues throughout the isles with a mixture of local and visiting artistes and a central Festival Club in Lerwick, seems to work well judging by the public response, no to mention Hornpipe dancing on the decks of the inter-island ferries.
The Festival Dance at Lerwick’s Clickimin Centre regularly attracts 800 people and this year they danced to 13 different bands.
Accommodation for visiting musicians is provided by members on a hospitality basis and this has spawned many friendships over the years which have endured. It all takes a great deal of organisation but it is a burden eagerly undertaken by the Committee and special mention is certainly due to a fiercely dedicated Secretary Eileen Hunter (nee Nicolson), indefatigable, indomitable and now married.
Elsewhere, the Club has sponsored two tune competitions ; the first in 1985 was judged by old friend, Bill Black, and won by Willie Hunter with the reel entitled, ‘Peerie Willie’ ; more recently, in 1992, Sandy Nixon was the judge and Gordon Jamieson, the winner, with the two-step ‘Alan and Fiona’s Wedding’ – the Alan being our very own, Alan Nicolson. The Club is currently investigating the possibilities of publishing the tunes.
We don’t have a resident compere, but Jeemie Burgess tends to get lumbered when he shows up. His irreverent demeanour and outrageous familiarity is generally hilarious, often scandalous, occasionally libellous and personal, but never mean-spirited and, this far at least, has not resulted in litigation.
1993 seems set fair for the Club with Shetland’s Young Heritage along with Seamus O’Sullivan appearing on the opening night of the new year, to be followed two weeks later, by our mini Festival the night before Lerwick’s Up-Helly
-Aa when we anticipate an influx of talent from the mainland, all limbering up for the ‘big one’ the following night. Plans are already in hand for the Festival – dates are 14th – 18th October.
So, if any strolling minstrels find their way here between now and April, look us up at the Shetland Hotel on the first and third Tuesday of each month.
Somebody asked me recently to single out memorable Club nights and I found this an impossible task, as each night beings something fresh and unexpected – we even had Chas and Dave, the Cockney entertainers turn up one night and give us a song. However, I never cease to be impressed by the quality of some of our younger musicians and the night we invite the winners from The Shetland Folk Society’s Young fiddler of the Year competition to play at the Club is always a highlight for me.
Willie Hunter, Margaret Couper, Bryan Gear and Jim and David Halcrow, as well as Colin and Alan, have all done local guest spots and these were all highlights ; but on further reflection, I would have to hark back to the night when the Hamefarers Band came to the Club to play the programme they were to take on the last tour they did before Ronnie died – there were no critics that night, just fans.
No 13 Shetland
by Gussie Angus
It was on the 4th October, 1978, that a small group of traditional music enthusiasts met in the Freefield Centre in Lerwick to consider the establishment of a local Accordion and Fiddle Club to provide a focus to encourage the playing of traditional music in the islands.
Oddly enough, it was an Orcadian, David Robertson, a box player and daytime banker, who was the principal driving force behind the inaugural meeting and who was to become the Club’s first Secretary/Treasurer.
Frank Chadwick was the obvious choice for Chairman, and he was duly proposed and seconded by Jeemie Burgess and Willie Hunter – a threesome whose contribution was to be so significant in the Club’s subsequent success.
The Grand Hotel in Lerwick was the venue chosen for the Club, where it took its first faltering steps during November and December of 1978.
It took the visit of the Club’s first guest artistes, the Alisdair Hunter Band from Aberdeen on 18th January, 1979, to really establish the Club’s popularity amongst local musicians and enthusiasts – Alisdair and the Band were to pay a return visit for the Club’s 10th Birthday celebrations.
Alisdair was closely followed by Bill Black and his two teenage sons and this served to demonstrate the new heights to which traditional music was aspiring in terms of musicianship and technical expertise.
Over the years since, the visiting artiste list reads like a ‘who’s who’ of the accordion and fiddle world, including the likes of Jack Emblow and Martin Taylor from the jazz scene, as well as Arnstein Johannsen and Cornelius Lund from Norway, not forgetting the Cape Breton Symphony.
Of course, our local musicians are the backbone of the Club and the likes of Willie Hunter, Jim Halcrow, Jeemie Burgess, Violet Tulloch, May Gair, Alan Bruce, Henry Henderson, Cecil Hughson and so on, continue to support the Club with the same dedication and enthusiasm as they did fourteen years ago.
Alongside these stalwarts troop a large number of younger musicians who are now established artistes in their own right – the likes of Colin Sutherland, Alan Nicolson, David Halcrow, Iain Nicolson, Margaret Couper, Debbie Scott, Bryan Gear and Ivor Scollay spring immediately to mind, but there are many others and we like to think that the Club played some part in their development as performers. Certainly, it has provided for the fellowship which has prospered between musicians and enthusiasts both at home and away.
No history of the Club would be complete without acknowledging the contribution of Ronnie Cooper in the early days. His sudden death in 1982 was acutely felt in the Shetland community at large and traditional music lovers felt a special grief at the passing of a friend. Ronnie never missed a Club night and it must be a rare night yet that some of his compositions are not played. The fact that his music continues to be played as it is, pays a more eloquent tribute to him than any words of mine.
1985 was a crisis year for the Club with the news that we would have to move from the central Lerwick location at the Grand Hotel. As a temporary measure, the Club repaired to the Shetland Hotel on the outskirts of the town where, in fact, it has remained despite the protests of some members as to its suitability as a venue - a guaranteed agenda item at each A.G.M.
After some years of notice, the membership in 1989 finally accepted with reluctance that Frank Chadwick wished to step down as Chairman of the Club. Robert Henderson, who assumed the mantle, certainly spoke for the entire membership when he paid tribute to this unassuming Englishman who adopted Shetland as his home and traditional music as his passion (after his wife, Lillian, that is).
As our Festival drew to a resounding close last October, it was time to reflect that it was, in fact, the fifth such and seems to be as popular as ever with both locals and visiting musicians and enthusiasts alike.
The formula of concert/supper/dances at venues throughout the isles with a mixture of local and visiting artistes and a central Festival Club in Lerwick, seems to work well judging by the public response, no to mention Hornpipe dancing on the decks of the inter-island ferries.
The Festival Dance at Lerwick’s Clickimin Centre regularly attracts 800 people and this year they danced to 13 different bands.
Accommodation for visiting musicians is provided by members on a hospitality basis and this has spawned many friendships over the years which have endured. It all takes a great deal of organisation but it is a burden eagerly undertaken by the Committee and special mention is certainly due to a fiercely dedicated Secretary Eileen Hunter (nee Nicolson), indefatigable, indomitable and now married.
Elsewhere, the Club has sponsored two tune competitions ; the first in 1985 was judged by old friend, Bill Black, and won by Willie Hunter with the reel entitled, ‘Peerie Willie’ ; more recently, in 1992, Sandy Nixon was the judge and Gordon Jamieson, the winner, with the two-step ‘Alan and Fiona’s Wedding’ – the Alan being our very own, Alan Nicolson. The Club is currently investigating the possibilities of publishing the tunes.
We don’t have a resident compere, but Jeemie Burgess tends to get lumbered when he shows up. His irreverent demeanour and outrageous familiarity is generally hilarious, often scandalous, occasionally libellous and personal, but never mean-spirited and, this far at least, has not resulted in litigation.
1993 seems set fair for the Club with Shetland’s Young Heritage along with Seamus O’Sullivan appearing on the opening night of the new year, to be followed two weeks later, by our mini Festival the night before Lerwick’s Up-Helly
-Aa when we anticipate an influx of talent from the mainland, all limbering up for the ‘big one’ the following night. Plans are already in hand for the Festival – dates are 14th – 18th October.
So, if any strolling minstrels find their way here between now and April, look us up at the Shetland Hotel on the first and third Tuesday of each month.
Somebody asked me recently to single out memorable Club nights and I found this an impossible task, as each night beings something fresh and unexpected – we even had Chas and Dave, the Cockney entertainers turn up one night and give us a song. However, I never cease to be impressed by the quality of some of our younger musicians and the night we invite the winners from The Shetland Folk Society’s Young fiddler of the Year competition to play at the Club is always a highlight for me.
Willie Hunter, Margaret Couper, Bryan Gear and Jim and David Halcrow, as well as Colin and Alan, have all done local guest spots and these were all highlights ; but on further reflection, I would have to hark back to the night when the Hamefarers Band came to the Club to play the programme they were to take on the last tour they did before Ronnie died – there were no critics that night, just fans.