Box and Fiddle
Chrissie Leatham A & F Club Reports - renamed the Edinburgh A&F Club
Year 4 No 4 December 1980
This new club, formed through the efforts of Scotland’s grand lady of the accordion –Chrissie Leatham – got of to a flying start with its inaugural meeting on 8th October held at the Tynecastle Hearts Supporters Club premises in Edinburgh. An excellent first night attendance of players and audience appreciative of a wide range of traditional, Continental and classical playing inspired no doubt by a welcome support and encouragement from Radio Forth’s own Robin Brock and Steve Jack. Many thanks, lads, for the publicity and for putting your interview with Chrissie ‘on the air’.
A foot-tapping start with our nine-piece accordion band, followed by young Colin Brown, set the scene for an entertaining night. Duets from Elaine White and Michelle Hardie were followed by our other accordionists Philip Shevchuk, Calum Smith, Graham Edwardson, David Wilson, Gillies Crichton, Wendy Moffat, David Strang and John Gibson.
Janek Kowalski took us on a scintillating Continental tour with his button accordion and Bill Rintoul and Andrew Knight, welcome guests, showed how harmonica and violin can contribute so much to the entertainment. Thanks too to David Miller, another welcome guest.
Guest artistes, The Lothian Scottish Dance Band, demonstrated with professional ease the sound that’s put them in such popular demand and with their excellent traditional playing helped encourage all our up-and-coming youngsters.
Wednesday, 12th November, meeting has a particularly large turnout thanks to the presence of Iain MacPhail and his SDB as guest artistes. A combination of traditional Scottish tunes, Scandinavian waltzes and mazurkas and dazzling duets impeccably played had audience and our own players clamouring for more.
The club also had the novelty of hearing our two accordion bands, the nine-piece for seniors and no less than a 12-piece for our younger players. Clearly a lot of rehearsal and effort has gone in to ‘orchestrate’ both teams.
Individual accordionists included Iain Brown and Colin Brown, Stuart Hood, Ted Brown and Bill Weir on drums, duets from Elaine White and Michelle Hardie and from Joan and George Hennys, Angus Murray on electronic, Andrew Knight on fiddle, Philip Shevchuk, Janek Kowalski and Geraldo Croalla performing some fine Continental and classical, while Graham Edwardson and David Wilson continue to display mature traditional playing. I’m sorry that a tight programme didn’t allow all our visitors to perform and I promise to make up for this in the future.
Thanks to all who made our Club get off to such a successful start, especially our own Tartan Terror, compere Gordon Sinclair.
Adam Braidwood (Secretary)
Year 4 No 6 February 1981
What marvelous turnouts for the meetings of the Chrissie Leatham Accordion Club at the Tynecastle Hearts Supporters Club premises over the Festive Season!
Our Club night in December had an array of talented individual players, no less than three accordion bands, and of course our very welcome guest artistes, Bobby Crowe and his Trio.
Over thirty accordion is an impressive line-up for the new Club and a high standard of playing was maintained by all concerned.
The accordion bands produced some good ensemble work and our young soloists, Craig McCallum, Gavin Gray, Philip Shevchuk and Iain Brown gave very creditable performances. A nice duet by Nadia Dalla Piatzza and Caireen Stewart was followed by Angus Murray with his toe-tapping Scottish selections.
Our senior players Derek Rae, Graham Edwardson, Geraldo Crolla and Michelle Hardie all gave polished performances while a special mention is due to Janek Kowalski for his virtuoso Continental playing on button accordion.
The high standard was maintained was maintained by Christine Leatham and Joyce Crombie, both talented and attractive individuals in their own right and combining on this occasion in some stylish and crisply played duets.
A special thanks to the ever popular and professional Bobby Crowe Trio for putting their own authoritative stamp on a great night’s entertainment.
The New Year programme on 14th January produced, as expected, a full house to enjoy the magic of the Jim Johnstone Band.
In addition we had a large turnout of players and visitors that could have taken us, time permitting, into the wee sma’ hours.
On this occasion we had two accordion bands and a lively selection from our youngsters – Sandy Brechin, Iain Brown, Gavin Gray, Colin Brown, StuartHood, Stuart Robertson and Nadia Dalla Piatzza.
A very tight programme still allowed us to enjoy the Continental and Scottish duets from Gordon Wardlaw and Gordon Hoggan, followed by a complete change of pace (and instrument) with the charming Mrs Betty Buckle complete with guitar and delightful singing.
Our senior players gave a distinct Scottish flavour to the second part of the evening thanks to Derek Rae, Calum Smith, Neil Barron, Graham Edwardson and David Wilson, who gave us variety and lively traditional playing much appreciated by the discerning audience.
A pleasure, too, to have such welcome visitors to our Club with George Hood, John Sinton and John Gibson adding a nice professional approach to their Scottish selections.
Once again we enjoyed the sparkling sound of Janek Kowalski and his impeccable Continental selection was a delight for players and audience alike.
What a bonus, too, in seeing the dancing fingers of Kenny MgGinty who dropped in straight from the recording studios of Grampian Television and entertained us with his brilliant performance.
Nice, too, to have a visit and a selection from Jim Cleland, managing to find time from his resident work at Dunblane Hydro with the Jim MacLeod Band.
Finally an eager audience sat back to enjoy the famous sound of the Jim Johnstone Band, our guest artistes, and showing no signs of fatigue after signing autographs all evening they gave their usual immaculate and polished performance with that special lift that’s become their trademark.
Many thanks to all the players, visitors, parents and guest for giving us such an encouraging start to the New Year.
Don’t forget our Ceilidh and Dance on Thursday, 5th March, when you can ‘Take the Floor’ with the Jim Johnstone Band and other guest artistes.
Adam Braidwood
This new club, formed through the efforts of Scotland’s grand lady of the accordion –Chrissie Leatham – got of to a flying start with its inaugural meeting on 8th October held at the Tynecastle Hearts Supporters Club premises in Edinburgh. An excellent first night attendance of players and audience appreciative of a wide range of traditional, Continental and classical playing inspired no doubt by a welcome support and encouragement from Radio Forth’s own Robin Brock and Steve Jack. Many thanks, lads, for the publicity and for putting your interview with Chrissie ‘on the air’.
A foot-tapping start with our nine-piece accordion band, followed by young Colin Brown, set the scene for an entertaining night. Duets from Elaine White and Michelle Hardie were followed by our other accordionists Philip Shevchuk, Calum Smith, Graham Edwardson, David Wilson, Gillies Crichton, Wendy Moffat, David Strang and John Gibson.
Janek Kowalski took us on a scintillating Continental tour with his button accordion and Bill Rintoul and Andrew Knight, welcome guests, showed how harmonica and violin can contribute so much to the entertainment. Thanks too to David Miller, another welcome guest.
Guest artistes, The Lothian Scottish Dance Band, demonstrated with professional ease the sound that’s put them in such popular demand and with their excellent traditional playing helped encourage all our up-and-coming youngsters.
Wednesday, 12th November, meeting has a particularly large turnout thanks to the presence of Iain MacPhail and his SDB as guest artistes. A combination of traditional Scottish tunes, Scandinavian waltzes and mazurkas and dazzling duets impeccably played had audience and our own players clamouring for more.
The club also had the novelty of hearing our two accordion bands, the nine-piece for seniors and no less than a 12-piece for our younger players. Clearly a lot of rehearsal and effort has gone in to ‘orchestrate’ both teams.
Individual accordionists included Iain Brown and Colin Brown, Stuart Hood, Ted Brown and Bill Weir on drums, duets from Elaine White and Michelle Hardie and from Joan and George Hennys, Angus Murray on electronic, Andrew Knight on fiddle, Philip Shevchuk, Janek Kowalski and Geraldo Croalla performing some fine Continental and classical, while Graham Edwardson and David Wilson continue to display mature traditional playing. I’m sorry that a tight programme didn’t allow all our visitors to perform and I promise to make up for this in the future.
Thanks to all who made our Club get off to such a successful start, especially our own Tartan Terror, compere Gordon Sinclair.
Adam Braidwood (Secretary)
Year 4 No 6 February 1981
What marvelous turnouts for the meetings of the Chrissie Leatham Accordion Club at the Tynecastle Hearts Supporters Club premises over the Festive Season!
Our Club night in December had an array of talented individual players, no less than three accordion bands, and of course our very welcome guest artistes, Bobby Crowe and his Trio.
Over thirty accordion is an impressive line-up for the new Club and a high standard of playing was maintained by all concerned.
The accordion bands produced some good ensemble work and our young soloists, Craig McCallum, Gavin Gray, Philip Shevchuk and Iain Brown gave very creditable performances. A nice duet by Nadia Dalla Piatzza and Caireen Stewart was followed by Angus Murray with his toe-tapping Scottish selections.
Our senior players Derek Rae, Graham Edwardson, Geraldo Crolla and Michelle Hardie all gave polished performances while a special mention is due to Janek Kowalski for his virtuoso Continental playing on button accordion.
The high standard was maintained was maintained by Christine Leatham and Joyce Crombie, both talented and attractive individuals in their own right and combining on this occasion in some stylish and crisply played duets.
A special thanks to the ever popular and professional Bobby Crowe Trio for putting their own authoritative stamp on a great night’s entertainment.
The New Year programme on 14th January produced, as expected, a full house to enjoy the magic of the Jim Johnstone Band.
In addition we had a large turnout of players and visitors that could have taken us, time permitting, into the wee sma’ hours.
On this occasion we had two accordion bands and a lively selection from our youngsters – Sandy Brechin, Iain Brown, Gavin Gray, Colin Brown, StuartHood, Stuart Robertson and Nadia Dalla Piatzza.
A very tight programme still allowed us to enjoy the Continental and Scottish duets from Gordon Wardlaw and Gordon Hoggan, followed by a complete change of pace (and instrument) with the charming Mrs Betty Buckle complete with guitar and delightful singing.
Our senior players gave a distinct Scottish flavour to the second part of the evening thanks to Derek Rae, Calum Smith, Neil Barron, Graham Edwardson and David Wilson, who gave us variety and lively traditional playing much appreciated by the discerning audience.
A pleasure, too, to have such welcome visitors to our Club with George Hood, John Sinton and John Gibson adding a nice professional approach to their Scottish selections.
Once again we enjoyed the sparkling sound of Janek Kowalski and his impeccable Continental selection was a delight for players and audience alike.
What a bonus, too, in seeing the dancing fingers of Kenny MgGinty who dropped in straight from the recording studios of Grampian Television and entertained us with his brilliant performance.
Nice, too, to have a visit and a selection from Jim Cleland, managing to find time from his resident work at Dunblane Hydro with the Jim MacLeod Band.
Finally an eager audience sat back to enjoy the famous sound of the Jim Johnstone Band, our guest artistes, and showing no signs of fatigue after signing autographs all evening they gave their usual immaculate and polished performance with that special lift that’s become their trademark.
Many thanks to all the players, visitors, parents and guest for giving us such an encouraging start to the New Year.
Don’t forget our Ceilidh and Dance on Thursday, 5th March, when you can ‘Take the Floor’ with the Jim Johnstone Band and other guest artistes.
Adam Braidwood