HIGHLAND ACCORDION & FIDDLE CLUB
The Club was formed in November 1973 when the late Alistair Watters was a leading light in a Club in the Perthshire area and took his idea north when he moved with his work.
A Committee of some considerable local standing was formed and Rory Macleod was invited from his BBC Radio Highland programme to be the MC and face behind the microphone on Club nights.
The Club was formed with the intention of encouraging and promoting the playing of Scottish music on the accordion and fiddle, and to encourage young people to continue the tradition, and to conduct musical evenings where accordion and fiddle music can be enjoyed by Club members and players alike.
The first meeting was held in The Cummings Hotel Inverness and Jim Johnstone and Tommy Kettles were the guests, and played to a capacity crowd. This format proved to be a great success and membership grew quickly to the 150 mark and has remained constantly about that figure over the years. The Highland Club was amongst the first of its sort in the north and now several others have adopted the same set up and the music is flourishing in this particular part of Scotland.
Several of Scotland’s big name musicians have visited the Club as guests over the years and these names include Will Starr, Fraser McGlynn, Bobby Macleod, Bobby Crowe, Hector Macrae, Jimmy & Joan Blue, Angus Fitchet, John Ellis and many, many more. All have been welcomed with the same enthusiasm as the current crop of guests and the Highland Club was always considered a great place to visit.
When John Huband visited the Club in March 1975 he made a recording alongside several local players. Radio Highland also broadcast a typical Club night and the accolades just grew and grew. The Club also appeared on television in a programme recorded in December 2002 at our current venue in what is now known as The Waterside Hotel, Inverness. This was 1 part of a 6 part series featuring Accordion and Fiddle Clubs from around the country.
The Highland Club expanded the scene in 1986 and introduced the annual Highland Showtime variety show at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness. Apart from a short break for major refurbishment at the theatre, this show has been running ever since and still attracts capacity audiences to the 826 seat theatre. The show was the baby of Rory Macleod until recently when he retired from his position as Club Chairman and took honorary membership as a huge thank you for his contribution over the years. This year’s show is produced by Club Secretary Jacquie Macdonald and is on 13 November at Eden Court Theatre Inverness.
The Club has been blessed with very few chairmen since its inauguration in 1973 and the longevity of the tenure of Rory Macleod proved to be the most rewarding so far. The Club has had to move venues for various reasons over the years and now finds itself, very much at home in the salubrious surroundings within the Waterside Hotel, Inverness. Under the current chairmanship of Fraser MacLean, himself a well known band leader of some considerable standing, and like Rory before him, a doyen of the 3 row button box, the Club has continued to grow and attracts many of the very top names on the current circuit. Many pay the absolute compliment and just pop in for a listen when they are in the area on other matters.
The Highland Club earlier this year took the top prize in the BAFFI Awards and received the title of Club of the Year. A great tribute to a great team, all with great ambitions and intentions which can be instantly related to the Club goals set by Alistair Watters and his formative committee all these years ago- to encourage, promote and enjoy the playing of Scottish Music.
Please feel free to visit us at The Highland Accordion and Fiddle Club, in Inverness and we can be contacted via the Club website at www.HAFC-Inverness.com or via the Club facebook page
Bob Wares
A Committee of some considerable local standing was formed and Rory Macleod was invited from his BBC Radio Highland programme to be the MC and face behind the microphone on Club nights.
The Club was formed with the intention of encouraging and promoting the playing of Scottish music on the accordion and fiddle, and to encourage young people to continue the tradition, and to conduct musical evenings where accordion and fiddle music can be enjoyed by Club members and players alike.
The first meeting was held in The Cummings Hotel Inverness and Jim Johnstone and Tommy Kettles were the guests, and played to a capacity crowd. This format proved to be a great success and membership grew quickly to the 150 mark and has remained constantly about that figure over the years. The Highland Club was amongst the first of its sort in the north and now several others have adopted the same set up and the music is flourishing in this particular part of Scotland.
Several of Scotland’s big name musicians have visited the Club as guests over the years and these names include Will Starr, Fraser McGlynn, Bobby Macleod, Bobby Crowe, Hector Macrae, Jimmy & Joan Blue, Angus Fitchet, John Ellis and many, many more. All have been welcomed with the same enthusiasm as the current crop of guests and the Highland Club was always considered a great place to visit.
When John Huband visited the Club in March 1975 he made a recording alongside several local players. Radio Highland also broadcast a typical Club night and the accolades just grew and grew. The Club also appeared on television in a programme recorded in December 2002 at our current venue in what is now known as The Waterside Hotel, Inverness. This was 1 part of a 6 part series featuring Accordion and Fiddle Clubs from around the country.
The Highland Club expanded the scene in 1986 and introduced the annual Highland Showtime variety show at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness. Apart from a short break for major refurbishment at the theatre, this show has been running ever since and still attracts capacity audiences to the 826 seat theatre. The show was the baby of Rory Macleod until recently when he retired from his position as Club Chairman and took honorary membership as a huge thank you for his contribution over the years. This year’s show is produced by Club Secretary Jacquie Macdonald and is on 13 November at Eden Court Theatre Inverness.
The Club has been blessed with very few chairmen since its inauguration in 1973 and the longevity of the tenure of Rory Macleod proved to be the most rewarding so far. The Club has had to move venues for various reasons over the years and now finds itself, very much at home in the salubrious surroundings within the Waterside Hotel, Inverness. Under the current chairmanship of Fraser MacLean, himself a well known band leader of some considerable standing, and like Rory before him, a doyen of the 3 row button box, the Club has continued to grow and attracts many of the very top names on the current circuit. Many pay the absolute compliment and just pop in for a listen when they are in the area on other matters.
The Highland Club earlier this year took the top prize in the BAFFI Awards and received the title of Club of the Year. A great tribute to a great team, all with great ambitions and intentions which can be instantly related to the Club goals set by Alistair Watters and his formative committee all these years ago- to encourage, promote and enjoy the playing of Scottish Music.
Please feel free to visit us at The Highland Accordion and Fiddle Club, in Inverness and we can be contacted via the Club website at www.HAFC-Inverness.com or via the Club facebook page
Bob Wares