Box and Fiddle
Ettrick & Yarrow A & F Club Reports
Year 14 No 1 - September 1990
Our last meeting was held on Wednesday, 15th August.
Towards the end of 1988, Harry Mitchell, proprietor of The Gordon Arms Hotel, Yarrow, approached me on the feasibility of starting an Accordion & Fiddle Club in the District.
I suggested we give it a trial period of 3 months, so we started in January, 1989, with Bill black and his Band and things have gone quite well with us. We have done several charity evenings, which in total have collected around £2,000 for causes such as Children in Need, Crossroads Care and Guide Dogs for the Blind.
The evening started with young Lynn Bradshaw, our chairman’s daughter playing a two-step and a waltz medley which included ‘The Bonnie Border Burn’, ‘Glencoe’ and ‘Eileen’. This young lady is also a very talented classical accordionist and improving by leaps and bounds.
Next came Donnie MacGregor with Morag Robertson on 2nd box and Bill Weir on the drums with a set of 6/8’, the ‘Cumberland Reel’ and a father and daughter now on fiddles, Joanne and John Slater, this young lady is going to make a name for herself alongside Judith Davidson, Marie fielding, Angie Smith and the others. They played a march, strathspey and reel, a slow air and a set of reels, pipe march and polka with Bill Weir from Peebles on the drums.
Now, youthful Bizzy Flanagan, who is current Under 14 British Classical champion, though she departed from the classical and instead Bizzy gave us a polka and a Scottish selection.
Jimmy Edwards now from Moffat. Jimmy, an octogenarian, with one of the original Shand Morino’s played a set of 6/8’s, ‘Farewell to the Creeks’ and a set of Scottish waltzes. Alan Stewart from Yarrowford, our resident drummer backed him.
David Coke with Annie Roberton on fiddle and Alan on drums played ‘The Duke of Perth’ and a selection of waltzes including ‘The Green Glens of Antrim’ ending with a two-step.
A very junior artiste now, young Fiona Scott, made a very sweet job of ‘Life in the Finland Woods’ and ‘The Dark Island’.
Now a well known lady from Falkirk with her 5-row, Morag Robertson, with a masterful rendering of ‘Old Comrades’ then a very nicely played Italian medley including ‘O Sole Mio’, ‘Santa Lucia’ and ‘Papa Piccalino’ ending with a polka with Bill Weir on the drums.
With Bill on the drums again, Robert Wilson took us to the guest spot with a set of 4/4 and a set of 6/8, including ‘The Bonawe Highlanders’ ending with another set of 4/4.
Guest spot time now featured that unique duo, Malcolm MacLean on accordion and Frank Henery on guitar. These two have a rapport unequalled on the Club scene, both virtuosos in their own right.
They began with the lively and finger fumbling ‘Latvian Polka’, a set of reels then two musettes including the ‘Rene de la Musette’, a set of reels, then ‘Golden Dream’ and ‘Schon Rosmarin’, then young Jo Slater as supporting artiste gave us a set of Shetland reels, ‘The Lass of Bon Accord’ and ‘The Hen’s March tae the Midden’.
The interval now with stovies and a short bingo session.
Alex Dunnet, that lively lad from Peebles, played and sang including ‘These are my Mountains’, ‘Stornoway’, ‘Gipsy Woman’, ‘The Caddam Wood’ and ‘The Duke of Perth’. Backing was by Morag, Bill and George Nelson (moothie). Jim Paterson from Peebles backed by Morag on 2nd box and Alex Dunnet on drums gave us ‘Memories of Willie Snaith’, ‘The Balkan Hills’, ‘The 79th Farewell to Gibraltar’ and ‘The Black Bear’.
Now the next door neighbour to the Gordon Arms, Jim Muir with Alan Stewart on drums with an Irish selection ’The Mountains of Mourne’, ’40 Shades of Green’, ‘The Wild Colonial Boy’ and ‘The Rowan Tree’.
Guest spot again. A beautifully rendered Italian selection such as ‘Oh Marie’ then ‘Big Malky’s’ own arrangement of the High Level, in waltz time, as a pipe march and then traditionally at a fantastic speed, a selection of Muzurkas and Polkas, ending with a fantastic arrangement of ‘The Carnival of Venice’. Your Dr Slater ended the guest spot with more reels including ‘Isle of Skye’, ‘Orange Blossoms’, a slow air and a strathspey and ending with a selection of fiddle music.
We ended with a cracking stramash. All this had been backed by Frank Henery, he only roused his considerable backside off the chair at the interval to go for the stovies, as he backed every player.
We were very pleased by the size of the audience who delighted in the artistry of ‘Big Malky’ and Frank.
John Mackie
Towards the end of 1988, Harry Mitchell, proprietor of The Gordon Arms Hotel, Yarrow, approached me on the feasibility of starting an Accordion & Fiddle Club in the District.
I suggested we give it a trial period of 3 months, so we started in January, 1989, with Bill black and his Band and things have gone quite well with us. We have done several charity evenings, which in total have collected around £2,000 for causes such as Children in Need, Crossroads Care and Guide Dogs for the Blind.
The evening started with young Lynn Bradshaw, our chairman’s daughter playing a two-step and a waltz medley which included ‘The Bonnie Border Burn’, ‘Glencoe’ and ‘Eileen’. This young lady is also a very talented classical accordionist and improving by leaps and bounds.
Next came Donnie MacGregor with Morag Robertson on 2nd box and Bill Weir on the drums with a set of 6/8’, the ‘Cumberland Reel’ and a father and daughter now on fiddles, Joanne and John Slater, this young lady is going to make a name for herself alongside Judith Davidson, Marie fielding, Angie Smith and the others. They played a march, strathspey and reel, a slow air and a set of reels, pipe march and polka with Bill Weir from Peebles on the drums.
Now, youthful Bizzy Flanagan, who is current Under 14 British Classical champion, though she departed from the classical and instead Bizzy gave us a polka and a Scottish selection.
Jimmy Edwards now from Moffat. Jimmy, an octogenarian, with one of the original Shand Morino’s played a set of 6/8’s, ‘Farewell to the Creeks’ and a set of Scottish waltzes. Alan Stewart from Yarrowford, our resident drummer backed him.
David Coke with Annie Roberton on fiddle and Alan on drums played ‘The Duke of Perth’ and a selection of waltzes including ‘The Green Glens of Antrim’ ending with a two-step.
A very junior artiste now, young Fiona Scott, made a very sweet job of ‘Life in the Finland Woods’ and ‘The Dark Island’.
Now a well known lady from Falkirk with her 5-row, Morag Robertson, with a masterful rendering of ‘Old Comrades’ then a very nicely played Italian medley including ‘O Sole Mio’, ‘Santa Lucia’ and ‘Papa Piccalino’ ending with a polka with Bill Weir on the drums.
With Bill on the drums again, Robert Wilson took us to the guest spot with a set of 4/4 and a set of 6/8, including ‘The Bonawe Highlanders’ ending with another set of 4/4.
Guest spot time now featured that unique duo, Malcolm MacLean on accordion and Frank Henery on guitar. These two have a rapport unequalled on the Club scene, both virtuosos in their own right.
They began with the lively and finger fumbling ‘Latvian Polka’, a set of reels then two musettes including the ‘Rene de la Musette’, a set of reels, then ‘Golden Dream’ and ‘Schon Rosmarin’, then young Jo Slater as supporting artiste gave us a set of Shetland reels, ‘The Lass of Bon Accord’ and ‘The Hen’s March tae the Midden’.
The interval now with stovies and a short bingo session.
Alex Dunnet, that lively lad from Peebles, played and sang including ‘These are my Mountains’, ‘Stornoway’, ‘Gipsy Woman’, ‘The Caddam Wood’ and ‘The Duke of Perth’. Backing was by Morag, Bill and George Nelson (moothie). Jim Paterson from Peebles backed by Morag on 2nd box and Alex Dunnet on drums gave us ‘Memories of Willie Snaith’, ‘The Balkan Hills’, ‘The 79th Farewell to Gibraltar’ and ‘The Black Bear’.
Now the next door neighbour to the Gordon Arms, Jim Muir with Alan Stewart on drums with an Irish selection ’The Mountains of Mourne’, ’40 Shades of Green’, ‘The Wild Colonial Boy’ and ‘The Rowan Tree’.
Guest spot again. A beautifully rendered Italian selection such as ‘Oh Marie’ then ‘Big Malky’s’ own arrangement of the High Level, in waltz time, as a pipe march and then traditionally at a fantastic speed, a selection of Muzurkas and Polkas, ending with a fantastic arrangement of ‘The Carnival of Venice’. Your Dr Slater ended the guest spot with more reels including ‘Isle of Skye’, ‘Orange Blossoms’, a slow air and a strathspey and ending with a selection of fiddle music.
We ended with a cracking stramash. All this had been backed by Frank Henery, he only roused his considerable backside off the chair at the interval to go for the stovies, as he backed every player.
We were very pleased by the size of the audience who delighted in the artistry of ‘Big Malky’ and Frank.
John Mackie