Box and Fiddle
Year 32 No 11
July 2009
Price £2.50
44 Page Magazine
12 month subscription £27.50 + p&p £9.90 (UK)
Editor – Karin Ingram, Hawick
B&F Treasurer – Charlie Todd, Thankerton
The main features in the above issue were as follows (this is not a comprehensive detail of all it contained. The Club reports, in particular, are too time-consuming at this stage to retype).
Editorial
This issue of the B&F may be with you a day or two early, because we’ve been rushing to finish it in time for the AGM and Celebrity Luncheon and Ceilidh in The Huntingtower Hotel on Sunday 28th June. We’re looking forward to seeing many of you there, when we’ll be honouring our guests Tom Alexander, Andrew Knight and Rory MacLeod. We’ll also be announcing the winners of this year’s BAFFI Awards.
Bill Brown, our trusty reviewer puts out a plea this month to any musicians who have released CDs, DVDs or books – he’s running out of items to review!
Don’t forget to send us your Club syllabus for the diary.
Karin Ingram
Andrew Knight
by Charlie Todd
Andrew has been a well-known and, if I may say so, instantly recognisable figure on the Scottish Dance Music scene for a number of years now, but his roots lie in an altogether different type of music. Born in Cleghorn Street, Dundee in 1957 (a vintage year if I may say so!) on the outskirts of Lochee to George and Margaret Knight, Andrew was the eldest of four children with sisters Morag and Sheelagh and brother Sandy. Margaret was a nurse (midwife) and George a self-employed piano tuner who had almost obtained his LRAM (passing the practical but not the theory) who taught classical piano in his spare time. Dad was also a keen hill walker and “Munro Bagger” and Andrew accompanied him on those outings for many years.
Mum played fiddle a bit, having attended Routledge Bell in the company of fellow pupils Ron Gonella and Jimmy Yeaman, but hadn’t aspired to their dizzy heights.
When Andrew was seven years of age the family moved to Logie Street and it was shortly after this, in Primary 3, that young Andrew started viola lessons from the school music teacher, a well-known name to us thanks to Angus Fitchet’s jig of that name, Harry C. Ogilvie. Although Harry taught strictly classical, he had in fact won the Mod fiddle competition when he was fourteen and led the resident band in The Salutation Hotel, Perth for many years, playing all types of music. Bearing in mind his home background, initially for young Andrew it had been a toss-up between the strings and the piano but such was his progress on the viola that after a year he began private lessons with Harry, which lasted right through till he was nineteen in 1976. Throughout this time the tuition was never anything but classical.
Moving on to the Harris Academy in 1969, Andrew found that it too had an excellent Music Department. So good in fact that they regularly won every section the school entered in Dundee’s annual Music Festival. His latter secondary school years and beyond were hectic as he led the School Orchestra and participated in the City of Dundee Orchestra, the Schools Symphony Orchestra, and the National Youth String Orchestra of Scotland. From 1978 to 1981 he attended an annual week-long gathering in Perth, where the best of Scotland’s classical musicians met for tuition and rounded off the week with a big concert in Perth’s City Hall.
From the age of sixteen he was periodically called upon to take part in an improvised pit orchestra in The Whitehall Theatre, Dundee. Usually this consisted of the city’s music teachers and their best pupils and it was invaluable in developing his sight-reading skills and understanding arrangements.
Harris Academy also ran a Concert Party, which entertained in the local old folks homes etc, as they do or at least did then, and it was through this that Andrew first came into contact with fellow 5th Year pupil, accordionist Sandy Nixon. Classical music wasn’t in great demand by the elderly residents, hence Andrew teamed up with Sandy who was already experienced in what was an entirely new field to him, Scottish Dance Music and, as has often been said in the past, with a proper classical training under his belt nothing Sandy put down on the music stand in from of him presented any problem. Indeed in time he was to develop what is rather an unusual combination of skills – a great sight-reader and a great “lug” player.
After leaving Harris Academy Andrew took what would now be termed a “gap” year since he had basically no idea what he wanted to do and it was only after a phone call from one of his former teachers at the Academy suggesting that he apply for a place on the piano tuning course at Stevenson Academy in Edinburgh that his future career was set. At nineteen he moved to Edinburgh to start the course and it was there in the Capital City that Sandy Nixon introduced him to Iain MacPhail and he immediately found himself deputising for Alan Johnstone at The King James for a fortnight.
At Stevenson the course suited him ideally, as his results testified. He had a good ear and, having grown up with a dad in that line of work, everything seemed to fall into place, he was a natural. As the end of the three year course approached he asked his Head of Department about the possibility of a job to which he readily agreed and Andrew transferred seamlessly from the role of student to that of Lecturer, a job that was going to last for the next twenty-two years.
Although he played for a couple of years with an amateur orchestra in Edinburgh it was Scottish Dance Music that gradually took over the lead. It was Iain MacPhail who in turn introduced Andrew to gifted accordionist and keyboard player Robert Baird, who was looking for a fiddle player for the “Border Reivers” and from 1977 till 1982 Andrew played with Robert as various other names, soon to be well-known on the Scottish Dance Music scene, served their apprenticeships in the band – e.g. Gillies Crichton, John Gibson and Gordon Smith. The Border Reivers were a purely Scottish Country Dance Band working mostly down south and playing full Country Dance programmes in strict tempo, an education in itself. It was talented pianist and Country Dancer, the late John Gibson, who first introduced Andrew to his future wife Margaret Whitaker from just north of York, a keen country dancer.
By late 1982 Andrew had formed his own band, The West Telferton Caledonian. Here again Andrew’s warped sense of humour came into play and, as he put it, “Bands are usually names after majestic and romantic things like mountains and glens but in our case it was the former railway marshalling yards behind Stevenson College in Kings Road, Portobello, which were being converted into an Industrial Estate of that name at the time.”
Anyway, their modern industrial heritage stood them in good stead since a couple of years later The West Telferton were to “sweep the boards” winning the Band Sections at Musselburgh, Oban and Perth with Andrew leading on fiddle, Alistair Edmondson on lead accordion, Dorothy Lawson on second accordion, David Hume on piano and Neil Hutton on drums.
Over the years, as is always the case, the band line-up has changed with Ian Hutson, Deborah “D.C.” Cavanagh, Suzanne Croy and various others playing in the band. The piano tuning course at Stevenson College itself proved to be a valuable recruiting ground for new band members, since many of the students often had some sort of musical background (Alistair Edmondson and Neil Hutton to name but two).
More recently Russell Hunter has taken over the piano stool, George McLeod has joined on drums, Richard Ross on lead accordion, Karen Higgins on second accordion and John Delaney on bass to give the present day line-up.
When Andrew first moved to Edinburgh in 1976 the nearest Accordion and Fiddle Club was at Livingston, meeting at the “Carron Ironworks” at that time, and it was the late Gordon Jamieson who introduced Andrew to its Chairman, Murdo McLeod. Both attended the Club regularly, later making occasional visits to Newtongrange Club after John Gibson made that introduction.
It was in 1983 that the Knight household upped and moved to their present residence in Newtongrange and it was then that Andrew’s real involvement with the Club started, firstly as regular attender, then as Committee member and now sharing the MC duties. In return, in the early days it was Margaret Smith who helped to get The West Telferton going by passing on gigs (if Jim Johnstone couldn’t do them!).
At some point in the past, lost in the mists of time, he was also co-opted (I think the term is) onto the Musselburgh Festival Sub Committee, a role he continues to enjoy today. At the time he was the first fiddler to join the Sub Committee, which helped redress what had perhaps been an accordion bias.
Elsewhere Music Festivals of the non-competitive type have been a regular venue for the band over the years. They have been frequent visitors at Newcastleton, Mull and Shetland, participating fully in the formal and informal sessions which make these events so memorable.
Away from his own band Andrew has recorded with several others on the scene over the years, namely Alastair Wood, Ian Hutson, Sandy Legget, Robert MacLeod, Tommy Edmondson, Roger Dobson and the late Bobby Cronie from Glasgow, but his biggest annual audience is in a solo spot with the Newtongrange Silver Band at the annual “Brass in the Park” Festival in Newtongrange on the first weekend in September. Armed with an electric fiddle he is able to wow an audience of hundreds in an event that helps celebrate the village’s mining heritage.
Andrew is, without doubt, one of the more colourful and eccentric characters on the Scottish Dance Music scene, with experience in various musical idioms, but with a sound track record in Take the Floor broadcasts, guesting at Accordion and Fiddle Clubs, actively supporting our own Musselburgh Festival and many others besides, as well as being the leader of a “working band” playing for both general and Scottish Country Dancing.
New Zealand Fiddle School
by
April has come and gone
Tom Alexander
by Bill Brown
Fergie’s Jigs
by Calum MacDonald
Here’s one for all
Ruaraidh MacLeod
by Bob Wares
The
See Hear! with Bill Brown
CD Reviews
Melrose’s Very Own Drew Scott – Drew Scott – BS133
Moving Forward – Craig Paton – CPCD001
Highland Heartbeat – Belonging – Kennedy Productions – KPC001759
Take the Floor – Saturday Evenings 19.05 – 20.30 with Robbie Shepherd
Repeats
4th July 09 – Burns Brothers Ceilidh Band (David Vernon)
11th July 09 – John Carmichael SDB (NAAFC Festival Band Competition)
18th July 09 – Lynne Christie SDB (OB from Keith)
25th July 09 – Ron Kerr SDB (Bandleaders’ Choices)
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Old Machar RBL) –
Alnwick (The Farrier’s Arms – Shilbottle)
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) - 19th July 09 – Bon Accord
Arbroath (Viewfield Hotel) -
Armadale (Masonic Hall) –
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Church Hall) –
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 6th July 09 – Catticloo Dance Band from Shetland 27th July – Gary Sutherland SDB
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) – 1st July 09 – Molly Shand SDB 8th July – Graham Geddes SDB 15th July – Andy Coutts Sound 22nd July – Country Edition 29th July – Wayne Robertson
Beith & District (Anderson Hotel) –
Biggar (Municipal Hall) –
Blairgowrie (Moorfield Hotel) - 14th July 09 – Hebbie Gray
Britannia (Arden House Hotel) -
Bromley (Trinity United Reform Church) -
Button Key (Windygates Institute) – 9th July 09 – Lindsay Weir
Campsie (Glazert Country House Hotel) -
Carlisle (St Margaret Mary Social Club) -
Castle Douglas (Urr Valley Country House Hotel) –
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) -
Coldingham (Village Hall) - 6th July 09 – Lomond Ceilidh Band
Crieff & District (Crieff Hotel)
Cults (Culter Sports & Social Club)
Dingwall (National Hotel) –
Dunblane (Victoria Hall) –
Dunfermline (Headwell Bowling Club) –
Dunoon & Cowal (McColl’s Hotel)
Duns (Royal British Legion Club, Langtongate)
Ellon (Station Hotel) – 21st July 09 – Jimmy & Alexander Lindsay
Fintry (Fintry Sports Centre) –
Forfar (The Royal Hotel) - 26th July 09 – Roya MacLean
Forres (Victoria Hotel) –
Galashiels (Abbotsford Arms Hotel) –
Glendale (The Glendale Hall) -
Glenfarg (Lomond Hotel) - 1st July 09 – John Crawford & Friends
Glenrothes (Victoria Hall, Coaltown of Balgownie) - 28th July 09 – Judith Linton Trio
Gretna (Athlitic & Social Club) -
Haddington (Railway Inn) -
Highland (Waterside Hotel) –
Inveraray (Argyll Hotel) -
Isle of Skye – (The Royal Hotel, Portree) -
Islesteps (The Embassy Hotel) –
Kelso (Cross Keys Hotel) –
Kintore (Torryburn Arms Hotel) –
Ladybank (Ladybank Tavern) - 16th July 09 – Club Night
Lanark (Ravenstruther Hall) -
Langholm (Eskdale Hotel) –
Lewis & Harris (Stornoway Legion) - 2nd July 09 – Nicky McMichan SDB
Livingston (Hilcroft Hotel, Whitburn)
Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) -
Mauchline (Harry Lyle Suite) -
Montrose (Park Hotel) – 1st July 09 – Steven Carcary Duo 19th July – Ken Stewart
Newburgh (The Ship Hotel) -
Newmill-on-Teviot / Teviotdale (Thorterdykes Roadhouse)
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) –
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) –
Oban (The Argyllshire Gathering) –
Orkney (Ayre Hotel, Kirkwall) –
Peebles (Rugby Social Club) –
Perth (Salutation Hotel) –
Premier NI (Chimney Corner Hotel) -
Reading Scottish Fiddlers (Willowbank Infant School, Woodley) -
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) –
Rothbury (Queen’s Head Hotel) -
Scottish Accordion Music (Banchory) -
Selkirk (Angus O’Malley’s) -
Shetland (Shetland Hotel, Lerwick) -
Stonehouse (Stonehouse Violet Football Social Club) -
Sutherland (Rogart Hall) -
Thornhill (Bowling Club Hall) -
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) –
Turriff (Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown) – 2nd July 09 – Bill Black SDB
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) – 16th July 09 – Marian Anderson Duo
Uist & Benbecula (C of S Hall, Griminish) -
West Barnes (West Barnes Inn)
Wick (MacKay’s Hotel) –
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Alnwick
2. Annan
3. Arbroath
4. Banchory
5. Banff
6. Blairgowrie
7. Button-key
8. Cults
9. Dingwall
10. Duns
11. Forres
12. Glenrothes
13. Kintore
14. Lewis & Harris
15. Livingston
16. Lockerbie
17. Montrose
18. Newburgh
19. Perth
20. Reading Scottish Fiddlers
21. Rothbury
22. Teviotdale
23. Turriff
24. Tynedale
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT OCT 2008
(Clubs didn’t necessarily notify the Assoc when they closed so the following may not be entirely correct. Only the clubs submitting the reports or in the Club Diary above were definitely open.)
1. Aberdeen A&F Club (1975 – present)
2. Alnwick A&F Club (Aug 1975 – present)
3. Annan A&F Club (joined Assoc in 1996 but started 1985 – present)
4. Arbroath A&F Club (1991? – present)
5. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months) Closed early 08-09
6. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per January 1978 issue – present)
7. Banchory A&F Club (1978 – present)
8. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973 – present)
9. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per first edition – present)
10. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
11. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974 – present)
12. Blairgowrie A&F Club (
13. Britannia B&F Club ( joined 07-08 but much older
14. Bromley A&F Club (joined 95-96 – closed early 08-09)
15. Button Key A&F Club (
16. Campsie A&F Club (Nov 95 – present)
17. Carlisle A&F Club (joined Sept 1993 -
18. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980 – present)
19. Coalburn A&F Club (
20. Coldingham A&F Club (Nov 2008 -
21. Crathes (aka Scottish Accordion Music – Crathes) (Nov 1997 -
22. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
23. Cults A & F Club (
24. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
25. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
26. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971 – present)
27. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
28. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
29. Duns A&F Club (formed 20th Sept 04 – present)
30. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980 – Closed 04/05)
31. Ellon A&F Club (
32. Fintry A&F Club (Dec 1972 – reformed Jan 1980 – present)
33. Forfar A&F Club (
34. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
35. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
36. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
37. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
38. Glenfarg A&F Club (formed 1988 joined Assoc Mar 95 -
39. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93?
40. Gretna A&F Club (1991) Known as North Cumbria A&F Club previously (originally called Gretna when started in June 1966 but later had to move to venues in the North of England and changed name. No breaks in the continuity of the Club)
41. Haddington A&F Club (formed Feb 2005 - )
42. Highland A&F Club (Inverness) (Nov 1973 – present)
43. Inveraray A&F Club (Feb 1991 - present)
44. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981 – present – n.b. evolved from the original Dumfries Club)
45. Isle of Skye A&F Club (June 1983 – present)
46. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976 – present)
47. Kintore A&F Club (
48. Ladybank A&F Club (joined Apr 98 but formed earlier
49. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – closed March 2015)
50. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967 - present)
51. Lewis & Harris A&F Club (Aug 1994 -
52. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – present)
53 Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973 - present)
54 Maine Valley A&F Club (
55 Mauchline A&F Club (Sept 1983 - present)
56 Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
57 Newburgh A&F Club (joined 2002 but founded
58 Newmill-on-Teviot (Hawick) (Formed late 1988 joined Assoc 1999 - closed March 2016)
59 Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
60North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
61 Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
62 Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
63 Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
64 Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
65 Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
66 Phoenix A&F Club, Ardrishaig (Dec 2004 -
67 Renfrew A&F Club (1984 -
68 Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
69 Selkirk A&F Club (
70Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
71 Stonehouse A&F Club (first report June 05 -
72 Sutherland A&F Club (Nov 1982 -
73 Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
74 Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
75 Turriff A&F Club (March 1982 - present)
76 Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
77 Uist & Benbecula A&F Club (Dec 2007 but formed 1994 -
78 West Barnes ( - present)
79 Wick A&F Club (Oct 1975 - present)
Not on official list at the start of the season (closed, did not renew membership or omitted in error?)
80. Araharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
81. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
82. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
83. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
84. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
85. Buchan A&F Club
86 Callander A&F Club (
87 Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
88 Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
89 Club Accord
90 Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
91. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
92. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
93. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
94. Derwentside A&F Club
95. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
96. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
97. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
98. Dundee & District A&F Club (1970? – 1995?)
99. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
100. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
101. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
102. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
103. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
104. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
105. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
106. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
107. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
108. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
109. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
110. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
111. Mull A&F Club
112. Newcastleton Accordion Club
113. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
114. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
115. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
116. Reading Scottish Fiddlers (cMarch 1997
117. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
118. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 – closed 20000/01?)
119. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
120. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
121. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
122. Tranent A&F Club
123. Vancouver
124. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
125. Wellbank A&F Club
126. Yarrow (prev known as Etterick & Yarrow) (Jan 1989 – closed 2001/02)
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B&F Treasurer – Charlie Todd, Thankerton
The main features in the above issue were as follows (this is not a comprehensive detail of all it contained. The Club reports, in particular, are too time-consuming at this stage to retype).
Editorial
This issue of the B&F may be with you a day or two early, because we’ve been rushing to finish it in time for the AGM and Celebrity Luncheon and Ceilidh in The Huntingtower Hotel on Sunday 28th June. We’re looking forward to seeing many of you there, when we’ll be honouring our guests Tom Alexander, Andrew Knight and Rory MacLeod. We’ll also be announcing the winners of this year’s BAFFI Awards.
Bill Brown, our trusty reviewer puts out a plea this month to any musicians who have released CDs, DVDs or books – he’s running out of items to review!
Don’t forget to send us your Club syllabus for the diary.
Karin Ingram
Andrew Knight
by Charlie Todd
Andrew has been a well-known and, if I may say so, instantly recognisable figure on the Scottish Dance Music scene for a number of years now, but his roots lie in an altogether different type of music. Born in Cleghorn Street, Dundee in 1957 (a vintage year if I may say so!) on the outskirts of Lochee to George and Margaret Knight, Andrew was the eldest of four children with sisters Morag and Sheelagh and brother Sandy. Margaret was a nurse (midwife) and George a self-employed piano tuner who had almost obtained his LRAM (passing the practical but not the theory) who taught classical piano in his spare time. Dad was also a keen hill walker and “Munro Bagger” and Andrew accompanied him on those outings for many years.
Mum played fiddle a bit, having attended Routledge Bell in the company of fellow pupils Ron Gonella and Jimmy Yeaman, but hadn’t aspired to their dizzy heights.
When Andrew was seven years of age the family moved to Logie Street and it was shortly after this, in Primary 3, that young Andrew started viola lessons from the school music teacher, a well-known name to us thanks to Angus Fitchet’s jig of that name, Harry C. Ogilvie. Although Harry taught strictly classical, he had in fact won the Mod fiddle competition when he was fourteen and led the resident band in The Salutation Hotel, Perth for many years, playing all types of music. Bearing in mind his home background, initially for young Andrew it had been a toss-up between the strings and the piano but such was his progress on the viola that after a year he began private lessons with Harry, which lasted right through till he was nineteen in 1976. Throughout this time the tuition was never anything but classical.
Moving on to the Harris Academy in 1969, Andrew found that it too had an excellent Music Department. So good in fact that they regularly won every section the school entered in Dundee’s annual Music Festival. His latter secondary school years and beyond were hectic as he led the School Orchestra and participated in the City of Dundee Orchestra, the Schools Symphony Orchestra, and the National Youth String Orchestra of Scotland. From 1978 to 1981 he attended an annual week-long gathering in Perth, where the best of Scotland’s classical musicians met for tuition and rounded off the week with a big concert in Perth’s City Hall.
From the age of sixteen he was periodically called upon to take part in an improvised pit orchestra in The Whitehall Theatre, Dundee. Usually this consisted of the city’s music teachers and their best pupils and it was invaluable in developing his sight-reading skills and understanding arrangements.
Harris Academy also ran a Concert Party, which entertained in the local old folks homes etc, as they do or at least did then, and it was through this that Andrew first came into contact with fellow 5th Year pupil, accordionist Sandy Nixon. Classical music wasn’t in great demand by the elderly residents, hence Andrew teamed up with Sandy who was already experienced in what was an entirely new field to him, Scottish Dance Music and, as has often been said in the past, with a proper classical training under his belt nothing Sandy put down on the music stand in from of him presented any problem. Indeed in time he was to develop what is rather an unusual combination of skills – a great sight-reader and a great “lug” player.
After leaving Harris Academy Andrew took what would now be termed a “gap” year since he had basically no idea what he wanted to do and it was only after a phone call from one of his former teachers at the Academy suggesting that he apply for a place on the piano tuning course at Stevenson Academy in Edinburgh that his future career was set. At nineteen he moved to Edinburgh to start the course and it was there in the Capital City that Sandy Nixon introduced him to Iain MacPhail and he immediately found himself deputising for Alan Johnstone at The King James for a fortnight.
At Stevenson the course suited him ideally, as his results testified. He had a good ear and, having grown up with a dad in that line of work, everything seemed to fall into place, he was a natural. As the end of the three year course approached he asked his Head of Department about the possibility of a job to which he readily agreed and Andrew transferred seamlessly from the role of student to that of Lecturer, a job that was going to last for the next twenty-two years.
Although he played for a couple of years with an amateur orchestra in Edinburgh it was Scottish Dance Music that gradually took over the lead. It was Iain MacPhail who in turn introduced Andrew to gifted accordionist and keyboard player Robert Baird, who was looking for a fiddle player for the “Border Reivers” and from 1977 till 1982 Andrew played with Robert as various other names, soon to be well-known on the Scottish Dance Music scene, served their apprenticeships in the band – e.g. Gillies Crichton, John Gibson and Gordon Smith. The Border Reivers were a purely Scottish Country Dance Band working mostly down south and playing full Country Dance programmes in strict tempo, an education in itself. It was talented pianist and Country Dancer, the late John Gibson, who first introduced Andrew to his future wife Margaret Whitaker from just north of York, a keen country dancer.
By late 1982 Andrew had formed his own band, The West Telferton Caledonian. Here again Andrew’s warped sense of humour came into play and, as he put it, “Bands are usually names after majestic and romantic things like mountains and glens but in our case it was the former railway marshalling yards behind Stevenson College in Kings Road, Portobello, which were being converted into an Industrial Estate of that name at the time.”
Anyway, their modern industrial heritage stood them in good stead since a couple of years later The West Telferton were to “sweep the boards” winning the Band Sections at Musselburgh, Oban and Perth with Andrew leading on fiddle, Alistair Edmondson on lead accordion, Dorothy Lawson on second accordion, David Hume on piano and Neil Hutton on drums.
Over the years, as is always the case, the band line-up has changed with Ian Hutson, Deborah “D.C.” Cavanagh, Suzanne Croy and various others playing in the band. The piano tuning course at Stevenson College itself proved to be a valuable recruiting ground for new band members, since many of the students often had some sort of musical background (Alistair Edmondson and Neil Hutton to name but two).
More recently Russell Hunter has taken over the piano stool, George McLeod has joined on drums, Richard Ross on lead accordion, Karen Higgins on second accordion and John Delaney on bass to give the present day line-up.
When Andrew first moved to Edinburgh in 1976 the nearest Accordion and Fiddle Club was at Livingston, meeting at the “Carron Ironworks” at that time, and it was the late Gordon Jamieson who introduced Andrew to its Chairman, Murdo McLeod. Both attended the Club regularly, later making occasional visits to Newtongrange Club after John Gibson made that introduction.
It was in 1983 that the Knight household upped and moved to their present residence in Newtongrange and it was then that Andrew’s real involvement with the Club started, firstly as regular attender, then as Committee member and now sharing the MC duties. In return, in the early days it was Margaret Smith who helped to get The West Telferton going by passing on gigs (if Jim Johnstone couldn’t do them!).
At some point in the past, lost in the mists of time, he was also co-opted (I think the term is) onto the Musselburgh Festival Sub Committee, a role he continues to enjoy today. At the time he was the first fiddler to join the Sub Committee, which helped redress what had perhaps been an accordion bias.
Elsewhere Music Festivals of the non-competitive type have been a regular venue for the band over the years. They have been frequent visitors at Newcastleton, Mull and Shetland, participating fully in the formal and informal sessions which make these events so memorable.
Away from his own band Andrew has recorded with several others on the scene over the years, namely Alastair Wood, Ian Hutson, Sandy Legget, Robert MacLeod, Tommy Edmondson, Roger Dobson and the late Bobby Cronie from Glasgow, but his biggest annual audience is in a solo spot with the Newtongrange Silver Band at the annual “Brass in the Park” Festival in Newtongrange on the first weekend in September. Armed with an electric fiddle he is able to wow an audience of hundreds in an event that helps celebrate the village’s mining heritage.
Andrew is, without doubt, one of the more colourful and eccentric characters on the Scottish Dance Music scene, with experience in various musical idioms, but with a sound track record in Take the Floor broadcasts, guesting at Accordion and Fiddle Clubs, actively supporting our own Musselburgh Festival and many others besides, as well as being the leader of a “working band” playing for both general and Scottish Country Dancing.
New Zealand Fiddle School
by
April has come and gone
Tom Alexander
by Bill Brown
Fergie’s Jigs
by Calum MacDonald
Here’s one for all
Ruaraidh MacLeod
by Bob Wares
The
See Hear! with Bill Brown
CD Reviews
Melrose’s Very Own Drew Scott – Drew Scott – BS133
Moving Forward – Craig Paton – CPCD001
Highland Heartbeat – Belonging – Kennedy Productions – KPC001759
Take the Floor – Saturday Evenings 19.05 – 20.30 with Robbie Shepherd
Repeats
4th July 09 – Burns Brothers Ceilidh Band (David Vernon)
11th July 09 – John Carmichael SDB (NAAFC Festival Band Competition)
18th July 09 – Lynne Christie SDB (OB from Keith)
25th July 09 – Ron Kerr SDB (Bandleaders’ Choices)
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Old Machar RBL) –
Alnwick (The Farrier’s Arms – Shilbottle)
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) - 19th July 09 – Bon Accord
Arbroath (Viewfield Hotel) -
Armadale (Masonic Hall) –
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Church Hall) –
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 6th July 09 – Catticloo Dance Band from Shetland 27th July – Gary Sutherland SDB
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) – 1st July 09 – Molly Shand SDB 8th July – Graham Geddes SDB 15th July – Andy Coutts Sound 22nd July – Country Edition 29th July – Wayne Robertson
Beith & District (Anderson Hotel) –
Biggar (Municipal Hall) –
Blairgowrie (Moorfield Hotel) - 14th July 09 – Hebbie Gray
Britannia (Arden House Hotel) -
Bromley (Trinity United Reform Church) -
Button Key (Windygates Institute) – 9th July 09 – Lindsay Weir
Campsie (Glazert Country House Hotel) -
Carlisle (St Margaret Mary Social Club) -
Castle Douglas (Urr Valley Country House Hotel) –
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) -
Coldingham (Village Hall) - 6th July 09 – Lomond Ceilidh Band
Crieff & District (Crieff Hotel)
Cults (Culter Sports & Social Club)
Dingwall (National Hotel) –
Dunblane (Victoria Hall) –
Dunfermline (Headwell Bowling Club) –
Dunoon & Cowal (McColl’s Hotel)
Duns (Royal British Legion Club, Langtongate)
Ellon (Station Hotel) – 21st July 09 – Jimmy & Alexander Lindsay
Fintry (Fintry Sports Centre) –
Forfar (The Royal Hotel) - 26th July 09 – Roya MacLean
Forres (Victoria Hotel) –
Galashiels (Abbotsford Arms Hotel) –
Glendale (The Glendale Hall) -
Glenfarg (Lomond Hotel) - 1st July 09 – John Crawford & Friends
Glenrothes (Victoria Hall, Coaltown of Balgownie) - 28th July 09 – Judith Linton Trio
Gretna (Athlitic & Social Club) -
Haddington (Railway Inn) -
Highland (Waterside Hotel) –
Inveraray (Argyll Hotel) -
Isle of Skye – (The Royal Hotel, Portree) -
Islesteps (The Embassy Hotel) –
Kelso (Cross Keys Hotel) –
Kintore (Torryburn Arms Hotel) –
Ladybank (Ladybank Tavern) - 16th July 09 – Club Night
Lanark (Ravenstruther Hall) -
Langholm (Eskdale Hotel) –
Lewis & Harris (Stornoway Legion) - 2nd July 09 – Nicky McMichan SDB
Livingston (Hilcroft Hotel, Whitburn)
Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) -
Mauchline (Harry Lyle Suite) -
Montrose (Park Hotel) – 1st July 09 – Steven Carcary Duo 19th July – Ken Stewart
Newburgh (The Ship Hotel) -
Newmill-on-Teviot / Teviotdale (Thorterdykes Roadhouse)
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) –
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) –
Oban (The Argyllshire Gathering) –
Orkney (Ayre Hotel, Kirkwall) –
Peebles (Rugby Social Club) –
Perth (Salutation Hotel) –
Premier NI (Chimney Corner Hotel) -
Reading Scottish Fiddlers (Willowbank Infant School, Woodley) -
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) –
Rothbury (Queen’s Head Hotel) -
Scottish Accordion Music (Banchory) -
Selkirk (Angus O’Malley’s) -
Shetland (Shetland Hotel, Lerwick) -
Stonehouse (Stonehouse Violet Football Social Club) -
Sutherland (Rogart Hall) -
Thornhill (Bowling Club Hall) -
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) –
Turriff (Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown) – 2nd July 09 – Bill Black SDB
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) – 16th July 09 – Marian Anderson Duo
Uist & Benbecula (C of S Hall, Griminish) -
West Barnes (West Barnes Inn)
Wick (MacKay’s Hotel) –
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Alnwick
2. Annan
3. Arbroath
4. Banchory
5. Banff
6. Blairgowrie
7. Button-key
8. Cults
9. Dingwall
10. Duns
11. Forres
12. Glenrothes
13. Kintore
14. Lewis & Harris
15. Livingston
16. Lockerbie
17. Montrose
18. Newburgh
19. Perth
20. Reading Scottish Fiddlers
21. Rothbury
22. Teviotdale
23. Turriff
24. Tynedale
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT OCT 2008
(Clubs didn’t necessarily notify the Assoc when they closed so the following may not be entirely correct. Only the clubs submitting the reports or in the Club Diary above were definitely open.)
1. Aberdeen A&F Club (1975 – present)
2. Alnwick A&F Club (Aug 1975 – present)
3. Annan A&F Club (joined Assoc in 1996 but started 1985 – present)
4. Arbroath A&F Club (1991? – present)
5. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months) Closed early 08-09
6. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per January 1978 issue – present)
7. Banchory A&F Club (1978 – present)
8. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973 – present)
9. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per first edition – present)
10. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
11. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974 – present)
12. Blairgowrie A&F Club (
13. Britannia B&F Club ( joined 07-08 but much older
14. Bromley A&F Club (joined 95-96 – closed early 08-09)
15. Button Key A&F Club (
16. Campsie A&F Club (Nov 95 – present)
17. Carlisle A&F Club (joined Sept 1993 -
18. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980 – present)
19. Coalburn A&F Club (
20. Coldingham A&F Club (Nov 2008 -
21. Crathes (aka Scottish Accordion Music – Crathes) (Nov 1997 -
22. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
23. Cults A & F Club (
24. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
25. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
26. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971 – present)
27. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
28. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
29. Duns A&F Club (formed 20th Sept 04 – present)
30. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980 – Closed 04/05)
31. Ellon A&F Club (
32. Fintry A&F Club (Dec 1972 – reformed Jan 1980 – present)
33. Forfar A&F Club (
34. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
35. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
36. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
37. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
38. Glenfarg A&F Club (formed 1988 joined Assoc Mar 95 -
39. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93?
40. Gretna A&F Club (1991) Known as North Cumbria A&F Club previously (originally called Gretna when started in June 1966 but later had to move to venues in the North of England and changed name. No breaks in the continuity of the Club)
41. Haddington A&F Club (formed Feb 2005 - )
42. Highland A&F Club (Inverness) (Nov 1973 – present)
43. Inveraray A&F Club (Feb 1991 - present)
44. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981 – present – n.b. evolved from the original Dumfries Club)
45. Isle of Skye A&F Club (June 1983 – present)
46. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976 – present)
47. Kintore A&F Club (
48. Ladybank A&F Club (joined Apr 98 but formed earlier
49. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – closed March 2015)
50. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967 - present)
51. Lewis & Harris A&F Club (Aug 1994 -
52. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – present)
53 Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973 - present)
54 Maine Valley A&F Club (
55 Mauchline A&F Club (Sept 1983 - present)
56 Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
57 Newburgh A&F Club (joined 2002 but founded
58 Newmill-on-Teviot (Hawick) (Formed late 1988 joined Assoc 1999 - closed March 2016)
59 Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
60North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
61 Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
62 Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
63 Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
64 Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
65 Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
66 Phoenix A&F Club, Ardrishaig (Dec 2004 -
67 Renfrew A&F Club (1984 -
68 Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
69 Selkirk A&F Club (
70Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
71 Stonehouse A&F Club (first report June 05 -
72 Sutherland A&F Club (Nov 1982 -
73 Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
74 Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
75 Turriff A&F Club (March 1982 - present)
76 Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
77 Uist & Benbecula A&F Club (Dec 2007 but formed 1994 -
78 West Barnes ( - present)
79 Wick A&F Club (Oct 1975 - present)
Not on official list at the start of the season (closed, did not renew membership or omitted in error?)
80. Araharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
81. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
82. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
83. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
84. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
85. Buchan A&F Club
86 Callander A&F Club (
87 Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
88 Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
89 Club Accord
90 Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
91. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
92. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
93. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
94. Derwentside A&F Club
95. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
96. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
97. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
98. Dundee & District A&F Club (1970? – 1995?)
99. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
100. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
101. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
102. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
103. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
104. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
105. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
106. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
107. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
108. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
109. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
110. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
111. Mull A&F Club
112. Newcastleton Accordion Club
113. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
114. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
115. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
116. Reading Scottish Fiddlers (cMarch 1997
117. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
118. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 – closed 20000/01?)
119. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
120. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
121. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
122. Tranent A&F Club
123. Vancouver
124. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
125. Wellbank A&F Club
126. Yarrow (prev known as Etterick & Yarrow) (Jan 1989 – closed 2001/02)
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