Box and Fiddle
Year 19 No 01
September 1995
Great Response from Islanders
by George McLeod
In August of last year a group of musicians and friends called a meeting in the Royal British Legion Club in Stornoway with a view to forming a Lewis and Harris Accordion and Fiddle Club.
So enthusiastic was the response that we not only formed a Committee that evening but ended up with a playing session as well, our first player being nine-year-old Alasdair White on fiddle. Alasdair is a nephew of accordionist Charlie Kirkpatrick of Glasgow.
Our membership now stands at 100 with juniors and OAPs getting free membership. The Club meets on the first Monday of each month in the Royal British Legion, at 8 p.m.
The Committee consists of players and non-players alike, the chairman being George McLeod from Point; Secretary, Mrs Chrissie Gordon and Treasurer, John Angus Smith who is also Manager of the Legion in Stornoway.
When the Club was formed it was decided that tuition was not going to be part of it as this was already catered for on the island.
We would like to stress that the Club was not just for the more experienced players to be heard, but also for everyone in Lewis and Harris who enjoyed playing or listening to our kind of music to come along and participate.
As a new Club we also visit rural locations throughout the islands, with visits to MacLeod’s Motel in Harris and the Claitair Hotel in Lochs already under our belts. These visits are not only for the enjoyment of the local communities but also to help our fund-raising which to date has enabled us to buy our own P.A. system.
This system is for Club use and also avoids the necessity for visiting guests and bands to haul bulky equipment to the island.
Our first A.G.M. is almost upon us and the year ended with our first mainland guests : Colin Dewar and friends, featuring Ian Thomson and his band, an evening that was thoroughly enjoyed by all those who attended. Colin presented local composer, Ian Crichton, with an inscribed tankard, on behalf of the Club. This was for Ian’s contribution to Scottish music and putting Stornoway on the international music map. Anyway, some of Ian’s escapades throughout his musical career deserve recognition. A truly great character.
The island has just been provided with a new ferry, the ‘Isle of Lewis’ and the Club was invited to play on its inaugural cruise to Ullapool for invited guests. The trip was enjoyed by all concerned and many thanks to Cal Mac for the opportunity. We hope to see its captain, Murdo Kennedy, himself a fine box player, as a regular visitor to our Club over the coming winter.
Our next major event is our Christmas Dance when we hope to be entertained by Iain MacPhail and his band, an evening we are all looking forward to.
Finally, our invitation to all your readers far and wide, should you ever visit our island, you are more than welcome to attend our club nights and any of our functions.
by George McLeod
In August of last year a group of musicians and friends called a meeting in the Royal British Legion Club in Stornoway with a view to forming a Lewis and Harris Accordion and Fiddle Club.
So enthusiastic was the response that we not only formed a Committee that evening but ended up with a playing session as well, our first player being nine-year-old Alasdair White on fiddle. Alasdair is a nephew of accordionist Charlie Kirkpatrick of Glasgow.
Our membership now stands at 100 with juniors and OAPs getting free membership. The Club meets on the first Monday of each month in the Royal British Legion, at 8 p.m.
The Committee consists of players and non-players alike, the chairman being George McLeod from Point; Secretary, Mrs Chrissie Gordon and Treasurer, John Angus Smith who is also Manager of the Legion in Stornoway.
When the Club was formed it was decided that tuition was not going to be part of it as this was already catered for on the island.
We would like to stress that the Club was not just for the more experienced players to be heard, but also for everyone in Lewis and Harris who enjoyed playing or listening to our kind of music to come along and participate.
As a new Club we also visit rural locations throughout the islands, with visits to MacLeod’s Motel in Harris and the Claitair Hotel in Lochs already under our belts. These visits are not only for the enjoyment of the local communities but also to help our fund-raising which to date has enabled us to buy our own P.A. system.
This system is for Club use and also avoids the necessity for visiting guests and bands to haul bulky equipment to the island.
Our first A.G.M. is almost upon us and the year ended with our first mainland guests : Colin Dewar and friends, featuring Ian Thomson and his band, an evening that was thoroughly enjoyed by all those who attended. Colin presented local composer, Ian Crichton, with an inscribed tankard, on behalf of the Club. This was for Ian’s contribution to Scottish music and putting Stornoway on the international music map. Anyway, some of Ian’s escapades throughout his musical career deserve recognition. A truly great character.
The island has just been provided with a new ferry, the ‘Isle of Lewis’ and the Club was invited to play on its inaugural cruise to Ullapool for invited guests. The trip was enjoyed by all concerned and many thanks to Cal Mac for the opportunity. We hope to see its captain, Murdo Kennedy, himself a fine box player, as a regular visitor to our Club over the coming winter.
Our next major event is our Christmas Dance when we hope to be entertained by Iain MacPhail and his band, an evening we are all looking forward to.
Finally, our invitation to all your readers far and wide, should you ever visit our island, you are more than welcome to attend our club nights and any of our functions.