Box and Fiddle
Year 30 No 03
November 2006
Price £2.30
44 Page Magazine
12 month subscription £25.30 + p&p £8.80 (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
Well, hopefully everyone survived Shetland again this year! You can see the evidence in our lead article. This is the Festival season, and we’ve got Perth and Stanley to look forward to and then it’s almost time to start thinking about Up Helly-Aa and Musselburgh again!
In December the 4th Scots Trad Music Awards takes place, this time in Fort William. Voting begins on November 1st – read all about it on Page 14. It’s no use moaning about the winners if you didn’t bother to vote!
We have a really interesting article from Dr William Donaldson on Page 9, which he wrote in gratitude for the help given to him by B&F readers. We really appreciate the articles from our regular contributors, but it would be good to have more pieces written by experts in their fields. Any volunteers? If you band is off traveling for St Andrew’s Night, or even if you have an interesting gig at home, let us know about it. Many Clubs are celebrating 25 or 30 year anniversaries – remember to send us the photos.
Karin Ingram
19th Shetland Accordion & Fiddle Festival – 12 – 16 October 2006
by Peter Leask
The climate was very kind to Shetland last weekend……….
From Edinburgh to Illinois
by Dr William Donaldson
The help I have received from the readers of the Box and Fiddle has been invaluable and I have been much encouraged by this and by the good wishes of composers and others for my collection. The links between the different parts of the instrumental tradition have always fascinated me. As a small thank you to the B&F and your readers I have gathered together some of these connections into an article.
Scotland’s Box, Fiddle and Pipe Music
From his home in Monikie on 15th May 1908 the great fiddle virtuoso James Scott Skinner wrote to an old friend:
Dear Colin Cameron,
Pray learn this and put on the flutterin’ blades as only pipers can.
Scott Skinner
Attached to the note was a score. Written in Skinner’s characteristically flamboyant hand was a new pipe march The Lovat Scouts, one of many that Skinner was to write for that instrument.
Colin Cameron (1843-1916) was head of the legendary Cameron piping dynasty, eldest of the three sons of Donald Cameron and Margaret Mackenzie (after whom the strathspey, Maggie Cameron, is named) who enjoyed immense prestige and influence in the piping world. Sixty years later my own piping teacher, Bob Nicol (1905-1978), would recall his meeting with Colin’s younger brother, Sandy Cameron (1848-1923) at the Northern Meeting in Inverness in 1922. Bob had played The Battle of the North Inch of Perth, had left the hall and was standing with an older companion who was no relation. An old man with a white beard approached them and said, “I liked your tune”. Assuming the companion to be Bob’s father he added, “He’s going to be some player that laddie of yours”.
The recent inclination to treat the pipes as separate from the mainstream of Scottish tradition has tended to cut pipers off from much of their musical past. A wider view reveals how strong are the links between all the strands of our instrumental and song tradition.
It is often forgotten how common multi-instrumentalism has been in the performer community. At a country dance in the old days the call might go out for the Highland piper, the small pipe player and the fiddler, and a single person would walk through the door. A century ago Allan MacDougall Bayne reported an interview with Mrs Norman MacCrimmon, a representative of piping’s most illustrious family who said, “It was a mistake to think of the MacCrimmons only as pipers; they were also fiddlers, and she almost inclined to say harpers, but drew back….” (‘The Glenelg MacCrimmons’, Oban Times, 6/8/1910, p3). Hector MacAndrew (1903-1980) was taught both pipes and fiddle by his father who was piper to Lord Leith at Fyvie Castle and included the great piper, Charles MacArthur, as well as William Marshall and Niel Gow among his musical ancestors.
Bob Nicol’s own piping teacher, the famous John MacDonald of Inverness (1865-1953), also played the fiddle. On one occasion he refused to play for his pupils from an advance copy he had just received of a new collection of pipe music. It would not be right, he said, before publication. Eventually he acquiesced; it would be okay, he supposed, to play the tunes on the fiddle instead. The MacDonalds were a musical family. Johnny’s brother Andrew was also an outstanding piper while his youngest sister Helen (c.1884-1975) was organist at the Kirk of Craigellachie and composed the 3rd and 4th parts of the strathspey The Caledonian Society of London.
The historic contribution of women to Scottish music is difficult to access because of their restricted public role, especially in piping. But the main teacher of Pipe Major Willie Ross (1878-1966) himself one of the greatest editors, composers, players and teachers of the 20th century was his mother, Mary Collie of Monar, another multi-instrumentalist who as a girl had played the concertina for hours at a Highland Ball when the pipers got too drunk to play.
The earliest published pipe music came from the MacDonald brothers, Joseph (1739-1763) and Patrick (1729-1824) of Durness, both of whom were also fiddle players – Patrick sufficiently so to stand in for the maestro Stabilini at one of the latter’s Edinburgh concerts. Using the manuscript Joseph had transcribed before leaving for India as a gift for his sister Flora (c.1734-1805), Patrick brought out A Collection of Highland Vocal Airs, Never hitherto published, To which are added a few of the most lively Country Dances or Reels from the North Highlands, Western Isles; and some Specimens of Bagpipe Music (Edinburgh, 1784). The text was engraved by James Johnston, Robert Burns’s collaborator on The Scots Musical Museum and with a subscription list of over 1,000 seems to have comfortably outsold the first volume of Niel Gow’s Collection of Strathspey Reels which was issued the same year. Highland Vocal Airs was a musical landmark and a further five editions were issued during Patrick’s lifetime. But Patrick’s occupation (he was minister of Kilmore near Oban) protected him from the loss of respectability attached to being a mere musician. As a fellow clergyman, Rev George Forbes, wrote from Aberdeenshire in about 1792 to his son in India, “Poor Miss Fairbairn married a concert fiddler, they are both in Aberdeen – and much looked down upon……”
To be a musician in 18th and early 19th century Scotland was to have the status of a servant and the pioneering publications of Scottish music were often undertaken at considerable personal cost. Donald MacDonald (c.1767-1840) established the modern method of writing pipe music, publishing two pipe tutors in 1808 and 1817 and followed this in 1818/19 with The Ancient Martial Music of Caledonia, which almost bankrupted him. The greatest song collection of the period The Jacobite Relics of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1819-1821) from writer and fiddle player James Hogg, (1770-1835), met a stormy reception. Hogg wrote angrily;
The Secretary of the Highland society refuses to pay me my £50…I have made a collection which no man on earth could have made but myself, for (Sir Walter) Scott could not have collected the music…There is no reason why I should be gulled and cheated by everybody in this manner after the pains I have taken.
But the commercial pressures on fiddlers were less intense than they were for their piping colleagues in one important respect. The complex system of ornament used by pipers meant that pipe music occupied a lot of space, even with the gracenotes set in reduced type. This meant that it cost a lot to engrave or typeset and the resulting publications were expensive. Editors of fiddle music could get half a dozen or more tunes into the same space occupied by a couple of two-parted pipe tunes. This expansive and expensive notation was even more of a barrier in publishing piobaireachd and it was the musical heir of Donald MacDonald who devised an ingenious system of tackling this.
Facing financial ruin following the failure of his Ancient Martial Music of Caledonia Donald, in desperation, sent the manuscript of his intended second volume to a gentleman pupil J. W. Grant of Elchies on Speyside. Grant presented a transcript of this to his grandson Charles Simeon Thomason (1833-1911) when the latter was commissioned into the Bengal Engineers in 1852. This was the dawn of the great age of communication, the urge to include everybody within print media. The leaders of the ‘cheap music’ movement would soon begin to drive down prices so that printed music would no longer be the preserve of the wealthy. The pipers were well abreast of this, the main figures being Donald MacPhee (1842-1890), William Ross (1823-1891) and David Glen (1853-1916). The most brilliantly innovative of all, however, was C. S. Thomason who was dedicated to making the whole piobaireachd repertoire available at a price pipers could afford. He devised a form of musical shorthand to get round the problem of scale and engraved the plates himself to keep costs down. His epoch making edition Ceol Mor was published in 1900 and remains one of the great Scottish music books.
But changes in the institutional climate in piping barred all but the ‘official’ scores for competitive purposes and the great Victorian editions were allowed to go out of print. They remained virtually unknown for much of the 20th century. When Bob Nicol directed me to Ceol Mor in the late 1960s the book was not available anywhere. Bob’s own copy had been stolen from the pipers’ room at Balmoral Castle and the local university at Aberdeen had never heard of it. The enterprising Wakefield firm, EP, brought out a reprint in 1975 along with several of the classic old piobaireachd collections. But after their takeover in the early 1980s there was nobody in Scotland to continue the work. However, since 2000 Steve Scaife of Ceol Sean in Springfield, Illinois, has issued many of the great pipe music collections on CD at prices which match the cheapest the Victorians were able to achieve and with a compactness and ease of use that signals a new era in pipe music. Amongst its titles Ceol Sean makes available, for the first time in 100 years, David Glen’s mighty 17 volume collection of light music for the pipes Highland Bagpipe Music which contains more than 1,000 tunes. As I write I have 16 classic collections sitting on my mantelpiece occupying the space of a moderately sized tea-caddy.
A glance at these older collections shows how rich were links with the fiddle and song traditions. David Glen published pipe settings by himself and Colin Cameron of several Scott Skinner tunes, including the strathspey and reel Mrs. David Glen. His cousin John Glen’s Early Scottish Melodies (Edinburgh 1900) remains another seminal book in the history of Scottish music. As well as being bagpipe makers, the firm of J. & R. Glen were at the centre of the early music revival in Scotland, making the first clarsachs to appear for centuries. As ever, Skinner was never far from the centre of things. At his funeral in Aberdeen in March 1927 his coffin was surmounted by his fiddle in its open case draped in black. It bore the inscription ‘Presented to Mr James Scott Skinner by Mr William Grant, of Elchies and Carron, 1873’; William Grant was the uncle of C. S. Thomason. Skinner’s friend, the great pipe composer George S. McLennan played at the graveside. His scarcely less brilliant cousin, the piper and dancer William McLennan (1860-1893), had toured North America with Skinner in 1893, dying of meningitis in Montreal.
There are still Aberdonians who recall Skinner concerts. One described him as “a nippy wee mannie” and said that if Skinner was playing in the Music Hall he would quit the stage if the audience began to clap or tap their feet. He would not let the audience dictate the tempo. The tremendous speed which he seems to have played is a frequent subject for discussion and there has been speculation that this may have been caused by the limited playing time of early acoustically recorded cylinders and discs. But in Harp and Claymore (1903-4) Skinner explicitly recommended 20 seconds for a two-parted strathspey and 15 seconds for a reel. These timings coincide with those specified by George Farquhar Graham in The Songs of Scotland Adapted to their Appropriate Melodies (Edinburgh, 1861) and by John Glen in The Glen Collection of Scottish Dance Music (Edinburgh, 1891)
There are implications for piping once again. In 1971 I recorded Bob Nicol playing competition marches, strathspeys and reels at his home at Birkhall, Ballater. His strathspeys and reels Delvinside, Lochiel’s Away to France, Tullochgorm, Iain son of Hector’s Big Reel, MacBeth’s Strathspey, Pretty Marion, Arniston Castle, Charlie’s Welcome, The Shepherd’s Crook, The Flagon, Blair Drummond and Cabarfeidh, heavy ‘competition’ pieces though they were, were played with tremendous dash and fire, taking the equivalent of 26/26 seconds per two parts in his strathspeys, and 18/19 seconds in his reels. The speed, the accuracy, the way the ornamentation was played as part of the melody rather than a separate department was far indeed from the typically dull and over-cautious approach of modern competing pipers. Bob ended with a chuckle. “Aye”, he said, “I was fair travellin’.”
Our Village Halls – Clunie Hall
by Gordon Howe
At a time when recreation seems to revolve around the television with its increasing number of channels and viewing refinements broadcasting multi-ethnic cultural activities from around the globe it is easy to overlook our own culture and the role played by local village halls in the past and hopefully in the future in nurturing local talent. Whilst sustaining Scottish music has been helped greatly by the existence of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs, they tend to be concentrated in hotels in towns rather than country village halls.
My own recollections of early social life, like most of my country contemporaries, revolved around the local village hall, in my case Clunie Hall that lies between Blairgowrie and Dunkeld. This involved school and church parties, concerts and whist drives invariably followed by a dance. Annual major events like the Tattie Ball attracted the big dance bands and was held in November each year following completion of the tattie harvest (which was our second annual money earner, our first being the berry picking). Other annual dances included the harvest home dance, sports dance etc. Diddling competitions were popular involving local talent including singers with their own folk songs, some of which extended to 16 to 20 verses, which, as youngsters, bored us out of our minds but are now regarded as cult and eagerly sought after by today’s artists. One of the more memorable characters was Tommy Bonthrone who used to sing a song I’m no coming oot the noo the noo I’m no coming oot the noo. This could extend to as many verses as the audience could stand. Indeed it was following one of these local concerts at Butterstone Hall that my brother and I played at our first dance, from memory I would be nine years of age and Raymond, my brother, ten.
Clunie Hall hosted many of the great bands of the past and I recall particularly sitting behind the piano listening to the beat of Nigel Alexander of The Hawthorn Accordion Band, which also featured Jim and Andy Tosh and Jim Fairweather on accordions, Jim Howe and Jimmy Ritchie on fiddles and Tommy McDonald on drums. It is interesting to note that The Hawthorn Band played at the VE Day (Victory in Europe) dance in Clunie in 1945, probably one of their first engagements.
With many of these events dying out, we have seen a continuing decline in the use of village halls with a number closing altogether – some supported only by local SWRIs and odd whist drives. New legislation governing health and safety and disabled access has however meant that halls have to be brought up to a recognised standard or face closure. This has been the case with many halls, including our own, which has recently undergone a complete revamp with new kitchen facilities and toilets, providing disabled access together with a total redecoration. The dance floor has also been professionally sanded and revarnished to high standard providing dancers with an excellent surface.
Having spent a considerable amount of time and money on the hall we were keen to promote its use and to this end we are holding an opening night of music and dance on December 8th which will serve as a fundraiser and hopefully bring in some musicians and artistes who would like a tune or to perform their act. So those of you who are not playing on the 8th December please come along to Clunie Hall and have a tune with us, you will be rewarded with a free supper!
Looking ahead to the spring, Dougie MacLean plans to run a series of concerts at the hall involving his full show. In his words he wants to bring the fans to see and hear him in his own local environment rather than him going to them. This is likely to be around Easter so look out for notice of this and come and hear one of Scotland’s foremost folk entertainers.
Hope to see you on December 8th!
Scots Trad Music Awards 2006
Friday 1st December – Sunday 3rd December
Fort William
CD Reviews – See Hear with Judith Linton
A’ the Best fae Banffshire – 75 Years of Scottish Country Dancing – BCDSO601 – Independent
Scottish Piano fusion – Sandy Meldrum – CDTRAX298 – Greentrax Recordings
Steven Carcary’s 25 Years of Music – SC003CD
SC Recordings
Take the Floor – Saturday Evenings 19.05 – 20.30 with Robbie Shepherd
4th Nov 06 – Neil MacEachern SDB (OB from The Albert Halls, Stirling)
11th Nov 06 – Bruce Lindsay SDB (The Glenfiddlich Fiddle Festival)
18th Nov 06 – Duncan MacKinnon SDB
25th Nov 06 - tbc
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Westburn Park Lounge) – 28th Nov 06 – Sandy Lindsay Duo
Alnwick (The Farrier’s Arms – Shilbottle)
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) - 19th Nov 06 – Ian Hutson SDB
Arbroath (Viewfield Hotel) - 5th Nov 06 – Ian Muir Trio
Armadale (Masonic Hall) – 2nd Nov 06 – Steven Carcary SDB
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Church Hall) – 19th Nov 06 – Allan McIntosh SDB
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 27th Nov 06 – Gordon Pattullo CB
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) – 22nd Nov 06 – MacDuff S&R Society
Beith & District (Anderson Hotel) – 20th Nov 06 – Roy Hendrie
Belford (Community Centre) –
Biggar (Municipal Hall) – 12th Nov 06 – Robert Menzies Band
Blairgowrie (Moorfield Hotel) - 14th Nov 06 – Duncan Black & Marie Fielding
Bromley (Trinity United Reform Church) - 14th Nov 06 – Donald Stewart & Friends
Button Key (Windygates Institute) – 9th Nov 06 – Alan Small & the Early Learning CB
Campsie (Glazert Country House Hotel) - 7th Nov 06 – Dochie McCallum & Friends
Carlisle (St Margaret Mary’s Social Club) -
Castle Douglas (Urr Valley Country House Hotel) – 21st Nov 06 – Callum Wilson SDB
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) - 16th Nov 06 – Willie McFarlane Band
Crieff & District (Crieff Hotel) 2nd Nov 06 – Alex McIntyre
Cults (Culter Sports & Social Club) 8th Nov 06 – Deirdre Adamson
Dalriada (Argyll Hotel, Lochgilphead)
Dingwall (National Hotel) – 1st Nov 06 – Iain MacPhail SDB
Dunblane (Victoria Hall) – 15th Nov 06 – Marian Anderson SDB
Dunfermline (Headwell Bowling Club) – 14th Nov 06 – Jim Paterson SDB
Dunoon & Cowal (McColl’s Hotel)
Duns (Masonic Lodge, Newtown St) 20th Nov 06 – Ray Carse
East Kilbride (Masonic Hall, Kittoch St) –
Ellon (Station Hotel) – 21st Nov 06 - tbc
Fintry (Fintry Sports Centre) – 27th Nov 06 – Tommy Newcomen & the Holly Duo
Forfar (Plough Inn) - 26th Nov 06 - tba
Forres (Victoria Hotel) – 8th Nov 06 – George Meikle Trio
Galashiels (Abbotsford Arms Hotel) – 2nd Nov 06 – Mhairi Coutts Trio
Glendale (Black Bull Hotel, Wooler) – 16th Nov 06 – Jim & Alex Lindsay
Glenfarg (Lomond Hotel) - 1st Nov 06 – Simon howie SDB
Glenrothes (Victoria Hall, Coaltown of Balgownie) - 28th Nov 06 – Alasdair Heron Trio
Gretna (Social & Athletic Club) - 5th Nov 06 – Karen Hannah & Alan Small
Haddington (Railway Inn) - 26th Nov 06 – Scott Nichol SDB
Highland (Drumossie Hotel) – 20th Nov 06 - Skipinnish
Inveraray (Argyll Hotel) - 8th Nov 06 – Charlie Kirkpatrick Trio
Isle of Skye – (The Royal Hotel, Portree) - 2nd Nov 06 – Jock Fraser Trio
Islesteps (The Embassy Hotel) – 7th Nov 06 – Freeland Barbour Trio 10th Nov 06 – Dance to John Douglas SDB
Kelso (Cross Keys Hotel) – 29th Nov 06 – John Douglas SDB
Kintore (Torryburn Hotel) – 1st Nov 06 – Scott Gordon Trio
Ladybank (Railway Tavern) - 16th Nov 06 – Helen Little & Friends
Lanark (Ravenstruther Hall) - 27th Nov 06 – Ian Thomson SDB
Langholm (Crown Hotel) – 8th Nov 06 – Scott Nichol SDB
Lewis & Harris (Stornoway Legion) - 2nd Nov 06 – Ian Crichton Charity Night
Livingston (Hilcroft Hotel, Whitburn) 21st Nov 06 – Lothian SDB
Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) - 28th Nov 06 – Ian Cruickshanks SDB
Mauchline (Harry Lyle Suite) - 21st Nov 06 – Jim Gold SDB
Montrose (Park Hotel) – 1st Nov 06 – Johnny Duncan Duo
Newburgh (The Ship Inn) - 30th Nov 06 – Judith Linton Trio
Newmill-on-Teviot (Newmill Country Inn) - 15th Nov 06 – Lindsay Weir Trio
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) – 27th Nov 06 – Andrew Warren Trio
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) – 7th Nov 06 – Steven Carcary
Oban (McTavish’s Kitchen) – 2nd Nov 06 – Marian Anderson Trio
Orkney (Ayre Hotel, Kirkwall) –
Peebles (Rugby Social Club) – 30th Nov 06 – Jim Gold SDB
Perth (Salutation Hotel) – 5th Nov 06 – The Cullivoe Band 21st Nov 06 – Burns Brothers
Phoenix (Argyll Arms hotel, Ardrishaig)
Premier NI (Chimney Corner Hotel) - 7th Nov 06 – Gerry Rice quartet
Reading Scottish Fiddlers (Willowbank Infant School, Woodley) -
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) – 14th Nov 06 – Liam Stewart Trio
Rothbury (Queen’s Head) - 2nd Nov 06 – Brian Griffin Duo
Scottish Accordion Music (Banchory) -
Selkirk (Cricket Club) - 9th Nov 06 – David Nisbet
Shetland (Shetland Hotel, Lerwick) -
Stonehouse (Bowling Club) - 1st Nov 06 – Dick Black Band
Sutherland (Rogart Hall) - 11th Nov 06 – The Occasionals
Thornhill (Bowling Club Hall) - 14th Nov 06 – George Meikle Trio
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) – 6th Nov 06 – David Vernon
Turriff (Royal British Legion) – 2nd Nov 06 – Lomond CB
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) – 16th Nov 06 – Gillian Birnie Trio
West Barnes (West Barnes Inn) 9th Nov 06 – Ian Muir Trio
Wick (MacKay’s Hotel) – 21st Nov 06 - Skipinnish
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Aberdeen
2. Annan
3. Arbroath
4. Balloch
5. Banchory
6. Banff
7. Biggar
8. Blairgowrie
9. Campsie
10. Castle Douglas
11. Coalburn
12. Crieff
13. Cults
14. Dingwall & District
15. Dunblane
16. Dunfermline
17. Fintry
18. Forfar
19. Forres
20. Galashiels
21. Glendale
22. Glenrothes
23. Gretna
24. Highland
25. Inveraray
26. Isle of Skye
27. Islesteps
28. Kelso
29. Kintore
30. Ladybank
31. Lanark
32. Livingston
33. Lockerbie
34. Montrose
35. Newburgh
36. Newmill
37. Newtongrange
38. North East
39. Oban
40. Peebles
41. Premier
42. Renfrew
43. Rothbury
44. Stonehouse
45. Sutherland
46. Thornhill
47. Thurso
48. Turriff
49. Tynedale
50. West Barnes
51. Wick
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT OCT 2005
(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. Brittania B&F Club ( joined 07-08
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. Crathes (aka Scottish Accordion Music – Crathes) (Nov 1997 -
21. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
22. Cults A & F Club (
23. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
24. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
25. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971 – present)
26. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
27. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
28. Duns A&F Club (formed 20th Sept 04 – present)
29. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980 – Closed 04/05)
30. Ellon A&F Club (
31. Fintry A&F Club (Dec 1972 – reformed Jan 1980 – present)
32. Forfar A&F Club (
33. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
34. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
35. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
36. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
37. Glenfarg A&F Club (formed 1988 joined Assoc Mar 95 -
38. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93?
39. 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)
40. Haddington A&F Club (formed Feb 2005 - )
41. Highland A&F Club (Inverness) (Nov 1973 – present)
42. Inveraray A&F Club (Feb 1991 - present)
43. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981 – present – n.b. evolved from the original Dumfries Club)
44. Isle of Skye A&F Club (June 1983 – present)
45. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976 – present)
46. Kintore A&F Club (
47. Ladybank A&F Club (joined Apr 98 but formed earlier
48. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – closed March 2015)
49. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967 - present)
50. Lewis & Harris A&F Club (Aug 1994 -
51. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – present)
52. Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973 - present)
53. Maine Valley A&F Club (
54. Mauchline A&F Club (Sept 1983 - present)
55. Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
56. Newburgh A&F Club (joined 2002 but founded
57. Newmill-on-Teviot (Hawick) (Formed late 1988 joined Assoc 1999
58. Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
59. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
60. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
61. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
62. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
63. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
64. Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
65. Phoenix A&F Club, Ardrishaig (Dec 2004 -
66. Renfrew A&F Club (1984 -
67. Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
68. Selkirk A&F Club (
69. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
70. Stonehouse A&F Club (first report June 05 -
71. Sutherland A&F Club (
72. Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
73. Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
74. Turriff A&F Club (March 1982 - present)
75. Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
76. West Barnes ( - present)
77. 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?)
78. Acharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
79. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
80. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
81. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
82. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
83. Buchan A&F Club
84 Callander A&F Club (
85 Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
86 Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
87 Club Accord
88 Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
89. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
90. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
91. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
92. Derwentside A&F Club
93. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
94. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
95. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
96. Dundee & District A&F Club (1970? – 1995?)
97. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
98. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
99. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
100. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
101. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
102. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
103. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
104. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
105. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
106. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
107. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
108. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
109. Mull A&F Club
110. Newcastleton Accordion Club
111. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
112. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
113. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
114. Reading Scottish Fiddlers (cMarch 1997
115. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
116. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 – closed 20000/01?)
117. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
118. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
119. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
120. Tranent A&F Club
121. Vancouver
122. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
123. Wellbank A&F Club
124. 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
Well, hopefully everyone survived Shetland again this year! You can see the evidence in our lead article. This is the Festival season, and we’ve got Perth and Stanley to look forward to and then it’s almost time to start thinking about Up Helly-Aa and Musselburgh again!
In December the 4th Scots Trad Music Awards takes place, this time in Fort William. Voting begins on November 1st – read all about it on Page 14. It’s no use moaning about the winners if you didn’t bother to vote!
We have a really interesting article from Dr William Donaldson on Page 9, which he wrote in gratitude for the help given to him by B&F readers. We really appreciate the articles from our regular contributors, but it would be good to have more pieces written by experts in their fields. Any volunteers? If you band is off traveling for St Andrew’s Night, or even if you have an interesting gig at home, let us know about it. Many Clubs are celebrating 25 or 30 year anniversaries – remember to send us the photos.
Karin Ingram
19th Shetland Accordion & Fiddle Festival – 12 – 16 October 2006
by Peter Leask
The climate was very kind to Shetland last weekend……….
From Edinburgh to Illinois
by Dr William Donaldson
The help I have received from the readers of the Box and Fiddle has been invaluable and I have been much encouraged by this and by the good wishes of composers and others for my collection. The links between the different parts of the instrumental tradition have always fascinated me. As a small thank you to the B&F and your readers I have gathered together some of these connections into an article.
Scotland’s Box, Fiddle and Pipe Music
From his home in Monikie on 15th May 1908 the great fiddle virtuoso James Scott Skinner wrote to an old friend:
Dear Colin Cameron,
Pray learn this and put on the flutterin’ blades as only pipers can.
Scott Skinner
Attached to the note was a score. Written in Skinner’s characteristically flamboyant hand was a new pipe march The Lovat Scouts, one of many that Skinner was to write for that instrument.
Colin Cameron (1843-1916) was head of the legendary Cameron piping dynasty, eldest of the three sons of Donald Cameron and Margaret Mackenzie (after whom the strathspey, Maggie Cameron, is named) who enjoyed immense prestige and influence in the piping world. Sixty years later my own piping teacher, Bob Nicol (1905-1978), would recall his meeting with Colin’s younger brother, Sandy Cameron (1848-1923) at the Northern Meeting in Inverness in 1922. Bob had played The Battle of the North Inch of Perth, had left the hall and was standing with an older companion who was no relation. An old man with a white beard approached them and said, “I liked your tune”. Assuming the companion to be Bob’s father he added, “He’s going to be some player that laddie of yours”.
The recent inclination to treat the pipes as separate from the mainstream of Scottish tradition has tended to cut pipers off from much of their musical past. A wider view reveals how strong are the links between all the strands of our instrumental and song tradition.
It is often forgotten how common multi-instrumentalism has been in the performer community. At a country dance in the old days the call might go out for the Highland piper, the small pipe player and the fiddler, and a single person would walk through the door. A century ago Allan MacDougall Bayne reported an interview with Mrs Norman MacCrimmon, a representative of piping’s most illustrious family who said, “It was a mistake to think of the MacCrimmons only as pipers; they were also fiddlers, and she almost inclined to say harpers, but drew back….” (‘The Glenelg MacCrimmons’, Oban Times, 6/8/1910, p3). Hector MacAndrew (1903-1980) was taught both pipes and fiddle by his father who was piper to Lord Leith at Fyvie Castle and included the great piper, Charles MacArthur, as well as William Marshall and Niel Gow among his musical ancestors.
Bob Nicol’s own piping teacher, the famous John MacDonald of Inverness (1865-1953), also played the fiddle. On one occasion he refused to play for his pupils from an advance copy he had just received of a new collection of pipe music. It would not be right, he said, before publication. Eventually he acquiesced; it would be okay, he supposed, to play the tunes on the fiddle instead. The MacDonalds were a musical family. Johnny’s brother Andrew was also an outstanding piper while his youngest sister Helen (c.1884-1975) was organist at the Kirk of Craigellachie and composed the 3rd and 4th parts of the strathspey The Caledonian Society of London.
The historic contribution of women to Scottish music is difficult to access because of their restricted public role, especially in piping. But the main teacher of Pipe Major Willie Ross (1878-1966) himself one of the greatest editors, composers, players and teachers of the 20th century was his mother, Mary Collie of Monar, another multi-instrumentalist who as a girl had played the concertina for hours at a Highland Ball when the pipers got too drunk to play.
The earliest published pipe music came from the MacDonald brothers, Joseph (1739-1763) and Patrick (1729-1824) of Durness, both of whom were also fiddle players – Patrick sufficiently so to stand in for the maestro Stabilini at one of the latter’s Edinburgh concerts. Using the manuscript Joseph had transcribed before leaving for India as a gift for his sister Flora (c.1734-1805), Patrick brought out A Collection of Highland Vocal Airs, Never hitherto published, To which are added a few of the most lively Country Dances or Reels from the North Highlands, Western Isles; and some Specimens of Bagpipe Music (Edinburgh, 1784). The text was engraved by James Johnston, Robert Burns’s collaborator on The Scots Musical Museum and with a subscription list of over 1,000 seems to have comfortably outsold the first volume of Niel Gow’s Collection of Strathspey Reels which was issued the same year. Highland Vocal Airs was a musical landmark and a further five editions were issued during Patrick’s lifetime. But Patrick’s occupation (he was minister of Kilmore near Oban) protected him from the loss of respectability attached to being a mere musician. As a fellow clergyman, Rev George Forbes, wrote from Aberdeenshire in about 1792 to his son in India, “Poor Miss Fairbairn married a concert fiddler, they are both in Aberdeen – and much looked down upon……”
To be a musician in 18th and early 19th century Scotland was to have the status of a servant and the pioneering publications of Scottish music were often undertaken at considerable personal cost. Donald MacDonald (c.1767-1840) established the modern method of writing pipe music, publishing two pipe tutors in 1808 and 1817 and followed this in 1818/19 with The Ancient Martial Music of Caledonia, which almost bankrupted him. The greatest song collection of the period The Jacobite Relics of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1819-1821) from writer and fiddle player James Hogg, (1770-1835), met a stormy reception. Hogg wrote angrily;
The Secretary of the Highland society refuses to pay me my £50…I have made a collection which no man on earth could have made but myself, for (Sir Walter) Scott could not have collected the music…There is no reason why I should be gulled and cheated by everybody in this manner after the pains I have taken.
But the commercial pressures on fiddlers were less intense than they were for their piping colleagues in one important respect. The complex system of ornament used by pipers meant that pipe music occupied a lot of space, even with the gracenotes set in reduced type. This meant that it cost a lot to engrave or typeset and the resulting publications were expensive. Editors of fiddle music could get half a dozen or more tunes into the same space occupied by a couple of two-parted pipe tunes. This expansive and expensive notation was even more of a barrier in publishing piobaireachd and it was the musical heir of Donald MacDonald who devised an ingenious system of tackling this.
Facing financial ruin following the failure of his Ancient Martial Music of Caledonia Donald, in desperation, sent the manuscript of his intended second volume to a gentleman pupil J. W. Grant of Elchies on Speyside. Grant presented a transcript of this to his grandson Charles Simeon Thomason (1833-1911) when the latter was commissioned into the Bengal Engineers in 1852. This was the dawn of the great age of communication, the urge to include everybody within print media. The leaders of the ‘cheap music’ movement would soon begin to drive down prices so that printed music would no longer be the preserve of the wealthy. The pipers were well abreast of this, the main figures being Donald MacPhee (1842-1890), William Ross (1823-1891) and David Glen (1853-1916). The most brilliantly innovative of all, however, was C. S. Thomason who was dedicated to making the whole piobaireachd repertoire available at a price pipers could afford. He devised a form of musical shorthand to get round the problem of scale and engraved the plates himself to keep costs down. His epoch making edition Ceol Mor was published in 1900 and remains one of the great Scottish music books.
But changes in the institutional climate in piping barred all but the ‘official’ scores for competitive purposes and the great Victorian editions were allowed to go out of print. They remained virtually unknown for much of the 20th century. When Bob Nicol directed me to Ceol Mor in the late 1960s the book was not available anywhere. Bob’s own copy had been stolen from the pipers’ room at Balmoral Castle and the local university at Aberdeen had never heard of it. The enterprising Wakefield firm, EP, brought out a reprint in 1975 along with several of the classic old piobaireachd collections. But after their takeover in the early 1980s there was nobody in Scotland to continue the work. However, since 2000 Steve Scaife of Ceol Sean in Springfield, Illinois, has issued many of the great pipe music collections on CD at prices which match the cheapest the Victorians were able to achieve and with a compactness and ease of use that signals a new era in pipe music. Amongst its titles Ceol Sean makes available, for the first time in 100 years, David Glen’s mighty 17 volume collection of light music for the pipes Highland Bagpipe Music which contains more than 1,000 tunes. As I write I have 16 classic collections sitting on my mantelpiece occupying the space of a moderately sized tea-caddy.
A glance at these older collections shows how rich were links with the fiddle and song traditions. David Glen published pipe settings by himself and Colin Cameron of several Scott Skinner tunes, including the strathspey and reel Mrs. David Glen. His cousin John Glen’s Early Scottish Melodies (Edinburgh 1900) remains another seminal book in the history of Scottish music. As well as being bagpipe makers, the firm of J. & R. Glen were at the centre of the early music revival in Scotland, making the first clarsachs to appear for centuries. As ever, Skinner was never far from the centre of things. At his funeral in Aberdeen in March 1927 his coffin was surmounted by his fiddle in its open case draped in black. It bore the inscription ‘Presented to Mr James Scott Skinner by Mr William Grant, of Elchies and Carron, 1873’; William Grant was the uncle of C. S. Thomason. Skinner’s friend, the great pipe composer George S. McLennan played at the graveside. His scarcely less brilliant cousin, the piper and dancer William McLennan (1860-1893), had toured North America with Skinner in 1893, dying of meningitis in Montreal.
There are still Aberdonians who recall Skinner concerts. One described him as “a nippy wee mannie” and said that if Skinner was playing in the Music Hall he would quit the stage if the audience began to clap or tap their feet. He would not let the audience dictate the tempo. The tremendous speed which he seems to have played is a frequent subject for discussion and there has been speculation that this may have been caused by the limited playing time of early acoustically recorded cylinders and discs. But in Harp and Claymore (1903-4) Skinner explicitly recommended 20 seconds for a two-parted strathspey and 15 seconds for a reel. These timings coincide with those specified by George Farquhar Graham in The Songs of Scotland Adapted to their Appropriate Melodies (Edinburgh, 1861) and by John Glen in The Glen Collection of Scottish Dance Music (Edinburgh, 1891)
There are implications for piping once again. In 1971 I recorded Bob Nicol playing competition marches, strathspeys and reels at his home at Birkhall, Ballater. His strathspeys and reels Delvinside, Lochiel’s Away to France, Tullochgorm, Iain son of Hector’s Big Reel, MacBeth’s Strathspey, Pretty Marion, Arniston Castle, Charlie’s Welcome, The Shepherd’s Crook, The Flagon, Blair Drummond and Cabarfeidh, heavy ‘competition’ pieces though they were, were played with tremendous dash and fire, taking the equivalent of 26/26 seconds per two parts in his strathspeys, and 18/19 seconds in his reels. The speed, the accuracy, the way the ornamentation was played as part of the melody rather than a separate department was far indeed from the typically dull and over-cautious approach of modern competing pipers. Bob ended with a chuckle. “Aye”, he said, “I was fair travellin’.”
Our Village Halls – Clunie Hall
by Gordon Howe
At a time when recreation seems to revolve around the television with its increasing number of channels and viewing refinements broadcasting multi-ethnic cultural activities from around the globe it is easy to overlook our own culture and the role played by local village halls in the past and hopefully in the future in nurturing local talent. Whilst sustaining Scottish music has been helped greatly by the existence of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs, they tend to be concentrated in hotels in towns rather than country village halls.
My own recollections of early social life, like most of my country contemporaries, revolved around the local village hall, in my case Clunie Hall that lies between Blairgowrie and Dunkeld. This involved school and church parties, concerts and whist drives invariably followed by a dance. Annual major events like the Tattie Ball attracted the big dance bands and was held in November each year following completion of the tattie harvest (which was our second annual money earner, our first being the berry picking). Other annual dances included the harvest home dance, sports dance etc. Diddling competitions were popular involving local talent including singers with their own folk songs, some of which extended to 16 to 20 verses, which, as youngsters, bored us out of our minds but are now regarded as cult and eagerly sought after by today’s artists. One of the more memorable characters was Tommy Bonthrone who used to sing a song I’m no coming oot the noo the noo I’m no coming oot the noo. This could extend to as many verses as the audience could stand. Indeed it was following one of these local concerts at Butterstone Hall that my brother and I played at our first dance, from memory I would be nine years of age and Raymond, my brother, ten.
Clunie Hall hosted many of the great bands of the past and I recall particularly sitting behind the piano listening to the beat of Nigel Alexander of The Hawthorn Accordion Band, which also featured Jim and Andy Tosh and Jim Fairweather on accordions, Jim Howe and Jimmy Ritchie on fiddles and Tommy McDonald on drums. It is interesting to note that The Hawthorn Band played at the VE Day (Victory in Europe) dance in Clunie in 1945, probably one of their first engagements.
With many of these events dying out, we have seen a continuing decline in the use of village halls with a number closing altogether – some supported only by local SWRIs and odd whist drives. New legislation governing health and safety and disabled access has however meant that halls have to be brought up to a recognised standard or face closure. This has been the case with many halls, including our own, which has recently undergone a complete revamp with new kitchen facilities and toilets, providing disabled access together with a total redecoration. The dance floor has also been professionally sanded and revarnished to high standard providing dancers with an excellent surface.
Having spent a considerable amount of time and money on the hall we were keen to promote its use and to this end we are holding an opening night of music and dance on December 8th which will serve as a fundraiser and hopefully bring in some musicians and artistes who would like a tune or to perform their act. So those of you who are not playing on the 8th December please come along to Clunie Hall and have a tune with us, you will be rewarded with a free supper!
Looking ahead to the spring, Dougie MacLean plans to run a series of concerts at the hall involving his full show. In his words he wants to bring the fans to see and hear him in his own local environment rather than him going to them. This is likely to be around Easter so look out for notice of this and come and hear one of Scotland’s foremost folk entertainers.
Hope to see you on December 8th!
Scots Trad Music Awards 2006
Friday 1st December – Sunday 3rd December
Fort William
CD Reviews – See Hear with Judith Linton
A’ the Best fae Banffshire – 75 Years of Scottish Country Dancing – BCDSO601 – Independent
Scottish Piano fusion – Sandy Meldrum – CDTRAX298 – Greentrax Recordings
Steven Carcary’s 25 Years of Music – SC003CD
SC Recordings
Take the Floor – Saturday Evenings 19.05 – 20.30 with Robbie Shepherd
4th Nov 06 – Neil MacEachern SDB (OB from The Albert Halls, Stirling)
11th Nov 06 – Bruce Lindsay SDB (The Glenfiddlich Fiddle Festival)
18th Nov 06 – Duncan MacKinnon SDB
25th Nov 06 - tbc
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Westburn Park Lounge) – 28th Nov 06 – Sandy Lindsay Duo
Alnwick (The Farrier’s Arms – Shilbottle)
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) - 19th Nov 06 – Ian Hutson SDB
Arbroath (Viewfield Hotel) - 5th Nov 06 – Ian Muir Trio
Armadale (Masonic Hall) – 2nd Nov 06 – Steven Carcary SDB
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Church Hall) – 19th Nov 06 – Allan McIntosh SDB
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 27th Nov 06 – Gordon Pattullo CB
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) – 22nd Nov 06 – MacDuff S&R Society
Beith & District (Anderson Hotel) – 20th Nov 06 – Roy Hendrie
Belford (Community Centre) –
Biggar (Municipal Hall) – 12th Nov 06 – Robert Menzies Band
Blairgowrie (Moorfield Hotel) - 14th Nov 06 – Duncan Black & Marie Fielding
Bromley (Trinity United Reform Church) - 14th Nov 06 – Donald Stewart & Friends
Button Key (Windygates Institute) – 9th Nov 06 – Alan Small & the Early Learning CB
Campsie (Glazert Country House Hotel) - 7th Nov 06 – Dochie McCallum & Friends
Carlisle (St Margaret Mary’s Social Club) -
Castle Douglas (Urr Valley Country House Hotel) – 21st Nov 06 – Callum Wilson SDB
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) - 16th Nov 06 – Willie McFarlane Band
Crieff & District (Crieff Hotel) 2nd Nov 06 – Alex McIntyre
Cults (Culter Sports & Social Club) 8th Nov 06 – Deirdre Adamson
Dalriada (Argyll Hotel, Lochgilphead)
Dingwall (National Hotel) – 1st Nov 06 – Iain MacPhail SDB
Dunblane (Victoria Hall) – 15th Nov 06 – Marian Anderson SDB
Dunfermline (Headwell Bowling Club) – 14th Nov 06 – Jim Paterson SDB
Dunoon & Cowal (McColl’s Hotel)
Duns (Masonic Lodge, Newtown St) 20th Nov 06 – Ray Carse
East Kilbride (Masonic Hall, Kittoch St) –
Ellon (Station Hotel) – 21st Nov 06 - tbc
Fintry (Fintry Sports Centre) – 27th Nov 06 – Tommy Newcomen & the Holly Duo
Forfar (Plough Inn) - 26th Nov 06 - tba
Forres (Victoria Hotel) – 8th Nov 06 – George Meikle Trio
Galashiels (Abbotsford Arms Hotel) – 2nd Nov 06 – Mhairi Coutts Trio
Glendale (Black Bull Hotel, Wooler) – 16th Nov 06 – Jim & Alex Lindsay
Glenfarg (Lomond Hotel) - 1st Nov 06 – Simon howie SDB
Glenrothes (Victoria Hall, Coaltown of Balgownie) - 28th Nov 06 – Alasdair Heron Trio
Gretna (Social & Athletic Club) - 5th Nov 06 – Karen Hannah & Alan Small
Haddington (Railway Inn) - 26th Nov 06 – Scott Nichol SDB
Highland (Drumossie Hotel) – 20th Nov 06 - Skipinnish
Inveraray (Argyll Hotel) - 8th Nov 06 – Charlie Kirkpatrick Trio
Isle of Skye – (The Royal Hotel, Portree) - 2nd Nov 06 – Jock Fraser Trio
Islesteps (The Embassy Hotel) – 7th Nov 06 – Freeland Barbour Trio 10th Nov 06 – Dance to John Douglas SDB
Kelso (Cross Keys Hotel) – 29th Nov 06 – John Douglas SDB
Kintore (Torryburn Hotel) – 1st Nov 06 – Scott Gordon Trio
Ladybank (Railway Tavern) - 16th Nov 06 – Helen Little & Friends
Lanark (Ravenstruther Hall) - 27th Nov 06 – Ian Thomson SDB
Langholm (Crown Hotel) – 8th Nov 06 – Scott Nichol SDB
Lewis & Harris (Stornoway Legion) - 2nd Nov 06 – Ian Crichton Charity Night
Livingston (Hilcroft Hotel, Whitburn) 21st Nov 06 – Lothian SDB
Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) - 28th Nov 06 – Ian Cruickshanks SDB
Mauchline (Harry Lyle Suite) - 21st Nov 06 – Jim Gold SDB
Montrose (Park Hotel) – 1st Nov 06 – Johnny Duncan Duo
Newburgh (The Ship Inn) - 30th Nov 06 – Judith Linton Trio
Newmill-on-Teviot (Newmill Country Inn) - 15th Nov 06 – Lindsay Weir Trio
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) – 27th Nov 06 – Andrew Warren Trio
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) – 7th Nov 06 – Steven Carcary
Oban (McTavish’s Kitchen) – 2nd Nov 06 – Marian Anderson Trio
Orkney (Ayre Hotel, Kirkwall) –
Peebles (Rugby Social Club) – 30th Nov 06 – Jim Gold SDB
Perth (Salutation Hotel) – 5th Nov 06 – The Cullivoe Band 21st Nov 06 – Burns Brothers
Phoenix (Argyll Arms hotel, Ardrishaig)
Premier NI (Chimney Corner Hotel) - 7th Nov 06 – Gerry Rice quartet
Reading Scottish Fiddlers (Willowbank Infant School, Woodley) -
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) – 14th Nov 06 – Liam Stewart Trio
Rothbury (Queen’s Head) - 2nd Nov 06 – Brian Griffin Duo
Scottish Accordion Music (Banchory) -
Selkirk (Cricket Club) - 9th Nov 06 – David Nisbet
Shetland (Shetland Hotel, Lerwick) -
Stonehouse (Bowling Club) - 1st Nov 06 – Dick Black Band
Sutherland (Rogart Hall) - 11th Nov 06 – The Occasionals
Thornhill (Bowling Club Hall) - 14th Nov 06 – George Meikle Trio
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) – 6th Nov 06 – David Vernon
Turriff (Royal British Legion) – 2nd Nov 06 – Lomond CB
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) – 16th Nov 06 – Gillian Birnie Trio
West Barnes (West Barnes Inn) 9th Nov 06 – Ian Muir Trio
Wick (MacKay’s Hotel) – 21st Nov 06 - Skipinnish
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Aberdeen
2. Annan
3. Arbroath
4. Balloch
5. Banchory
6. Banff
7. Biggar
8. Blairgowrie
9. Campsie
10. Castle Douglas
11. Coalburn
12. Crieff
13. Cults
14. Dingwall & District
15. Dunblane
16. Dunfermline
17. Fintry
18. Forfar
19. Forres
20. Galashiels
21. Glendale
22. Glenrothes
23. Gretna
24. Highland
25. Inveraray
26. Isle of Skye
27. Islesteps
28. Kelso
29. Kintore
30. Ladybank
31. Lanark
32. Livingston
33. Lockerbie
34. Montrose
35. Newburgh
36. Newmill
37. Newtongrange
38. North East
39. Oban
40. Peebles
41. Premier
42. Renfrew
43. Rothbury
44. Stonehouse
45. Sutherland
46. Thornhill
47. Thurso
48. Turriff
49. Tynedale
50. West Barnes
51. Wick
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT OCT 2005
(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. Brittania B&F Club ( joined 07-08
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. Crathes (aka Scottish Accordion Music – Crathes) (Nov 1997 -
21. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
22. Cults A & F Club (
23. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
24. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
25. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971 – present)
26. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
27. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
28. Duns A&F Club (formed 20th Sept 04 – present)
29. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980 – Closed 04/05)
30. Ellon A&F Club (
31. Fintry A&F Club (Dec 1972 – reformed Jan 1980 – present)
32. Forfar A&F Club (
33. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
34. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
35. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
36. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
37. Glenfarg A&F Club (formed 1988 joined Assoc Mar 95 -
38. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93?
39. 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)
40. Haddington A&F Club (formed Feb 2005 - )
41. Highland A&F Club (Inverness) (Nov 1973 – present)
42. Inveraray A&F Club (Feb 1991 - present)
43. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981 – present – n.b. evolved from the original Dumfries Club)
44. Isle of Skye A&F Club (June 1983 – present)
45. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976 – present)
46. Kintore A&F Club (
47. Ladybank A&F Club (joined Apr 98 but formed earlier
48. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – closed March 2015)
49. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967 - present)
50. Lewis & Harris A&F Club (Aug 1994 -
51. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – present)
52. Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973 - present)
53. Maine Valley A&F Club (
54. Mauchline A&F Club (Sept 1983 - present)
55. Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
56. Newburgh A&F Club (joined 2002 but founded
57. Newmill-on-Teviot (Hawick) (Formed late 1988 joined Assoc 1999
58. Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
59. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
60. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
61. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
62. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
63. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
64. Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
65. Phoenix A&F Club, Ardrishaig (Dec 2004 -
66. Renfrew A&F Club (1984 -
67. Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
68. Selkirk A&F Club (
69. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
70. Stonehouse A&F Club (first report June 05 -
71. Sutherland A&F Club (
72. Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
73. Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
74. Turriff A&F Club (March 1982 - present)
75. Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
76. West Barnes ( - present)
77. 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?)
78. Acharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
79. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
80. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
81. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
82. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
83. Buchan A&F Club
84 Callander A&F Club (
85 Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
86 Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
87 Club Accord
88 Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
89. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
90. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
91. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
92. Derwentside A&F Club
93. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
94. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
95. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
96. Dundee & District A&F Club (1970? – 1995?)
97. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
98. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
99. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
100. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
101. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
102. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
103. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
104. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
105. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
106. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
107. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
108. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
109. Mull A&F Club
110. Newcastleton Accordion Club
111. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
112. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
113. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
114. Reading Scottish Fiddlers (cMarch 1997
115. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
116. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 – closed 20000/01?)
117. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
118. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
119. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
120. Tranent A&F Club
121. Vancouver
122. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
123. Wellbank A&F Club
124. Yarrow (prev known as Etterick & Yarrow) (Jan 1989 – closed 2001/02)
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