Box and Fiddle
Year 43 No 05
January 2020
Price £3.00
56 Page Magazine
12 month subscription £33.60 + p&p £15.85 (UK
In Memory – Rory MacLeod
by Bob Wares
Rory MacLeod is a name that is instantly familiar to B&F readers as a star photographer and Accordion & Fiddle Club enthusiast of the highest order! Sadly 80-year-old Rory lost his fight with illness and passed away peacefully on 14th December, 2019.
Rory took up the accordion as a teenager at home near Ullapool and regularly played at weddings and ceilidhs with other local players. It is not well know, but Rory also played drums in various bands when needed but the 3-row button-box was his forte and first love.
Rory was working at Lochcarron when he first met the legendary bandleader, Jim Johnstone. Their close friendship was to last for many years and Jim wrote a tune in his honour. Since then Rory has had many tunes written in his honour, such was his standing in the accordion world.
Rory moved to Inverness, where he was a sales rep with car dealer MacRae and dick. He met with many players and enthusiasts, and Highland A&F Club was founded on 19th November 1973 in The Cummings Hotel, with Rory on the Committee. Their very first guest was none other than Rory’s pal, Jim Johnstone.
Rory was MC at the Highland Club for years and remained Chairman for almost as long. He retired as Chairman in June 2008 and was made an Honorary Life Member to mark the occasion.
It was during his time as chairman that he altered the Club logo, ditching the piano accordion for his favoured 3-row button-box, and it remains that way to this day.
He produced the Club’s own Highland Showtime at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness for a number of years . He made all the arrangements for these events and did all the producing, arranging of artistes, fees, publicity etc. and was exceptionally talented at it. Full houses at every show were testimony to this.
He was approached by BBC Radio Highland late in 1985 and on 15th January 1986 Rory’s Reel went out as a pre-recorded programme. Only three pre-recordings were ever made and transmitted. The rest (amounting to over 300) went out live. Rory chose all of the music to be played on these shows and initially started with a half-hour slot before moving on to hourly broadcasts, owing to its popularity and the large audience figures it attracted. He had several invited guests on the show over the years, including many of the top names from the scene at the time.
The programme finally ended in January 1993. He found the last programme to be a very emotional affair, which brought tears to his eyes, and he will be remembered for his catchphrase, with which he always finished, “I’ll be here if you’ll be there.”
Rory was equally at home with a camera and was a regular and valued contributor to the B&F magazine with photographs from all over the country, but notably of Club nights at the Highland Club in Inverness. Rory was also one of the official photographs of the NAAFC AGM for several years and contributed photographs for a special exhibition at the AGM in 2009.
Rory was one of the NAAFC Guests of Honour in 2009 and that was undoubtedly his proudest moment. He considered that accolade to be the equivalent of an Oscar Award. I remember traveling down in the car with him and the pride on his face was mixed with anxiety about his acceptance speech. He was concerned that he would be shown up in the company of the musicians he loved. No fears there and Rory did his speech superbly.
In 2010, Rory was equally thrilled when his beloved Highland Club scooped the Club of the Year award and later that year the Highland Club were crowned Club of the Year at the Trad Awards in Perth.
Rory was a tune and valued member of The Highland Accordion & Fiddle Club in Inverness from its inception, and spread the accordion and fiddle gospel far and wide in a manner that was so infectious and likable. He was known and respected across Scotland and beyond and will be a major loss to all who knew him. Our thoughts are with his wife Mhairi and their children Fiona and Gordon.
by Bob Wares
Rory MacLeod is a name that is instantly familiar to B&F readers as a star photographer and Accordion & Fiddle Club enthusiast of the highest order! Sadly 80-year-old Rory lost his fight with illness and passed away peacefully on 14th December, 2019.
Rory took up the accordion as a teenager at home near Ullapool and regularly played at weddings and ceilidhs with other local players. It is not well know, but Rory also played drums in various bands when needed but the 3-row button-box was his forte and first love.
Rory was working at Lochcarron when he first met the legendary bandleader, Jim Johnstone. Their close friendship was to last for many years and Jim wrote a tune in his honour. Since then Rory has had many tunes written in his honour, such was his standing in the accordion world.
Rory moved to Inverness, where he was a sales rep with car dealer MacRae and dick. He met with many players and enthusiasts, and Highland A&F Club was founded on 19th November 1973 in The Cummings Hotel, with Rory on the Committee. Their very first guest was none other than Rory’s pal, Jim Johnstone.
Rory was MC at the Highland Club for years and remained Chairman for almost as long. He retired as Chairman in June 2008 and was made an Honorary Life Member to mark the occasion.
It was during his time as chairman that he altered the Club logo, ditching the piano accordion for his favoured 3-row button-box, and it remains that way to this day.
He produced the Club’s own Highland Showtime at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness for a number of years . He made all the arrangements for these events and did all the producing, arranging of artistes, fees, publicity etc. and was exceptionally talented at it. Full houses at every show were testimony to this.
He was approached by BBC Radio Highland late in 1985 and on 15th January 1986 Rory’s Reel went out as a pre-recorded programme. Only three pre-recordings were ever made and transmitted. The rest (amounting to over 300) went out live. Rory chose all of the music to be played on these shows and initially started with a half-hour slot before moving on to hourly broadcasts, owing to its popularity and the large audience figures it attracted. He had several invited guests on the show over the years, including many of the top names from the scene at the time.
The programme finally ended in January 1993. He found the last programme to be a very emotional affair, which brought tears to his eyes, and he will be remembered for his catchphrase, with which he always finished, “I’ll be here if you’ll be there.”
Rory was equally at home with a camera and was a regular and valued contributor to the B&F magazine with photographs from all over the country, but notably of Club nights at the Highland Club in Inverness. Rory was also one of the official photographs of the NAAFC AGM for several years and contributed photographs for a special exhibition at the AGM in 2009.
Rory was one of the NAAFC Guests of Honour in 2009 and that was undoubtedly his proudest moment. He considered that accolade to be the equivalent of an Oscar Award. I remember traveling down in the car with him and the pride on his face was mixed with anxiety about his acceptance speech. He was concerned that he would be shown up in the company of the musicians he loved. No fears there and Rory did his speech superbly.
In 2010, Rory was equally thrilled when his beloved Highland Club scooped the Club of the Year award and later that year the Highland Club were crowned Club of the Year at the Trad Awards in Perth.
Rory was a tune and valued member of The Highland Accordion & Fiddle Club in Inverness from its inception, and spread the accordion and fiddle gospel far and wide in a manner that was so infectious and likable. He was known and respected across Scotland and beyond and will be a major loss to all who knew him. Our thoughts are with his wife Mhairi and their children Fiona and Gordon.