Box and Fiddle
Year 20 No 01
September 1996
Price 70p
16 pages
7 month subscription £8.00
Editor – Ron Ramsay, 48 Hospitalfield Road, Arbroath, Angus, DD11 2LS
B&F Treasurer – Mrs Margaret Smith, Smeaton Farm Cottage, Dalkeith, Midlothian, EH22 2NL
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
Welcome back after the summer break, hope you all had a good holiday and visited some exotic places. My travels took me from Alnwick to Inverness and lots of interesting places in between (not exotic but nice).
Whilst in Inverness, I took the opportunity of seeing the ‘Scottish Showtime’ in the Cumming’s Hotel, and if you are in Inverness this is certainly not one to be missed. Lindsay Weir and her Band, Alan Kitchen on keyboards and MD, pipers, dancers, singers, etc. What a great free floating show.
I note with interest that a certain Club was at the stage of closing the door due to poor support, etc., when a completely new Committee took over and since then it has gone from strength to strength. Maybe this is worthy of some thought by some of the Clubs that are not doing so well, that a change of Committee might be the answer? I welcome your views on this.
To keep the ‘B&F’ abreast with the times, you’ll see a page three beauty! Ley’s have a photograph of your favourite musical beauty to brighten up the paper!
In the next issue there will be an article about the lack of coverage by the media given to our kind of music, so now it is time to air your views and put forward constructive ideas about how we can best achieve this i.e. petition the television companies, individuals, clubs, or any other means.
Your views on this are anxiously sought.
Ron Ramsay
Russian Musician Enthralls
by ?
The visit of Oleg Sharov to Scotland during March 1996 was greatly enjoyed by those who had the privilege of hearing him. He played at Edinburgh’s Napier University on 16th March and took a Master Class there the following day. He gave a lunchtime recital at the Cowdray Hall, Aberdeen on 28th March, a recital for the Monymusk Arts Trust the next evening and finished his tour with a recital at Glenmuick Church, Ballater, on Sunday, 31st March.
Professor Oleg Sharov was born in St. Petersburg in 1945 and is the product of the wide range of musical facilities offered by the former Soviet State system. After preparatory schooling, he attended at the age of eight, one of the Children’s Music Schools in St. Petersburg, of which there are no less than 30 in the city.
His chosen instrument was the Bayan accordion. After ‘middle level’ studies he secured one of only 20 places available at the famous ‘Rimsky-Korsakov’ Conservatory of Music. Following his five years of study, he was invited to teach at the Conservatory where he is currently Senior Professor of Music.
Prior to Perestroika, he toured extensively in the Soviet Union, in Finland and in Eastern Europe. Since that period, he has been able to play in the West (1980), the U.S.A. (1990) and has recently completed tours in Japan, Spain and France. Four years ago, he was awarded the title of ‘Honoured Artiste of the Russian Republic’.
On his visit to Scotland, his varied programme included the music of, amongst others, J. S. Bach, F. Liszt, J. Strauss, and an amazing ‘Phantasmagorien’ by K. Olezak. Also played were a ‘Variation on Two Russian Songs’ by I. Panitzky and a ‘Variation on Ukraine Folk Song’ by V. Gridin. Although probably different from what accordion enthusiasts here are used to, the standard of playing kept the audiences spell-bound. However, he still managed to give his own particular rendition of ‘The Bluebell Polka’ to cater for the Scottish scene.
He was also interviewed and played on Radio Scotland on the programme ‘Mr Anderson’s Fine Tunes’.
On a personal note, Oleg came across as a down-to-earth person with no aira and graces. He came along on the practice night of our group, ‘Meldrum Fiddles’, as ‘one of the boys’, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere. After he played ‘The Flight of the Bumble Bee’, one of our members asked ‘what key it was in’, to be told it was A flat minor. Then he added “it’s okay, I play it in any key” and proceeded to do so. Now that really is something.
While here, Oleg managed to sample the haggis and enjoyed it. All that’s left to say now is ‘Haste Ye Back, Oleg”.
Hints on Fiddle Practice
by Kevin McCann
All of us would like to fiddle better and learn as quickly as possible. Fortunately, there are some rules of thumb which make the learning process more efficient. There are a few thing to keep in mind though. All individuals are different in their various abilities. Some people find bowing easy and fingering difficult while others encounter the opposite situation. You will find that some techniques on the fiddle come more naturally than others.
Here are some facts about practising, which, if followed consistently, will help you to learn faster. Scientists have found that the brain works more efficiently under certain conditions. For example, it is better to practice in short repeated sessions than a long continuous session. Two separate 40 minute sessions a day are better than a two hour continuous session. Beginners often profit with two 20 minute sessions a day, once in the morning and again in the evening. Some people find that three separate sessions are even better. The best length of a practice session is different for everyone depending upon stamina, previous experience and day-to-day routines.
Fifteen minutes every day is better than an hour straight every three days.
I suggest practising often in front of a mirror to observe your style. This way you can check if your bow is perpendicular to the fiddle, how much of the bow you are using, whether your bow strokes are smooth, whether your body is in good posture, etc.
An advantage of practising is a small room or stairwell is that the sound of your fiddle is amplified and sounds better, no matter what your ability, sort of like singing in the shower! A contrasting situation would be to play in a large carpeted room which might make your fiddle sound thin. This type of practice situation might help because you must work harder to get a full tone.
In order to get the most out of a playing session you must be refreshed and relaxed. Many fiddlers and violinists alike have found that they play better when relaxed. Some (including Yehudi Menuhin) find that yoga and stretching exercises work best for their playing programme.
Try to remember the first few times that you tried to dance, skate or ride a bicycle. If you were like most people, you found that your muscles were tense and you felt somewhat clumsy. Later on the activity became easier and you found it more enjoyable. If you continue long enough at it, you found that you could learn to move gracefully and efficiently.
Your muscles were no longer tense and you didn’t get tired as easily because you were only using the muscles that were needed when you needed them.
With fiddle playing, you don’t build up strength as you learn to play better, but instead use less strength than when you are starting, but in a more efficient way. You learn to use only the muscles that you need, when you need them. If your left hand is clamped down on the fiddle, knuckles white, as you struggle to get the right notes, you are wasting energy and tiring yourself out.
This tension will creep up into your arms, jaw, neck and back, and you will begin getting aches and pains. Now, I want to emphasise that everyone will experience some tension and strain during practising and learning the fiddle. But if you are aware of this muscular tension, you can do quite a bit about it.
First of all, try to avoid clamping down on the fiddle, either with your left hand or with your jaw and collar bone. Of course, you don’t want to relax so much that you drop your instrument, but you do want to find a happy medium. Ideally, your fiddle should be balanced, delicately, yet firmly. If you constantly think ‘relaxed’, you will gradually get better at it. Why is it so important to be relaxed? Besides making it easier to play the instrument and allowing you to play for longer periods of time, your playing will sound much better!
If you are stiff and tense your playing will sound scratchy. If you are relaxed, your bowing will be stronger and more and more rhythmic on a fast reel or polka, and richer and more vibrant on a waltz. In addition, your fingers will be able to move more rapidly and with greater accuracy.
I should note here that a fair number of fiddle players hardly ever ‘practice’ the fiddle in any systematic way. Rather, they just get out their fiddle and play the tunes that they know whenever the mood takes them. This may suit those who play only a particular style, where constant repetition of tunes served as a source of practice.
However, if one is interested in learning more diverse styles, or improving tone or bowing, a little self-discipline is needed. The easiest way to practice is to play all of the tunes that one knows best. A more profitable was to practice might be to concentrate on the tunes or techniques which one finds most difficult yet want to learn.
Some performers mix easy and hard tunes in their practice sessions, but most spend at least three-quarters of the time on very difficult or new pieces. They save the tune they know well for playing with their friends or for performing purposes.
Most find that practising the difficult pieces increases their ability to play the easier ones better without actually practising them. In addition the players gradually overcome the difficulties of the tough tunes.
Finally, I hope that this article will encourage fiddle players, particularly beginners to persevere. From personal experience I can attest to the benefits of it and hope that it will help to keep fiddlers who may be faltering to give it another try and keep on with the queen of instruments.
Scott Alexander Milton - Obituary
by ?
The Banff Club was saddened by the sudden death of Scott Milton in July. Scott was a member of the Club and was the main musician at the club for a time. He had his own band, ‘The North-East Sound’ and was popular in the area.
Scott, son of Alex and Maureen (who is Chairman of Banff Club) will be sadly missed and the thoughts of everybody connected with the Club scene are with his family.
Congratulations
Brian and Jennifer Cruickshank are the proud parents of a bony bouncing baby boy. Callum was born on July 20th and I’m sure readers wish them all health and happiness.
Your Letters
21st Anniversary
At the end of November 96 the Aberdeen A&F Club will have reached its 21st year of being and we propose to celebrate the occasion at out Tuesday, 26th November meeting.
We hope to make the evening a night to remember by having a Buffet Supper Dance format with two of the very best Scottish Dance Bands providing the music, and by inviting the original 1975 Office Bearers and committee members (and the Lord Provost of the City of Aberdeen) to be our honoured guests for the evening and, taking a small amount of time away from the music and dancing, to express our appreciation for those very early efforts to establish our Club.
Over the 21 years many people have given a great deal of time and help and made valuable contributions to the success and well-being of the Club and, perhaps because of family and career needs, moved away from the Club. We would be delighted to have them join us on the night.
The celebration will be held in the Dee Motel, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen on Tuesday, 26th November, from 7.15 – 11.30 p.m. The first half will be dancing to Graeme Mitchell’s SDB and, after showing appreciation to the founding Committee and enjoying an excellent buffet, the dancing is continued with, this time, Jim Johnstone’s SDB.
Jim Johnstone and Graeme Mitchell are Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the N.A.A.F.C. and we at the Aberdeen Club are pleased to have them as guests and performers on the evening.
Chairman, Stanley Flett, will host the evening and the price per ticket is a more than reasonable £10 each. Tickets will be available at our 24th September and 29th October meetings. For those ex-members of the Aberdeen Club who may be a great distance from Aberdeen they may contact Treasurer, Mary Deegan, on 01224 322917 to secure tickets.
We look forward to this celebration of 21 years and are confident that we have in the future many years of happy Club meetings where good music and companionship are to be thoroughly enjoyed.
Charlie Lawie (Secretary)
Book Review
The Bon Accord Collection Volume 14 – Bert Murray
Scottish Ceilidh Dancing – David & May Ewart
Together - Eric Allan
Take the Floor – Saturdays at 6.30pm with Robbie Shepherd
7th Sept 96 – Sandy Nixon SDB (repeat)
14th Sept 96 – Jennifer Forrest SDB (repeat)
21st Sept 96 – Ian Cruickshank SDB (debut)
28th Sept 96 – Sandt Leggat SDB (debut)
5th Oct 96 – Bruce Peebles SDB
12th Oct 96 – Nicol McLaren & the Glencraig SDB (OB from Blairgowrie)
19th Oct 96 – Ian Anderson SDB (debut)
26th Oct 96 – Bruce Lindsay SDB
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Dee Motel) – 24th Sept 96 – Keith A&F Club
Alnwick (Golden Fleece) – members only
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) - 15th Sept 96 – Jean McConnachie SDB
Arbroath (Viewfield Hotel) - 1st Sept 96 – Tain Trio
Armadale (Masonic Hall) – 5th Sept 96 – David Wilson SDB
Ayr (Gartferry Hotel) –
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Hall) –
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) –
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) –
Beith & District (Hotel de Croft, Dalry) –
Belford (Community Club) –
Biggar (Municipal Hall) –
Blairgowrie (Moorfield Hotel) - 10th Sept 96 - tba
Bromley (Trinity United Reform Church) -
Button Key (Windygates Institute) – 12th Sept 96 – Charlie Kirkpatrick Trio
Campsie (Glazert House Hotel) - 3rd Sept 96 – Gordon Pattullo
Carlisle (Border Regiment Club, Carlisle Castle) - 5th Sept 96 – Angie Smith Trio
Castle Douglas (Ernespie House Hotel) – 3rd Sept 96 -
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) -
Crieff & District (Arduthie Hotel)
Dalriada (Argyll Arms Hotel, Lochgilphead)
Dingwall (National Hotel) – 4th Sept 96 – Graeme Mitchell SDB
Dunblane (Westlands Hotel) –
Dundee (Dexters) –
Dunfermline (Headwell Bowling Club) –
Dunoon & Cowal (McColl’s Hotel)
East Kilbride (Sweepers, Cambuslang) –
Ellon (Ladbroke Hotel) – 17th Sept 96 – Jim Ritchie & Ian anderson
Fintry (Fintry Sports Centre) – 23rd Sept 96 – Neil MacEachern SDB
Forfar (Plough Inn) -
Forres (Brig Motel) – 11th Sept 96 – David Cunningham Jnr SDB
Fort William (Alexandra Hotel) –
Galashiels (Abbotsford Arms Hotel) –
Galston (Barr Castle Social Club) –
Glendale (Black Bull Hotel – Wooler) – 19th Sept 96 – Windygates Club
Glenfarg (Lomond Hotel) -
Glenrothes (Victoria Hall, Coaltown of Balgownie) -
Gretna (Halcrow Stadium) - 18th Sept 96 – Club Night
Highland (Drumossie Hotel) –
Inveraray (Loch Fyne Hotel) -
Islay (White Hart Hotel) -
Isle of Skye -
Islesteps (Waterhole, Lochfoot) –
Kelso (Ednam House Hotel) –
Kinlochshiel (Islander Function Room) -
Kintore (Torryburn Hotel) – 4th Sept 96 – Craig McCallum SDB
Lanark (Masonic Hall) - 26th Sept 96 – Andrew Knight & the West Telferton Caledonian SDB
Langholm (Crown Hotel) –
Lesmahagow (Masonic Hall) – 12th Sept 96 – Tom Alexander
Livingston (Deans Community Centre)
Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) -
Mauchline (Sorn Village Hall)
Montrose (Park Hotel) –
Muirhead (Belmont Arms, Meigle) -
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) – 30th Sept 96 – Ian Cruickshanks Trio (Kirrie)
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) –
Oban (McTavish’s Kitchen) –
Orkney (Ayre Hotel, Kirkwall) –
Peebles (Green Tree Hotel) –
Perth (Salutation Hotel) – 17th Sept 96 – Colin Dewar Triuo
Premier NI (Camlin Function Rooms) -
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) –
Rothbury (Queen’s Head) -
Shetland (venue?) -
Stirling (Terraces Hotel) -
Thornhill (Dumfries-shire) - 11th Sept 96 – David Wilson SDB
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) –
Turriff (Royal Oak Hotel) –
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) –
Wick (McKay’s Hotel) –
Yarrow (Gordon Arms) -
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Aberdeen
2. Annan (St. Andrews)
3. Arbroath
4. Banchory
5. Banff
6. Beith
7. Campsie
8. Castle Douglas
9. Coalburn
10. Crieff
11. Dingwall
12. Dunfermline
13. Dunblane
14. Fintry
15. Forres
16. Glendale
17. Gretna
18. Inveraray
19. Isle of Skye
20. Kintore
21. Lesmahagow
22. Livingston
23. Lockerbie
24. Montrose
25. Newtongrange
26. Peebles
27. Perth
28. Rothbury
29. Stirling
30. Thurso
31. Wick
32. Yarrow
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT SEPT 1995
(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 (Sept 1976 – present)
3. Annan A&F Club (joined Assoc in 1996 but started?
4. Arbroath A&F Club (1991? – present)
5. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months) Closed
6. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
7. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per January 1978 issue – present)
8. Banchory A&F Club (1978 – present)
9. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973 – present)
10. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per first edition – present)
11. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
12. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974 – present)
13. Blairgowrie A&F Club (
14. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
15. Bromley A&F Club
16. Button Key A&F Club (
17. Campbeltown A&F Club (
18. Carlisle A&F Club (joined Sept 1993 -
19. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980 – present)
20. Coalburn A&F Club (
21. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
22. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
23. Derwentside A&F Club
24. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
25. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971 – present)
26. Dundee & District A&F Club (1970? -
27. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
28. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
29. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980)
30. Ellon A&F Club (
31. Etterick & Yarrow (Jan 1989 -
32. Fintry A&F Club (Dec 1972 – reformed Jan 1980 – present)
33. Forfar A&F Club (
34. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
35. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
36. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
37. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
38. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
39. Glenfarg A&F Club (formed 1988 joined Assoc Mar 95 -
40. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93?
41. 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)
42. Highland A&F Club (Inverness) (Nov 1973 – present)
43. Inveraray A&F Club (Oct 1991 - present)
44. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
45. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981 – present – n.b. evolved from the original Dumfries Club)
46. Isle of Skye A&F Club (
47. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976 – present)
48. Kintore A&F Club (
49. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – present)
50. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967 - present)
51. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
52. Lewis & Harris A&F Club (Aug 1994 -
53. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – present)
54. Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973 - present)
55. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
56. Mauchline A&F Club (first mention 1986? - present)
57. Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
58. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
59. Mull A&F Club
60. Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
61. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
62. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
63. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
64. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
65. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
66. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
67. Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
68. Renfrew A&F Club (
69. Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
70. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
71. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 - )
72. Sutherland A&F Club (
73. Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
74. Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
75. Tranent A&F Club
76. Turriff A&F Club (March 1982 - present)
77. Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
78. 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?)
79. Acharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
80. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
81. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
82. Buchan A&F Club
83. Callander A&F Club (
84. Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
85. Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
86. Club Accord
87. Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
88. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
89. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
90. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
91. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
92. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
93. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
94. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
95. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
96. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
97. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
98. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
99. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
100. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
101. Newcastleton Accordion Club
102. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
103. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
104. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
105. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
106. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
107. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
108. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
109. Wellbank A&F Club
Advertising rates increased
Full Page - £94 to £113 from Sept 96
Half Page - £47 to £57
Quarter Page - £24 to £29
B&F Treasurer – Mrs Margaret Smith, Smeaton Farm Cottage, Dalkeith, Midlothian, EH22 2NL
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
Welcome back after the summer break, hope you all had a good holiday and visited some exotic places. My travels took me from Alnwick to Inverness and lots of interesting places in between (not exotic but nice).
Whilst in Inverness, I took the opportunity of seeing the ‘Scottish Showtime’ in the Cumming’s Hotel, and if you are in Inverness this is certainly not one to be missed. Lindsay Weir and her Band, Alan Kitchen on keyboards and MD, pipers, dancers, singers, etc. What a great free floating show.
I note with interest that a certain Club was at the stage of closing the door due to poor support, etc., when a completely new Committee took over and since then it has gone from strength to strength. Maybe this is worthy of some thought by some of the Clubs that are not doing so well, that a change of Committee might be the answer? I welcome your views on this.
To keep the ‘B&F’ abreast with the times, you’ll see a page three beauty! Ley’s have a photograph of your favourite musical beauty to brighten up the paper!
In the next issue there will be an article about the lack of coverage by the media given to our kind of music, so now it is time to air your views and put forward constructive ideas about how we can best achieve this i.e. petition the television companies, individuals, clubs, or any other means.
Your views on this are anxiously sought.
Ron Ramsay
Russian Musician Enthralls
by ?
The visit of Oleg Sharov to Scotland during March 1996 was greatly enjoyed by those who had the privilege of hearing him. He played at Edinburgh’s Napier University on 16th March and took a Master Class there the following day. He gave a lunchtime recital at the Cowdray Hall, Aberdeen on 28th March, a recital for the Monymusk Arts Trust the next evening and finished his tour with a recital at Glenmuick Church, Ballater, on Sunday, 31st March.
Professor Oleg Sharov was born in St. Petersburg in 1945 and is the product of the wide range of musical facilities offered by the former Soviet State system. After preparatory schooling, he attended at the age of eight, one of the Children’s Music Schools in St. Petersburg, of which there are no less than 30 in the city.
His chosen instrument was the Bayan accordion. After ‘middle level’ studies he secured one of only 20 places available at the famous ‘Rimsky-Korsakov’ Conservatory of Music. Following his five years of study, he was invited to teach at the Conservatory where he is currently Senior Professor of Music.
Prior to Perestroika, he toured extensively in the Soviet Union, in Finland and in Eastern Europe. Since that period, he has been able to play in the West (1980), the U.S.A. (1990) and has recently completed tours in Japan, Spain and France. Four years ago, he was awarded the title of ‘Honoured Artiste of the Russian Republic’.
On his visit to Scotland, his varied programme included the music of, amongst others, J. S. Bach, F. Liszt, J. Strauss, and an amazing ‘Phantasmagorien’ by K. Olezak. Also played were a ‘Variation on Two Russian Songs’ by I. Panitzky and a ‘Variation on Ukraine Folk Song’ by V. Gridin. Although probably different from what accordion enthusiasts here are used to, the standard of playing kept the audiences spell-bound. However, he still managed to give his own particular rendition of ‘The Bluebell Polka’ to cater for the Scottish scene.
He was also interviewed and played on Radio Scotland on the programme ‘Mr Anderson’s Fine Tunes’.
On a personal note, Oleg came across as a down-to-earth person with no aira and graces. He came along on the practice night of our group, ‘Meldrum Fiddles’, as ‘one of the boys’, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere. After he played ‘The Flight of the Bumble Bee’, one of our members asked ‘what key it was in’, to be told it was A flat minor. Then he added “it’s okay, I play it in any key” and proceeded to do so. Now that really is something.
While here, Oleg managed to sample the haggis and enjoyed it. All that’s left to say now is ‘Haste Ye Back, Oleg”.
Hints on Fiddle Practice
by Kevin McCann
All of us would like to fiddle better and learn as quickly as possible. Fortunately, there are some rules of thumb which make the learning process more efficient. There are a few thing to keep in mind though. All individuals are different in their various abilities. Some people find bowing easy and fingering difficult while others encounter the opposite situation. You will find that some techniques on the fiddle come more naturally than others.
Here are some facts about practising, which, if followed consistently, will help you to learn faster. Scientists have found that the brain works more efficiently under certain conditions. For example, it is better to practice in short repeated sessions than a long continuous session. Two separate 40 minute sessions a day are better than a two hour continuous session. Beginners often profit with two 20 minute sessions a day, once in the morning and again in the evening. Some people find that three separate sessions are even better. The best length of a practice session is different for everyone depending upon stamina, previous experience and day-to-day routines.
Fifteen minutes every day is better than an hour straight every three days.
I suggest practising often in front of a mirror to observe your style. This way you can check if your bow is perpendicular to the fiddle, how much of the bow you are using, whether your bow strokes are smooth, whether your body is in good posture, etc.
An advantage of practising is a small room or stairwell is that the sound of your fiddle is amplified and sounds better, no matter what your ability, sort of like singing in the shower! A contrasting situation would be to play in a large carpeted room which might make your fiddle sound thin. This type of practice situation might help because you must work harder to get a full tone.
In order to get the most out of a playing session you must be refreshed and relaxed. Many fiddlers and violinists alike have found that they play better when relaxed. Some (including Yehudi Menuhin) find that yoga and stretching exercises work best for their playing programme.
Try to remember the first few times that you tried to dance, skate or ride a bicycle. If you were like most people, you found that your muscles were tense and you felt somewhat clumsy. Later on the activity became easier and you found it more enjoyable. If you continue long enough at it, you found that you could learn to move gracefully and efficiently.
Your muscles were no longer tense and you didn’t get tired as easily because you were only using the muscles that were needed when you needed them.
With fiddle playing, you don’t build up strength as you learn to play better, but instead use less strength than when you are starting, but in a more efficient way. You learn to use only the muscles that you need, when you need them. If your left hand is clamped down on the fiddle, knuckles white, as you struggle to get the right notes, you are wasting energy and tiring yourself out.
This tension will creep up into your arms, jaw, neck and back, and you will begin getting aches and pains. Now, I want to emphasise that everyone will experience some tension and strain during practising and learning the fiddle. But if you are aware of this muscular tension, you can do quite a bit about it.
First of all, try to avoid clamping down on the fiddle, either with your left hand or with your jaw and collar bone. Of course, you don’t want to relax so much that you drop your instrument, but you do want to find a happy medium. Ideally, your fiddle should be balanced, delicately, yet firmly. If you constantly think ‘relaxed’, you will gradually get better at it. Why is it so important to be relaxed? Besides making it easier to play the instrument and allowing you to play for longer periods of time, your playing will sound much better!
If you are stiff and tense your playing will sound scratchy. If you are relaxed, your bowing will be stronger and more and more rhythmic on a fast reel or polka, and richer and more vibrant on a waltz. In addition, your fingers will be able to move more rapidly and with greater accuracy.
I should note here that a fair number of fiddle players hardly ever ‘practice’ the fiddle in any systematic way. Rather, they just get out their fiddle and play the tunes that they know whenever the mood takes them. This may suit those who play only a particular style, where constant repetition of tunes served as a source of practice.
However, if one is interested in learning more diverse styles, or improving tone or bowing, a little self-discipline is needed. The easiest way to practice is to play all of the tunes that one knows best. A more profitable was to practice might be to concentrate on the tunes or techniques which one finds most difficult yet want to learn.
Some performers mix easy and hard tunes in their practice sessions, but most spend at least three-quarters of the time on very difficult or new pieces. They save the tune they know well for playing with their friends or for performing purposes.
Most find that practising the difficult pieces increases their ability to play the easier ones better without actually practising them. In addition the players gradually overcome the difficulties of the tough tunes.
Finally, I hope that this article will encourage fiddle players, particularly beginners to persevere. From personal experience I can attest to the benefits of it and hope that it will help to keep fiddlers who may be faltering to give it another try and keep on with the queen of instruments.
Scott Alexander Milton - Obituary
by ?
The Banff Club was saddened by the sudden death of Scott Milton in July. Scott was a member of the Club and was the main musician at the club for a time. He had his own band, ‘The North-East Sound’ and was popular in the area.
Scott, son of Alex and Maureen (who is Chairman of Banff Club) will be sadly missed and the thoughts of everybody connected with the Club scene are with his family.
Congratulations
Brian and Jennifer Cruickshank are the proud parents of a bony bouncing baby boy. Callum was born on July 20th and I’m sure readers wish them all health and happiness.
Your Letters
21st Anniversary
At the end of November 96 the Aberdeen A&F Club will have reached its 21st year of being and we propose to celebrate the occasion at out Tuesday, 26th November meeting.
We hope to make the evening a night to remember by having a Buffet Supper Dance format with two of the very best Scottish Dance Bands providing the music, and by inviting the original 1975 Office Bearers and committee members (and the Lord Provost of the City of Aberdeen) to be our honoured guests for the evening and, taking a small amount of time away from the music and dancing, to express our appreciation for those very early efforts to establish our Club.
Over the 21 years many people have given a great deal of time and help and made valuable contributions to the success and well-being of the Club and, perhaps because of family and career needs, moved away from the Club. We would be delighted to have them join us on the night.
The celebration will be held in the Dee Motel, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen on Tuesday, 26th November, from 7.15 – 11.30 p.m. The first half will be dancing to Graeme Mitchell’s SDB and, after showing appreciation to the founding Committee and enjoying an excellent buffet, the dancing is continued with, this time, Jim Johnstone’s SDB.
Jim Johnstone and Graeme Mitchell are Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the N.A.A.F.C. and we at the Aberdeen Club are pleased to have them as guests and performers on the evening.
Chairman, Stanley Flett, will host the evening and the price per ticket is a more than reasonable £10 each. Tickets will be available at our 24th September and 29th October meetings. For those ex-members of the Aberdeen Club who may be a great distance from Aberdeen they may contact Treasurer, Mary Deegan, on 01224 322917 to secure tickets.
We look forward to this celebration of 21 years and are confident that we have in the future many years of happy Club meetings where good music and companionship are to be thoroughly enjoyed.
Charlie Lawie (Secretary)
Book Review
The Bon Accord Collection Volume 14 – Bert Murray
Scottish Ceilidh Dancing – David & May Ewart
Together - Eric Allan
Take the Floor – Saturdays at 6.30pm with Robbie Shepherd
7th Sept 96 – Sandy Nixon SDB (repeat)
14th Sept 96 – Jennifer Forrest SDB (repeat)
21st Sept 96 – Ian Cruickshank SDB (debut)
28th Sept 96 – Sandt Leggat SDB (debut)
5th Oct 96 – Bruce Peebles SDB
12th Oct 96 – Nicol McLaren & the Glencraig SDB (OB from Blairgowrie)
19th Oct 96 – Ian Anderson SDB (debut)
26th Oct 96 – Bruce Lindsay SDB
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Dee Motel) – 24th Sept 96 – Keith A&F Club
Alnwick (Golden Fleece) – members only
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) - 15th Sept 96 – Jean McConnachie SDB
Arbroath (Viewfield Hotel) - 1st Sept 96 – Tain Trio
Armadale (Masonic Hall) – 5th Sept 96 – David Wilson SDB
Ayr (Gartferry Hotel) –
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Hall) –
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) –
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) –
Beith & District (Hotel de Croft, Dalry) –
Belford (Community Club) –
Biggar (Municipal Hall) –
Blairgowrie (Moorfield Hotel) - 10th Sept 96 - tba
Bromley (Trinity United Reform Church) -
Button Key (Windygates Institute) – 12th Sept 96 – Charlie Kirkpatrick Trio
Campsie (Glazert House Hotel) - 3rd Sept 96 – Gordon Pattullo
Carlisle (Border Regiment Club, Carlisle Castle) - 5th Sept 96 – Angie Smith Trio
Castle Douglas (Ernespie House Hotel) – 3rd Sept 96 -
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) -
Crieff & District (Arduthie Hotel)
Dalriada (Argyll Arms Hotel, Lochgilphead)
Dingwall (National Hotel) – 4th Sept 96 – Graeme Mitchell SDB
Dunblane (Westlands Hotel) –
Dundee (Dexters) –
Dunfermline (Headwell Bowling Club) –
Dunoon & Cowal (McColl’s Hotel)
East Kilbride (Sweepers, Cambuslang) –
Ellon (Ladbroke Hotel) – 17th Sept 96 – Jim Ritchie & Ian anderson
Fintry (Fintry Sports Centre) – 23rd Sept 96 – Neil MacEachern SDB
Forfar (Plough Inn) -
Forres (Brig Motel) – 11th Sept 96 – David Cunningham Jnr SDB
Fort William (Alexandra Hotel) –
Galashiels (Abbotsford Arms Hotel) –
Galston (Barr Castle Social Club) –
Glendale (Black Bull Hotel – Wooler) – 19th Sept 96 – Windygates Club
Glenfarg (Lomond Hotel) -
Glenrothes (Victoria Hall, Coaltown of Balgownie) -
Gretna (Halcrow Stadium) - 18th Sept 96 – Club Night
Highland (Drumossie Hotel) –
Inveraray (Loch Fyne Hotel) -
Islay (White Hart Hotel) -
Isle of Skye -
Islesteps (Waterhole, Lochfoot) –
Kelso (Ednam House Hotel) –
Kinlochshiel (Islander Function Room) -
Kintore (Torryburn Hotel) – 4th Sept 96 – Craig McCallum SDB
Lanark (Masonic Hall) - 26th Sept 96 – Andrew Knight & the West Telferton Caledonian SDB
Langholm (Crown Hotel) –
Lesmahagow (Masonic Hall) – 12th Sept 96 – Tom Alexander
Livingston (Deans Community Centre)
Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) -
Mauchline (Sorn Village Hall)
Montrose (Park Hotel) –
Muirhead (Belmont Arms, Meigle) -
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) – 30th Sept 96 – Ian Cruickshanks Trio (Kirrie)
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) –
Oban (McTavish’s Kitchen) –
Orkney (Ayre Hotel, Kirkwall) –
Peebles (Green Tree Hotel) –
Perth (Salutation Hotel) – 17th Sept 96 – Colin Dewar Triuo
Premier NI (Camlin Function Rooms) -
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) –
Rothbury (Queen’s Head) -
Shetland (venue?) -
Stirling (Terraces Hotel) -
Thornhill (Dumfries-shire) - 11th Sept 96 – David Wilson SDB
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) –
Turriff (Royal Oak Hotel) –
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) –
Wick (McKay’s Hotel) –
Yarrow (Gordon Arms) -
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Aberdeen
2. Annan (St. Andrews)
3. Arbroath
4. Banchory
5. Banff
6. Beith
7. Campsie
8. Castle Douglas
9. Coalburn
10. Crieff
11. Dingwall
12. Dunfermline
13. Dunblane
14. Fintry
15. Forres
16. Glendale
17. Gretna
18. Inveraray
19. Isle of Skye
20. Kintore
21. Lesmahagow
22. Livingston
23. Lockerbie
24. Montrose
25. Newtongrange
26. Peebles
27. Perth
28. Rothbury
29. Stirling
30. Thurso
31. Wick
32. Yarrow
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT SEPT 1995
(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 (Sept 1976 – present)
3. Annan A&F Club (joined Assoc in 1996 but started?
4. Arbroath A&F Club (1991? – present)
5. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months) Closed
6. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
7. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per January 1978 issue – present)
8. Banchory A&F Club (1978 – present)
9. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973 – present)
10. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per first edition – present)
11. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
12. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974 – present)
13. Blairgowrie A&F Club (
14. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
15. Bromley A&F Club
16. Button Key A&F Club (
17. Campbeltown A&F Club (
18. Carlisle A&F Club (joined Sept 1993 -
19. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980 – present)
20. Coalburn A&F Club (
21. Crieff A&F Club (cSept 1981)
22. Dalriada A&F Club (Feb 1981)
23. Derwentside A&F Club
24. Dingwall & District A&F Club (May 1979 – per first report)
25. Dunblane & District A&F Club (1971 – present)
26. Dundee & District A&F Club (1970? -
27. Dunfermline & District A&F Club (1974 – per first edition)
28. Dunoon & Cowal A&F Club (
29. East Kilbride A&F Club (Sept 1980)
30. Ellon A&F Club (
31. Etterick & Yarrow (Jan 1989 -
32. Fintry A&F Club (Dec 1972 – reformed Jan 1980 – present)
33. Forfar A&F Club (
34. Forres A&F Club (Jan 1978)
35. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
36. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
37. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
38. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
39. Glenfarg A&F Club (formed 1988 joined Assoc Mar 95 -
40. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93?
41. 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)
42. Highland A&F Club (Inverness) (Nov 1973 – present)
43. Inveraray A&F Club (Oct 1991 - present)
44. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
45. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981 – present – n.b. evolved from the original Dumfries Club)
46. Isle of Skye A&F Club (
47. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976 – present)
48. Kintore A&F Club (
49. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – present)
50. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967 - present)
51. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
52. Lewis & Harris A&F Club (Aug 1994 -
53. Livingston A&F Club (Sept 1973 – present)
54. Lockerbie A&F Club (Nov 1973 - present)
55. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
56. Mauchline A&F Club (first mention 1986? - present)
57. Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
58. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
59. Mull A&F Club
60. Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
61. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
62. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
63. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
64. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
65. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
66. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
67. Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
68. Renfrew A&F Club (
69. Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
70. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
71. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 - )
72. Sutherland A&F Club (
73. Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
74. Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
75. Tranent A&F Club
76. Turriff A&F Club (March 1982 - present)
77. Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
78. 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?)
79. Acharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
80. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
81. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
82. Buchan A&F Club
83. Callander A&F Club (
84. Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
85. Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
86. Club Accord
87. Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
88. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
89. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
90. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
91. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
92. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
93. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
94. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
95. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
96. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
97. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
98. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
99. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
100. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
101. Newcastleton Accordion Club
102. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
103. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
104. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
105. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
106. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
107. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
108. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
109. Wellbank A&F Club
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