Box and Fiddle
Year 34 No 01
September 2010
Price £2.60
44 Page Magazine
12 month subscription £28.60 + p&p £10.45 (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 here we are into our 34th season already! Thank you to all the B&F readers and contributors who have supported us faithfully over the years – some of you right from the beginning.
We are aiming to have lots of interesting articles and photographs, so please don’t wait to be asked. If you feel that you could write an article, cover an event or send us B&F related photos old or new then please do so, we will be very grateful.
We wish you and your Clubs a happy and successful B&F Season.
Karin Ingram
NAAFC AGM & Ceilidh
by Bob Wares
On Sunday 27th July 2010 the AGM of the NAAFC took place at the Huntingtower Hotel in Perth. A large turnout at the meeting heard the Committee being returned en bloc and various other matters discussed including the B&F magazine. A number of suggestions were put forward by the floor and the Chairman took these on board with a view to extending the distribution of the magazine and raising more cash.
Throughout the day a display of photographs bequeathed to the Association was on display in the hotel foyer. These photographs were the property of the late Jack Cooper and some wonderful pictures of some wonderful people with some wonderful memories were there for all to see. There were about 300 in total and there was always somebody to be found just pointing and looking at them.
After the meeting a delicious lunch was served in beautiful surroundings. Very tasty it was too and after lunch it was on with the Ceilidh and presentations to various category winners.
Guest artiste of the Year was one by the formidable fiddler Andy Kain. Andy wasn’t present to receive this award but it was collected on his behalf by Jennifer Cowie from then legend that is Pam Wilkie, and I bet he was really pleased with it.
From a very strong list of contenders, Roya MacLean secured the best CD of the Year with her Blackwater recording. This was recorded in her sister’s house with her friends forming the backing and if you haven’t heard this CD then its time you did. First class stuff from a first class young lady. She was presented with her trophy by John Ellis, who was present to receive his own award later.
Club Supporter of the Year went to Duncan Black from Haddington Club. Duncan wasn’t able to attend and his trophy was accepted on his behalf by Billy Thom from the inimitable Joan Blue.
Time now for the Club of the Year award and top of the pile this time round was my own Club, The Highland A&F Club from Inverness. Fraser McGlynn, the long time bandleader, made the presentation to Club chairman, Fraser MacLean, and it’s a trophy we are exceptionally proud of. To receive this award from the guests who provide the entertainment on Club nights is a tribute to all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes by a huge amount of nameless and faceless people, all pulling together to make the night memorable for both the guests and, of course, those that no Club can do without – the audience. This behaviour goes on up and down the country at various Club nights and the venues themselves contribute so much to the occasion. This blue riband award was gratefully received and will be displayed prominently at our own venue in The Waterside Hotel in Inverness.
A Ceilidh was to follow and interspersed with the music was a presentation to two of Scotland’s finest.
First up as special guest and to receive his award from the Association Chairman Nicol McLaren was John Ellis. John, as everybody knows, is one of the longest serving bandleaders on the go and sadly now can no longer manage to play the fiddle. His pedigree goes back a very long way and a number of his band were present beside him at his table to see him receive his award. He is passionate about his music and it was an obvious disappointment to him that he couldn’t place the fiddle under his chin for a tune. He has made numerous recordings and played in some very fine, and some not so fine, venues all over the world and was thrilled to bits to receive this recognition.
Fraser McGlynn was the other recipient of the award this year. Fraser also is a bandleader of long standing with his 3-row button box and was able to relate a few stories after receiving his award from Nicol McLaren. Fraser has been around the globe and still plays the box with the same enthusiasm he displayed at the start of his career all those years ago. His love of the music is obviousand his desire to see the traditions continued was apparent to all, and finished with a plea from the heart. “Keep the guitar out of dance music.”
Fraser assembled a band together and played a couple of sets with a host of big names including some previous winners of the Guest of Honour award, John Carmichael, Billy Thom and Andrew Knight. The sound was just brilliant and at one stage John Carmichael even burst into song (for a verse at least!!)
The whole ceilidh part was controlled admirably by someone who is no stranger to the microphone. Charlie Kirkpatrick managed to include a number of top class musicians from all over the country and still maintain a respectable level of decorum throughout the afternoon. Charlie managed a tune himself as well and the whole afternoon developed into one of the finest Ceilidh concerts ever assembled with only the very best on display.
The crowd loved it and a stramash at the end, which featured all the players who had displayed their talents throughout the afternoon, created a stirring and unforgettable sound to bring it all to a close.
The events of the day were all photographed by another previous Guest of honour, Rory MacLeod. Rory is an experienced photographer and for interested parties all the photographs by Rory can be viewed on the Highland A&F Club website, and just hope that Rory has managed to catch you all on your good sides, as diners, musicians and indeed other photographers were all snapped throughout the event.
It really is a shame to wish our lives away, but roll on next year when we can assemble again for the craic, camaraderie and sincere friendship that is the NAAFC.
Celebrity Luncheon 2010
by Robin Ellis
I have been coming to the Celebrity Luncheon now for some 15 years and every year the weather seems to be the same – sunshine and showers. The journey up to Scotland whether by car or more recently by EasyJet has always been uneventful – until this year. I suppose it had to happen one day. My wife and I left home on Saturday afternoon, a beautiful day, and arrived at Gatwick Airport to be greeted not by the usual fairly quick check-in, but by two enormous queues filling most of that part of the airport. One was for bag-drop and one for checking-in. As we had checked in on-line we joined the bag-drop line. An hour and a quarter later we finally reached the desk and deposited our bag. I thought this was supposed to be a quicker system! The most likely cause of much of this delay could well have been that instead of a dedicated desk or desks for each flight, all the desks were for all the flights, a system which just doesn’t seem to work. We then passed through security in a few minutes, things seemed to be getting better or so we thought. The departure board had our flight to Edinburgh scheduled for the appointed time but we noticed that the time for ‘Go to Lounge’ was 45 minutes after this. On checking we found that the flight had indeed been delayed. Oh well, only 45 minutes. To our dismay the 45 minutes then became 2 hours, problems were beginning to arise, then all of a sudden the dreaded word appeared ‘CANCELLED’. As this was the last flight of the day, what now? A trip to the information desk, together with about 150 other people and we were told to reclaim our baggage and return to the original check-in area. Collecting our bag took some 45 minutes and then we joined the same queue as before, for another hour, to be told that the first flight available was the next day (Sunday) at 11.00 from Stanstead. Further enquiries revealed that we would be given dinner, bed and breakfast at the local Hilton Hotel (if we queued for another 30 minutes) and a coach would call for us next day to convey us to Stanstead. As it was now 11pm we reluctantly agreed.
After a rather sleepless night in what I must admit was a very luxurious room we enjoyed an early breakfast and then walked the short distance to the EasyJet information desk to find out about our coach. At this point we learned that there was no coach, there never had been any coach and we were advised to get a taxi from Gatwick to Stanstead and EasyJet would refund the cost. I queried this and was assured that the cost would definitely be refunded. So off we set to find a taxi service. No problem, we could be at Stanstead in about an hour at a cost of – wait for it - £152! Good heavens, the air fare to Edinburgh is only £29.99!!! As we had no other option we sped, and I do mean sped, to Stanstead arriving some two and a half hours before the flight was due to depart. From then on all went smoothly. When we arrived in Edinburgh our Hertz car was still waiting for us and we even got an upgrade. We then made our way to The Huntingtower as fast as the speed limits would allow.
Arriving some 60 minutes later, somewhat travel strained, we wondered what sort of reception we might get. However we were delighted and rather flattered to be greeted by Jim Balneaves and Nicol McLaren who were, I gather, a little concerned as to what might have happened to us. Well now you know! Unfortunately by then our meal had made it to the pig-bin but we did manage to enjoy our desert and coffee and of course all the presentations and the Ceilidh.
This year things were slightly different in that we started the proceedings with the BAFFIs. So after a welcome from Nicol it was over to Karin. The awards were as follows :-
CD of the Year – Roya MacLean
Club of the Year – Highland
Club Supporter of the Year – Duncan Black
Guest Artiste of the Year – Andy Kain
Nicol then introduced our MC for the afternoon, that well-known 3-row player and raconteur Charlie Kirkpatrick. It being the MC’s privilege to open the proceedings the first band was Charlie Kirkpatrick (3-row), John Carmichael (second accordion), Marie Fielding (fiddle), Mo Rutherford (piano) and Billy Thom (drums).
Our first Guests of Honour was John Ellis, a market gardener by profession but bandleader by inclination. He made his first broadcast in the late 1950s, making him the longest serving broadcasting band to date. I remember hearing him on the radio in about 1957 and thought then, “This is some band.” Unfortunately John no longer plays but his very distinctive sound will be remembered for many years to come.
Our second guest was the West Coast 3-row player Fraser McGlynn, who incidentally formed his own band at the age of 18 and is a great believer in “What you see is what you get”. This has stood him in good stead for many years as he is still broadcasting on ‘Take the Floor’.
As always we had many and varied combinations of musicians playing for us and I was pleased to see that this year we had a good number of big (well five-piece) bands – but no bass players. There were bands led by accordionists Iain Cathcart, Roya MacLean, Fraser McGlynn, Ewan Galloway, Jennifer Cowie, Susan MacFadyen, James Coutts and John Carmichael and on fiddle Shona MacFadyen. Backing them were accordionists Lorna Mair, Gary Mair, Matthew MacLennan and Nicol McLaren, fiddlers Andrew Knight and Marie Fielding, pianists Mo Rutherford, Dennis Morrison, Jacqui MacDonald, Joan Blue and Pam Wilkie and drummers Billy Thom, George Bremner, Charlie Todd and Kevin McGlynn. The final stramash was absolutely great with some 14 musicians taking part and was considerably larger than usual. Let us hope this is the way for the future.
Also in the assembled company I spied players from the past, present and future such as Irene Dear, Bobby Crowe, Suzanne Croy, Frank Thomson, Jim Berry, Shirley Cathcart, Chick Boath, Bruce Lindsay, Neil Copland, Alan Kindness and Morag Robertson. I’m afraid there isn’t time for everybody to entertain us on this occasion but maybe next year. It was rather a sobering thought that that there may well be more Scottish dance musicians at that single function than there are in the whole of southern England. If only we could borrow just a few!
As always we must thank Charlie Kirkpatrick for his excellent performance as MC. Aided and abetted by John Carmichael they make one of the best double acts I have ever seen. Also Jim Balneaves for his impeccable organisation as always and finally Nicol McLaren for well – just being Nicol. Where would we be without him?
As always this was not the end of our trip north, we continued to Loch Carron for the next ten days, but oh my did it rain – every day, often all day – water shortage – I just don’t believe it.
Well that is it for another year, maybe see you all in 2011 or on second thoughts perhaps we shall just go away on a nice relaxing cruise instead. Now there’s a thought.
PS – EasyJet have offered me £50 for the taxi – their final offer!
Fraser McGlynn
by Iain Peterson (March 1990)
The family had had enough from Iain and the box had to go. While the children were at school Mrs McGlynn had a tea chest of rubbish ready for collection at the front door. Perched on top was the 2 row melodeon, bellows held together with elastoplast, spoons at the bass end and “Made in Saxony” emblazoned on the end. However, Fraser, the youngest of five, came home early from school and rescued it, started practicing and today is one of Scotland’s leading exponents of the 3 row British Chromatic accordion. He admits he learns something new about the box each day.
With an Irish father and mother from Tarbert, Argyll, he is Celtic on both sides which could account for his natural musical ability, but in common with the majority of West Coast musicians he had no formal musical tuition. He actually played the two rows separately.
At fifteen, his brother Iain bought him a new 3-row from Forbes in Dundee with 48 bass. Frustrated but keen to learn, he wrote and asked then for a tutor. Forbes replied that there were none in existence for this instrument, adding that it would be nigh on impossible to produce one. Undaunted, Fraser persevered, by now he was playing the 3 vertical rows separately, working on the knowledge of the mouth organ and using the sook/blaw principle.
Fate took a hand, and one day a certain Donald MacKay called and explained some of the intricacies of the 3-row e.g. that it was possible to use a combination of the three rows and thus form scales. That opened up a whole new world to Fraser.
Written music remained a mystery to him, but he was determined to learn. A medical student home on holiday – Donald Smith – was a medium. Fraser played a well known tune to him, say the “Glendaruel Highlanders” and asked Donald to write down exactly what he had played. Fraser then, in reverse, learnt what he had been playing by writing the names of the notes on the buttons. Thus, with total dedication and hours of practice he taught himself the melody line. Coupled with this he found that the 48 bass was not enough. He had no idea what basses he was playing, but he knew he needed more. Again by deduction and being an excellent mathematician, he discovered what chords he was playing and as he says- “if that’s teaching yourself to read music, then I did.” He then bought his next box with 72 bass.
On leaving school he became a painter and decorator. As his reputation spread, so the band had to go further afield. His employer had a lot of island work and they were very understanding when Fraser had an engagement to fulfil.
However, once they did get him to an island, say Islay or Jura, they often “Shanghai’ed” him for 3 or 4 weeks at a time and he would have to cancel engagements. It was most unsatisfactory both ways, so he left and joined the Post Office in Tarbert as a postman. But again with early starts for mail deliveries and late home-comings from dances this job had to go, so the only solution was in 1972 that Fraser went self-employed as a painter and decorator. This lasted for 10 years until he joined the Argyll and Clyde Health Board as Entertainments Officer, based in Lochgilphead. It was the ideal job for him, but more of that later.
Returning to his post-school days, Fraser played a lot in hospital and at concerts. It was during this time that he learnt a lot about handing people and audiences. I suggested that he might also have learnt how to abuse them (always in the best possible taste) but he said he learn that at Milngavie.
Life was full for him at this time. An excellent footballer, table-tennis player and athlete, he had also reached marksman standard with the school cadet force.
When not playing for dances he went to them to dance and to meet and listen to the top band-leaders during the fifties, which was the ‘golden era’ for dance bands. He was friendly with the late Andrew Rankine before he was twenty.
He formed his own band at eighteen. Jim Flaherty, now living in Falkirk, came to Tarbert as the “Co-op” baker and was a first class pianist. Another Tarbert man, Norman Smith, had bought a double bass but had no idea how to play it. However, Fraser marked the fingerboard with tape, named the notes and after some practice Norman became the band’s bass player. It also explains why Fraser is such a good bass player himself.
Jim Flaherty produced tapes of what he said the band should sound like i.e. the one he had previously played in. Fraser was not impressed. What it did do was to boost their ego and convince them that they were a lot better than they gave themselves credit for. It dispelled the inferiority complex that was prevalent on the West Coast at that time when big city bands / band-leaders were mentioned. The band line-up was Fraser on lead accordion, Duncan MacLean second box, Davie Scott on fiddle, Jim Flaherty on piano, Norman Smith bass and Jackie MacLeod drums. Donald Smith, when on holiday, augmented the band.
1959 was Lochgilphead’s Centenary year as a burgh and the B.B.C.’s “On Tour” came as part of the celebrations. There were audition for local talent which Fraser won and as a prize was asked to play at the Concert at night.
Ian MacFadyen was producer and invited him and his band for an audition at the B.B.C. in Glasgow. It was a complete disaster and they failed. Afterwards, he was handed a ‘crit’ sheet detailing all the shortcomings from the ‘Beebs’ point of view, mentioning things like ‘intonation’ and other obscure musical terms. With the bands limited knowledge Fraser asked “what the hell is intonation?” He was determined to find out and carefully scrutinised the whole sheet, analysing it phrase by phrase.
He discovered that both lead instruments had to play exactly the same notes and that the left hand on the piano and the bass fiddle had to correspond. To many of the modern day “whizz kids” or even the average young player reading this, it may seem bizarre but remember that anything and everything the band knew had been self taught. The six piece band lasted for 15 years with only one or two changes in personnel.
In 1964, Jim Flaherty announced that he was leaving the band due to a change of job. Fraser thought that a pianist of his calibre would be impossible to replace. They decided to disband the whole show and that their last booking would be the “At Home” at Skipness, when the Laird opened up the “Big Hoose” and entertained the Estate workers. It was to be on a Wednesday and would be minus the piano.
A farewell session was arranged at Jim’s house and a tape made of which all members received a copy, and that was that. During that session Duncan MacLean casually mentioned that there was a good pianist further up the loch, who played with Jock MacKenzie from Ardfern. Would it be alright for Duncan to approach him? The outcome was that the pianist said he would be delighted to play on the Wednesday night. Fraser thought this fine, because once the “At Home” was over, the band would be finished and he had grandiose ideas of going away on his own and playing solo on concert platforms or wherever fate took him.
Wednesday arrived, the dance started and after one set Fraser recognised the talent of the man. He approached his afterwards with a view to joining the band on a more permanent basis and the young pianist said he would be delighted to take up the offer and so started a 26 year association with Duncan MacKay, which has developed into a close friendship. The band received a “stay of execution” but not before Duncan had fulfilled all the engagements he had agreed to play with Jock MacKenzie. A man of integrity is Duncan or as Fraser describes him – “a man of honour”. Once again, the band was on the road and bookings came from far and wide.
Towards the end of 1966, Norman Smith moved from the area but left his bass with Fraser. Around this time a Tarbert based rock group, Rab and the Clansmen, had just returned from the U.S.A and their bass guitarist was Sandy Black, who was invited to join the band. Once again Fraser had to go through the rigmarole of marking the bass and teaching Sandy from scratch, but he was a more than able pupil. Together with Duncan MacKay, he rates them as the two most naturally talented musicians he knows. He feels that when they play from music their natural ability is stifled.
The band was now really swinging and in 1968 they went for their second audition. James Hunter was the Producer and the whole band, and in particular Fraser, were now more worldly wise regarding the band scene. The audition went well and they were asked which place would be most suitable for a broadcast should they pass. Glasgow was the choice.
About three months later, a letter arrived from the ‘Beeb’ saying that they had passed the audition and were offered a “trial broadcast”. This went out on 8th November, 1968. Prior to this, another broadcast had been recorded and kept “in the can”. In January, 1969 the band were invited to Aberdeen to do a live broadcast and this went well. Proof was that James Hunter, of whom Fraser speaks highly, congratulated them on an excellent performance.
Immediately after the programme, Fraser was called to the phone to speak to a certain Sandy MacArthur. He had simply phoned to say that he thought the broadcast was great and that he would expand on this when they met in person. All very mysterious.
At the 1969 Perth Festival, Fraser and the band were guests at the Evening Concert in the City Halls and on going off stage, Sandy MacArthur introduced himself and then the story unfolded.
Sandy was in the B.B.C. studio in Aberdeen the morning that Fraser was scheduled to do his live broadcast. James Hunter and he did not see eye to eye, because Sandy was always accused of being unprepared for recording sessions. Anyway, Sandy asked him what he had arranged for that Saturday night and was merely told “Tune in tonight, I’ve a band coming from Argyll to do a live broadcast”.
Sandy was a commercial traveller at that time and drove hundreds of miles a week. He more or less told James Hunter that it would be a folly to do such a thing, but Sandy was politely shown the door and told that he should not attempt to tell a B.B.C. Producer how to do his job. He went home to Elgin and laid off to Evelyn about the forthcoming music disaster. Needless to say, the result was a resounding success, hence Sandy’s phone call. It also demonstrated the faith that James Hunter had in Fraser’s band.
COMPETITION SCENE
He first competed at the Perth Festival in 1959. It was all a big game, the crack was good, entries were taken on the day and it was not too serious. He enjoyed every minute of it and met Bill Wilkie. They have been good friends ever since.
Fraser came third in the Traditional Scottish Section. He won in 1962 and again in 1966 and over this period he was third once and runner-up twice. The only reason he competed in 1966 was to prove to himself that the first time hadn’t been pure luck. I asked him what he played in 1966 and Cathie, his wife, told me the full story.
Friday night prior to Perth was always kept clear of booking so that they were all fresh on the Saturday. Having decided to enter, he chose his three tunes for the march, strathspey and reel. Cathie was getting her coat on to go to work and was at the door ready to leave when Fraser asked her to listen to his “set”. She asked him if he was competing the next day and on receiving a reply in the affirmative she said “That’s a waste of time – you’ll never win playing tunes like that”.
The bold boy was quite piqued at this and asked her to pick a better set. “No problem”, she said, just play me a selection of marches”. When he played one that she really liked that was the choice. Similarly with the strathspeys and the reels. The titles were unknown to her, but it was what she liked and the final set was “The Cameron Highlanders”, “The Devil in the Kitchen” and “The Blackberry Bush”. With these Fraser won for a second time.
THE TRIO IS BORN
The Trio as we now know it was formed in the early ‘80s for a number of reasons. One, was economy. It is possible to transport three people plus gear in one car. Second, was that on a number of occasions he would be booked to play a five piece band, but only turn up with four due to personnel letting him down. This he felt was being dishonest. Geographically, he was at a disadvantage with his nearest venue being 50 miles away, while trips to the Borders or the Aberdeen area became expeditions and involved two cars.
Having no permanent bass player, he was getting Alastair MacLeod from Tobermory to do broadcasts, and was joining the “rentaband” crowd which he had always spoken against. He may be many things, but he is not “two faced”. As a result he had an electronic bass fitted to his box, but Duncan MacKay must have been psychic, because at the same time he produced an electric piano plus amp. Thus the trio was born and continues to the present day.
I put it to Fraser that this was now an accepted sound by the “punters”. He carefully side-stepped this and went on to say that he always plays to suit himself, be it a concert, dance or broadcast. If anyone compliments him on his sound or what he plays, he accepts the praise and adulation and enjoys it. On the contrary, if they don’t like it -too bad.
He is a founder member of the Dalriada Accordion and Fiddle Club in Lochgilphead. Personally speaking, it is one of the best run Clubs in the country that I have visited. I recall one occasion when he announced that a lady would give selections on the mouth organ. She was in a chair and not very mobile, hence could not reach the stage. Down went Fraser into the audience, and knelt beside her with the ‘mike’ while she played. The applause for her effort was deafening and the best therapy she could have wished for.
There is another instance in the hospital where a patient spoke for the first time in twenty years, thanks to Fraser’s patience, devotion and care. A great family man, he has to wash and dry the dishes like the rest of us. The McGlynn household for a warm welcome and hospitality is par excellence.
I went on to ask some specific questions, one being “who is your favourite composer?” Donald MacLeod was the first answer because of the type of tunes he composed e.g. in G he composed tunes that were not instantly recognisable as pipe tunes and could easily be played by the world’s finest orchestras.
While Fraser is recognised for his unique playing in the pipe idiom he enjoys all music. He loves playing jazz, he is not a Country Dance fan and finds it almost boring to play at one. He prefers being a free agent, as in the village hall dance scene. To his regret he never met “Wee Donald”, but he knew the late A. G. Kenneth very well. A fine gentleman, true and honest to himself and the musical scene, he composed some very difficult tunes but great to play.
Another favourite is P/M Willie Lawrie of WW1 fame, but he likes all composers and is not addicted to one. He has no illusions about his own composing skills because he reckons there are too many good ones around.
Players he greatly admires are Alistair Hunter and Paddy Neary. Apart from the fact that they are excellent musicians, they are fine people in their own right and that is the “icing on the cake”.
On the younger scene there is an awful lot of talent going about but Fraser aye looks at the person first – “The man’s the gowd for a’ that”.
Competitions, such as Perth, he thinks are necessary, but not one every week in the summer as we have at present. Nevertheless, if competitors want to have butterflies and their stomachs in knots, then go on stage to play, then be slated by one man and marked down in one man’s opinion, then that is their business. He attaches no importance to winning as it could be that the winner can only play those three tunes well.
I gave him five seconds to name a favourite tune “John MacDonald of Glencoe” and “Raasay House” with that all time classic “The Highland Wedding”. Then “Blue Danube”, “The Black and White Rag” and “Tico Tico”. His taste is universal and includes Chopin, Mozart and Willie Lawrie from Kinlochleven.
His relationship with Robbie Shepherd is a love/hate one, but secretly he has a great admiration for him. The way he sees the current scene progressing is that in fifteen years everyone is going to have the same cloned sound.
This seemed like the perfect opportunity to pose the dreaded question about the East/West Coast sound which Robbie had once asked Fraser to explain. The answer he gave to the Dunecht Loon was “listen to me speaking, then yourself. You are speaking a different dialect from me, and you are therefore playing a different dialect from me – that’s the difference”. But the big problem is that many cannot hear the difference. There are too many players today who tend towards copying of styles and the copying of tunes – a vulture approach e.g. they wait on the next L.P. or broadcast of someone who is a recognised worker at the game i.e. one who takes time to put sets together from original manuscripts or collections of music or who takes a new approach to certain tunes. The vulture waits until he has heard six or seven broadcasts, then couples with tunes from L.P.’s he picks the best and there he has a programme for a broadcast. All the tunes have been named and researched by the ‘worker’.
However, if it has been played wrongly then everyone plays it in error and after two or three times the cumulative effect can be an unrecognisable tune. A prime example is “John MacMillan of Barra”. How many people take the time to refer to the original pipe setting and in the first part second bar, find that the third note is a D and not a C sharp as is commonly played. In essence it is cheating and complete anathema to Fraser. Similarly, with a ghost band or rent-a-band where all that is changing is the name. This is a contributory factor to the cloned sound he predicts will come.
As already said, Fraser’s family are important to him and give him every support. Kevin is in the band, and Ryan the youngest son has taken up the piano accordion and is making great progress. I heard him play and he started with the easy tunes like “Jean’s Reel” and the “High Level Hornpipe”. His dad is so pleased that he has finally discovered that there are more things in life than drums, golf and girls.
Fraser Jnr is a brilliant pianist having passed Grade 8 by the age of 15. Again father admits that it was possibly listening to him play the classics, along with Scott Joplin etc that made his realise that there is so much more than the Scottish scene. Given time he feels there should be more classical music played on the 3-row because there is so much more to be had from the instrument. It is not the ability alone which many have, but the thought process beforehand which is required to plan your route around the instrument. Fraser admits to having honed it, but it is still nowhere near perfection.
For a man of his ability who has been on the scene for well over thirty years, his career as an adjudicator has been short.
In March he will be judging the Pipe Section at Musselburgh. To date he has only judged twice, once at Ayr and once at Brampton. On the latter occasion he had been asked down to play for the Friday and Saturday night dance, so Saturday was free. He was asked to judge the march, strathspey and reel. To his horror they all played a march finishing with a chord, then into a Strathspey, chord and then the reel. In true McGlynn style he slated them, picked a winner and was never asked back.
My final question was – how would you like to be remembered in fifty years time? Instantly he replied “that was a nice fellow”. Having spent many pleasant hours in his company I know that this will hold true.
We have also spent many happy hours on various golf courses where, I believe, one’s character is truly revealed.
To me any many more who have had the privilege of knowing him, Fraser McGlynn will always be - “The original Highland Gentleman”.
John Ellis
by Nicol McLaren
John Ellis, fiddler and bandleader of the famous Highland Country Band was born in Tealing outside Dundee and brought up at Burnside of Duntrune, attending Murroes School near Kellas. His mother was Angus Fitchet’s father’s cousin and they often had family get togethers which included singing and playing Scottish music. John enjoyed the music and especially admired Jimmy Shand’s band and, as a result, wanted to play the button-box, but that never happened. His uncle, Dave Ellis, played the fiddle and so did his father. John remembers the house being full of family ceilidhs and “bothy ballad” musical nights. The Fitchets were also trying to encourage John to take up the fiddle and on his 14th birthday, John was given a fiddle after becoming increasingly influenced by the sound of Jim Barrie (fiddler with Shand’s band). His uncle taught him initially using a Honeymoon Self-Tutor book.
John then went to a John Gall at Middleton Farm, Dundee. He would cycle miles to get to lessons and had to be told by his mother to put the fiddle down as he was always practising – every spare few minutes he could find. John Gall had a Scottish band and he was asked to join it. It included John Gall’s sister, his brother Hugh Gall and Stan Manson. This was the first band John played in. They played at local gigs and after 1yr he joined the “Blue Bonnets”, consisting of Jimmy Scott (acc), John Philip (fiddle), Arlene McLeay (piano), Ron Howie (drums). They auditioned for BBC Radio in 1950, passed and subsequently broadcast. John had only been playing the fiddle for 4 years! He remembers that the fee for the entire band was £25!
John only ventured into the competition scene once, after serious coercion by Hector MacAndrew. He remembers the adjudicators were Yehudi Menuin, Hector MacAndrew and Jim Hunter. John states “a lad fae Shetland won” and John decided he preferred playing in bands to playing solo!!!
When John left school aged fourteen he served an apprenticeship as a gardener then as a landscape gardener. Aged twenty-one, he started his own nursery business and although now retired, he still provides bedding plants to customers to this day.
In 1953 John did his National Service in the War Office in London. Word got around that John played the fiddle and he went to hear the best Scottish band in London at that time, who were playing one night in Fleet Street - The Donnie McBain Band. Before the dance started, Donnie McBain approached John (having heard he played fiddle in a band in Scotland) and asked him where his fiddle was as they needed a fiddler that night He took John back to his digs, got his fiddle, played that night and John became a member of the band for the next two years whilst based in London. They played all over the London area, at Balls and other prestigious events and travelled to Birmingham and Worcester. In 1954 they made a TV recording for Children’s hour for the BBC. At this time only two people in Wellbank had TVs, so the entire village were crowded around those two sets desperate to see the local hero on television!
When in London, John also took saxophone lessons from Harry Hayes (the teacher of Ronnie Scott), although finding somewhere to practice was difficult, despite having employed tactics such as stuffing socks down the sax to reduce noise and waiting until lunch hour in his 15th floor office. He was actually ordered to stop practicing in his lunch hour at the office, as everyone walking past the war office stopped to hear the music flooding out of the 15th floor of the building. This was seen as drawing attention to the war office building and so may have been a compromise to national security!!!!
When his National Service came to an end, in 1955, John came back to Scotland and was immediately asked to join two different bands. Finding it difficult to make a decision, he asked advice from Jimmy Shand. His response was “Start your own one”. So John did, and the “Highland Country Band” was born.
The original line up consisted of Arlene McLeay (piano), Johnny Philip (fiddle), John (fiddle), Aileen Simpson (McIntosh) accordion and Sandy Ford (drums). An accordion was required so John advertised in the Dundee Courier. Irene Dear applied, was duly welcomed to the band, and has remained for over fifty years.
The personnel changed over the years, but included Jimmy Boal (accordion) and Jean Dowell (piano). In 1960 another accordionist was required and John again advertised in the Courier. This is when Douglas Muir joined the band. The first album was recorded in 1968 with CBS simply entitled “John Ellis and the Highland Country Band”.
Other memorable recordings include Volumes 1,2,3 by Emerald Gem in the 1980s, Polydor in 1980s, and Lismore during the later years.
The band was in great demand, but due to the work commitments of teachers within the band, they were sometimes limited as to where they could travel to. John’s most memorable tours were of Southern Ireland arranged by Ronnie Coburn in the late 60s/early 70s and more recently celebrating the Millennium in Vancouver courtesy of RSCDS Vancouver branch. The musical highlight for all of the members of the band was the Annual Ball for the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders held in Stirling Castle. The Highland Country Band played at this for twenty-five years. When the regiment was being disbanded, each member was touchingly presented with a miniature decanter and whisky glasses engraved with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlander crest.
John states that over the years there are two sets that are most frequently requested – the marches Captain Cameron’s March by William Marshall and Scotlandwell by Douglas Muir (which is widely known as the signature set of the band) and also Mackays’ Medley. In fact John’s band was responsible for bringing the music of Crofter John Mackay to the airwaves through the instigation of Bobby Coghill who thought the tunes would marry up well with John’s band.
John feels that Douglas, Irene and himself all jointly managed the band with Douglas being responsible for all the musical arrangements and Irene organising the music for playing at dances. He attributes the tightness of the front line sound down to playing together regularly for many years. When asked about the unique sound, he responded by saying he thought the two Ranco accordions and the fiddle sat well together and created that sweet sound.
John first recorded for BBC Radio in 1950. His was the last band to play from the old Aberdeen Beechgrove studio – a live broadcast in 2007. Sadly, due to health problems, the band last recorded a full length Take the Floor in 2007 from Perth City Hall alongside Jim Johnstone SDB and Gordon Shand SDB and then a shorter Take The Floor programme as guest artistes in 2008. This makes The John Ellis Highland Country Band the longest standing broadcasting Scottish Dance Band to date.
John lists his main musical influences as Jimmy Shand SDB, and the fiddle playing of Jim Barrie, Ian Powrie Band, Jim Cameron SDB, Ian Downie SDB and Bobby MacLeod SDB. He likes music to be simple and arranged simply.
The Highland Country Band is not John’s only musical pastime however. John has also been involved with the Dundee Strathspey and Reel Society for many years and became Honorary Vice-President in 2001.
John says that although he can no longer play the fiddle due to shoulder problems, he “really enjoyed all the years. Commercialism was never in our minds, making good music was all that really mattered to us. Everyone had a part to play in the band. It was a happy band”.
John’s other passion and current hobby is racing pigeons. John has been racing pigeons since 1958 and is the only person ever to have achieved five Gold awards from the Scottish National Racing Pigeon Club and the Scottish National Flying Club. Each gold award represents five first places involving pigeons coming first in races from France back to Scotland). He is a very enthusiastic member of the Leuchars club.
John lives with wife Pat in Wellbank near Dundee. Their daughter Joan is also a talented fiddler and played with the Auld Reekie Ceilidh Band for ten years.
See Hear! with Bill Brown
CD Reviews
Jeelie Jars ‘N’ Coalie Backies – Alex Hodgson – CDTRAX351
Take the Floor – Saturday Evenings 19.05 – 21.00 with Robbie Shepherd (repeated on Sunday’s)
REPEATS
4th Sept 10 – Dennis Morrison & Friends - Tribute to Ian Powrie (Violet Tulloch 2006)
11th Sept 10 – Tom Orr SDB (Isla St Clair 2001)
18th Sept 10 – Jim MacLeod SDB (Gordon Pattullo 2005)
25th Sept 10 – Band Compilation (Karen Matheson & Donald Shaw 2005)
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Old Machar RBL) –
Alnwick (The Farrier’s Arms – Shilbottle)
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) - 19th Sept 10 – Robert Whitehead SDB
Arbroath (Viewfield Hotel) - 5th Sept 10 – Barrack Jamieson Band
Armadale (Masonic Hall) –
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Church Hall) – 19th Sept 10 – John Douglas SDB
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 27th Sept 10 – Matthew MacLennan SDB
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) – 22nd Sept 10 – Brandon McPhee Trio
Beith & District (Anderson Hotel) –
Biggar (Municipal Hall) – 12th Sept 10 – Blair Gardiner SDB
Blairgowrie (Moorfield Hotel) - 14th Sept 10 – Nicky McMichan SDB
Britannia (Arden House Hotel) -
Bromley (Trinity United Reform Church) -
Button Key (Windygates Institute) – 9th Sept 10 – George & David Rea
Campsie (Glazert Country House Hotel) -
Carlisle (St Margaret Mary Social Club) - 7th Sept 10 – Ian Muir SDB
Castle Douglas (Urr Valley Country House Hotel) – 21st Sept 10 – Burns Brothers Trio
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) - 16th Sept 10 – Ross MacPherson Trio
Coldingham (Village Hall) - 6th Sept 10 – Nicol McLaren SDB
Crieff & District (Crieff Hotel)
Cults (Culter Sports & Social Club) 1st Sept 10 - Graeme Mitchell SDB
Dingwall (National Hotel) –
Dunblane (Victoria Hall) – 15th Sept 10 – Ian Holmes SDB
Dunfermline (Headwell Bowling Club) – 14th Sept 10 – Bill Black SDB
Dunoon & Cowal (McColl’s Hotel)
Duns (Royal British Legion Club, Langtongate) 20th Sept 10 – Liam Stewart SDB
Ellon (Station Hotel) – 21st Sept 10 – Gary Sutherland SDB
Fintry (Fintry Sports Centre) –
Forfar (Plough Inn) - 26th Sept 10 – Steven Carcary Duo
Forres (Victoria Hotel) – 8th Sept 10 – Roya MacLean Trio
Fort William
Galashiels (Abbotsford Arms Hotel) –
Glendale (The Glendale Hall) - 23rd Sept 10 – Scott Band Trio
Glenfarg (Lomond Hotel) - 1st Sept 10 – Colin Dewar Trio
Glenrothes (Victoria Hall, Coaltown of Balgownie) - 28th Sept 10 – Susan MacFadyen Trio
Gretna (Athlitic & Social Club) -
Haddington (Railway Inn) - 19th Sept 10 – Graeme Munro SDB
Highland (Waterside Hotel) – 20th Sept 10 – Ian Cameron Trio
Inveraray (Argyll Hotel) -
Isle of Skye – (The Royal Hotel, Portree) -
Islesteps (The Embassy Hotel) – 7th Sept 10 – Steven Carcary Trio
Kelso (Cross Keys Hotel) – 29th Sept 10 – Darren Broadley SDB
Kintore (Torryburn Arms Hotel) –
Ladybank (Ladybank Tavern) -
Lanark (Ravenstruther Hall) - 27th Sept 10 – Susan MacFadyen Trio
Langholm (Eskdale Hotel) – 8th Sept 10 – Susan MacFadyen Trio
Lauder (Black Bull Hotel) - 19th Sept 10 – Jim Gold Trio26th Sept 10 – Accordiana (Melrose Corn Exchange)
Lewis & Harris (Stornoway Legion) - 2nd Sept 10 – Mhairi Coutts & Jimmy Lindsay
Livingston (Hilcroft Hotel, Whitburn) 21st Sept 10 – Iain Cathcart Trio
Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) - 28th Sept 10 – Ross MacPherson Trio
Mauchline (Harry Lyle Suite) -
Montrose (Park Hotel) –
Newburgh (The Ship Inn) - 30th Sept 10 – Gary Donaldson SDB
Newmill-on-Teviot / Teviotdale (Thorterdykes Roadhouse) 12th Sept 10 – Open Day
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) – 27th Sept 10 – Jimmy & Sandy Lindsay
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) – 7th Sept 10 – Roya MacLean Trio
Oban (The Argyllshire Gathering) –
Orkney (Ayre Hotel, Kirkwall) –
Peebles (Rugby Social Club) – 30th Sept 10 – Alan Gardiner SDB
Perth (Salutation Hotel) – 21st Sept 10 – 40th Anniversary – Ian Holmes & his Broadcasting Band
Premier NI (Chimney Corner Hotel) -
Reading Scottish Fiddlers (Willowbank Infant School, Woodley) -
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) –
Rothbury (Queen’s Head Hotel) -
Scottish Accordion Music (Banchory) -
Selkirk (Angus O’Malley’s) -
Shetland (Shetland Hotel, Lerwick) -
Stonehouse (Stonehouse Violet Football Social Club) -
Sutherland (Rogart Hall) -
Thornhill (Bowling Club Hall) - 14th Sept 10 – Iain Cathcart Trio
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) –
Turriff (Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown) – 2nd Sept 10 – Jimmy Lindsay Trio
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) – 16th Sept 10 – Wayne Robertson
Uist & Benbecula (C of S Hall, Griminish) -
West Barnes (West Barnes Inn)
Wick (MacKay’s Hotel) – 21st Sept 10 – Lomond Ceilidh Band
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Annan
2. Arbroath
3. Blairgowrie
4. Campsie
5. Forfar
6. Glendale
7. Kintore
8. Lauder
9. Lewis & Harris
10. Sutherland
11. Turriff
12. Tynedale
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT OCT 2009
(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. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per January 1978 issue – present)
6. Banchory A&F Club (1978 – present)
7. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973 – present)
8. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per first edition – present)
9. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
10. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974 – present)
11. Blairgowrie A&F Club (
12. Britannia B&F Club ( joined 07-08 but much older
13. Bromley A&F Club (joined 95-96 – closed early 08-09)
14. Button Key A&F Club (
15. Campsie A&F Club (Nov 95 – present)
16. Carlisle A&F Club (joined Sept 1993 -
17. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980 – present)
18. Coalburn A&F Club (
19. Coldingham A&F Club (Nov 2008 -
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. Fort William A&F Club (2009 -
35. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
36. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
37. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
38. Glenfarg A&F Club (formed 1988 joined Assoc Mar 95 -
39. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93?
40. Gretna A&F Club (1991) Known as North Cumbria A&F Club previously (originally called Gretna when started in June 1966 but later had to move to venues in the North of England and changed name. No breaks in the continuity of the Club)
41. Haddington A&F Club (formed Feb 2005 - )
42. Highland A&F Club (Inverness) (Nov 1973 – present)
43. Inveraray A&F Club (Feb 1991 - present)
44. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981 – present – n.b. evolved from the original Dumfries Club)
45. Isle of Skye A&F Club (June 1983 – present)
46. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976 – present)
47. Kintore A&F Club (
48. Ladybank A&F Club (joined Apr 98 but formed earlier
49. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – closed March 2015)
50. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967 - present)
51. Lauder A&F Club (May 2010 -
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 Maine Valley A&F Club (
56 Mauchline A&F Club (Sept 1983 - present)
57 Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
58 Newburgh A&F Club (joined 2002 but founded
59 Newmill-on-Teviot (Hawick) (Formed late 1988 joined Assoc 1999 - closed March 2016)
60 Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
61. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
62. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
63. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
64. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
65. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
66. Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
67. Phoenix A&F Club, Ardrishaig (Dec 2004 -
68. Renfrew A&F Club (1984 -
69. Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
70. Selkirk A&F Club (
71. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
72 Stonehouse A&F Club (first report June 05 -
73 Sutherland A&F Club (Nov 1982 -
74 Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
75 Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
76 Turriff A&F Club (March 1982 - present)
77 Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
78 Uist & Benbecula A&F Club (Dec 2007 but formed 1994 -
79 West Barnes ( - present)
80 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?)
81. Araharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
82. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months) Last meeting May 2010
83. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
84. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
85. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
86. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
87. Buchan A&F Club
88 Callander A&F Club (
89 Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
90 Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
91 Club Accord
92 Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
93. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
94. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
95. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
96. Derwentside A&F Club
97. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
98. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
99. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
100. Dundee & District A&F Club (January 1971 – 1995?)
101. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
102. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
103. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
104. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
105. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
106. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
107. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
108. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
109. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
110. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
111. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
112. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
113. Mull A&F Club
114. Newcastleton Accordion Club
115. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
116. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
117. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
118. Reading Scottish Fiddlers (cMarch 1997
119. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
120. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 – closed 20000/01?)
121. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
122. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
123. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
124. Tranent A&F Club
125. Vancouver
126. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
127. Wellbank A&F Club
128. Yarrow (prev known as Etterick & Yarrow) (Jan 1989 – closed 2001/02)
Advertising rates
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Half Page (colour) - £110
Half Page (b&w) - £70
Quarter Page (colour) - £55
Quarter Page (b&w) - £35
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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 here we are into our 34th season already! Thank you to all the B&F readers and contributors who have supported us faithfully over the years – some of you right from the beginning.
We are aiming to have lots of interesting articles and photographs, so please don’t wait to be asked. If you feel that you could write an article, cover an event or send us B&F related photos old or new then please do so, we will be very grateful.
We wish you and your Clubs a happy and successful B&F Season.
Karin Ingram
NAAFC AGM & Ceilidh
by Bob Wares
On Sunday 27th July 2010 the AGM of the NAAFC took place at the Huntingtower Hotel in Perth. A large turnout at the meeting heard the Committee being returned en bloc and various other matters discussed including the B&F magazine. A number of suggestions were put forward by the floor and the Chairman took these on board with a view to extending the distribution of the magazine and raising more cash.
Throughout the day a display of photographs bequeathed to the Association was on display in the hotel foyer. These photographs were the property of the late Jack Cooper and some wonderful pictures of some wonderful people with some wonderful memories were there for all to see. There were about 300 in total and there was always somebody to be found just pointing and looking at them.
After the meeting a delicious lunch was served in beautiful surroundings. Very tasty it was too and after lunch it was on with the Ceilidh and presentations to various category winners.
Guest artiste of the Year was one by the formidable fiddler Andy Kain. Andy wasn’t present to receive this award but it was collected on his behalf by Jennifer Cowie from then legend that is Pam Wilkie, and I bet he was really pleased with it.
From a very strong list of contenders, Roya MacLean secured the best CD of the Year with her Blackwater recording. This was recorded in her sister’s house with her friends forming the backing and if you haven’t heard this CD then its time you did. First class stuff from a first class young lady. She was presented with her trophy by John Ellis, who was present to receive his own award later.
Club Supporter of the Year went to Duncan Black from Haddington Club. Duncan wasn’t able to attend and his trophy was accepted on his behalf by Billy Thom from the inimitable Joan Blue.
Time now for the Club of the Year award and top of the pile this time round was my own Club, The Highland A&F Club from Inverness. Fraser McGlynn, the long time bandleader, made the presentation to Club chairman, Fraser MacLean, and it’s a trophy we are exceptionally proud of. To receive this award from the guests who provide the entertainment on Club nights is a tribute to all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes by a huge amount of nameless and faceless people, all pulling together to make the night memorable for both the guests and, of course, those that no Club can do without – the audience. This behaviour goes on up and down the country at various Club nights and the venues themselves contribute so much to the occasion. This blue riband award was gratefully received and will be displayed prominently at our own venue in The Waterside Hotel in Inverness.
A Ceilidh was to follow and interspersed with the music was a presentation to two of Scotland’s finest.
First up as special guest and to receive his award from the Association Chairman Nicol McLaren was John Ellis. John, as everybody knows, is one of the longest serving bandleaders on the go and sadly now can no longer manage to play the fiddle. His pedigree goes back a very long way and a number of his band were present beside him at his table to see him receive his award. He is passionate about his music and it was an obvious disappointment to him that he couldn’t place the fiddle under his chin for a tune. He has made numerous recordings and played in some very fine, and some not so fine, venues all over the world and was thrilled to bits to receive this recognition.
Fraser McGlynn was the other recipient of the award this year. Fraser also is a bandleader of long standing with his 3-row button box and was able to relate a few stories after receiving his award from Nicol McLaren. Fraser has been around the globe and still plays the box with the same enthusiasm he displayed at the start of his career all those years ago. His love of the music is obviousand his desire to see the traditions continued was apparent to all, and finished with a plea from the heart. “Keep the guitar out of dance music.”
Fraser assembled a band together and played a couple of sets with a host of big names including some previous winners of the Guest of Honour award, John Carmichael, Billy Thom and Andrew Knight. The sound was just brilliant and at one stage John Carmichael even burst into song (for a verse at least!!)
The whole ceilidh part was controlled admirably by someone who is no stranger to the microphone. Charlie Kirkpatrick managed to include a number of top class musicians from all over the country and still maintain a respectable level of decorum throughout the afternoon. Charlie managed a tune himself as well and the whole afternoon developed into one of the finest Ceilidh concerts ever assembled with only the very best on display.
The crowd loved it and a stramash at the end, which featured all the players who had displayed their talents throughout the afternoon, created a stirring and unforgettable sound to bring it all to a close.
The events of the day were all photographed by another previous Guest of honour, Rory MacLeod. Rory is an experienced photographer and for interested parties all the photographs by Rory can be viewed on the Highland A&F Club website, and just hope that Rory has managed to catch you all on your good sides, as diners, musicians and indeed other photographers were all snapped throughout the event.
It really is a shame to wish our lives away, but roll on next year when we can assemble again for the craic, camaraderie and sincere friendship that is the NAAFC.
Celebrity Luncheon 2010
by Robin Ellis
I have been coming to the Celebrity Luncheon now for some 15 years and every year the weather seems to be the same – sunshine and showers. The journey up to Scotland whether by car or more recently by EasyJet has always been uneventful – until this year. I suppose it had to happen one day. My wife and I left home on Saturday afternoon, a beautiful day, and arrived at Gatwick Airport to be greeted not by the usual fairly quick check-in, but by two enormous queues filling most of that part of the airport. One was for bag-drop and one for checking-in. As we had checked in on-line we joined the bag-drop line. An hour and a quarter later we finally reached the desk and deposited our bag. I thought this was supposed to be a quicker system! The most likely cause of much of this delay could well have been that instead of a dedicated desk or desks for each flight, all the desks were for all the flights, a system which just doesn’t seem to work. We then passed through security in a few minutes, things seemed to be getting better or so we thought. The departure board had our flight to Edinburgh scheduled for the appointed time but we noticed that the time for ‘Go to Lounge’ was 45 minutes after this. On checking we found that the flight had indeed been delayed. Oh well, only 45 minutes. To our dismay the 45 minutes then became 2 hours, problems were beginning to arise, then all of a sudden the dreaded word appeared ‘CANCELLED’. As this was the last flight of the day, what now? A trip to the information desk, together with about 150 other people and we were told to reclaim our baggage and return to the original check-in area. Collecting our bag took some 45 minutes and then we joined the same queue as before, for another hour, to be told that the first flight available was the next day (Sunday) at 11.00 from Stanstead. Further enquiries revealed that we would be given dinner, bed and breakfast at the local Hilton Hotel (if we queued for another 30 minutes) and a coach would call for us next day to convey us to Stanstead. As it was now 11pm we reluctantly agreed.
After a rather sleepless night in what I must admit was a very luxurious room we enjoyed an early breakfast and then walked the short distance to the EasyJet information desk to find out about our coach. At this point we learned that there was no coach, there never had been any coach and we were advised to get a taxi from Gatwick to Stanstead and EasyJet would refund the cost. I queried this and was assured that the cost would definitely be refunded. So off we set to find a taxi service. No problem, we could be at Stanstead in about an hour at a cost of – wait for it - £152! Good heavens, the air fare to Edinburgh is only £29.99!!! As we had no other option we sped, and I do mean sped, to Stanstead arriving some two and a half hours before the flight was due to depart. From then on all went smoothly. When we arrived in Edinburgh our Hertz car was still waiting for us and we even got an upgrade. We then made our way to The Huntingtower as fast as the speed limits would allow.
Arriving some 60 minutes later, somewhat travel strained, we wondered what sort of reception we might get. However we were delighted and rather flattered to be greeted by Jim Balneaves and Nicol McLaren who were, I gather, a little concerned as to what might have happened to us. Well now you know! Unfortunately by then our meal had made it to the pig-bin but we did manage to enjoy our desert and coffee and of course all the presentations and the Ceilidh.
This year things were slightly different in that we started the proceedings with the BAFFIs. So after a welcome from Nicol it was over to Karin. The awards were as follows :-
CD of the Year – Roya MacLean
Club of the Year – Highland
Club Supporter of the Year – Duncan Black
Guest Artiste of the Year – Andy Kain
Nicol then introduced our MC for the afternoon, that well-known 3-row player and raconteur Charlie Kirkpatrick. It being the MC’s privilege to open the proceedings the first band was Charlie Kirkpatrick (3-row), John Carmichael (second accordion), Marie Fielding (fiddle), Mo Rutherford (piano) and Billy Thom (drums).
Our first Guests of Honour was John Ellis, a market gardener by profession but bandleader by inclination. He made his first broadcast in the late 1950s, making him the longest serving broadcasting band to date. I remember hearing him on the radio in about 1957 and thought then, “This is some band.” Unfortunately John no longer plays but his very distinctive sound will be remembered for many years to come.
Our second guest was the West Coast 3-row player Fraser McGlynn, who incidentally formed his own band at the age of 18 and is a great believer in “What you see is what you get”. This has stood him in good stead for many years as he is still broadcasting on ‘Take the Floor’.
As always we had many and varied combinations of musicians playing for us and I was pleased to see that this year we had a good number of big (well five-piece) bands – but no bass players. There were bands led by accordionists Iain Cathcart, Roya MacLean, Fraser McGlynn, Ewan Galloway, Jennifer Cowie, Susan MacFadyen, James Coutts and John Carmichael and on fiddle Shona MacFadyen. Backing them were accordionists Lorna Mair, Gary Mair, Matthew MacLennan and Nicol McLaren, fiddlers Andrew Knight and Marie Fielding, pianists Mo Rutherford, Dennis Morrison, Jacqui MacDonald, Joan Blue and Pam Wilkie and drummers Billy Thom, George Bremner, Charlie Todd and Kevin McGlynn. The final stramash was absolutely great with some 14 musicians taking part and was considerably larger than usual. Let us hope this is the way for the future.
Also in the assembled company I spied players from the past, present and future such as Irene Dear, Bobby Crowe, Suzanne Croy, Frank Thomson, Jim Berry, Shirley Cathcart, Chick Boath, Bruce Lindsay, Neil Copland, Alan Kindness and Morag Robertson. I’m afraid there isn’t time for everybody to entertain us on this occasion but maybe next year. It was rather a sobering thought that that there may well be more Scottish dance musicians at that single function than there are in the whole of southern England. If only we could borrow just a few!
As always we must thank Charlie Kirkpatrick for his excellent performance as MC. Aided and abetted by John Carmichael they make one of the best double acts I have ever seen. Also Jim Balneaves for his impeccable organisation as always and finally Nicol McLaren for well – just being Nicol. Where would we be without him?
As always this was not the end of our trip north, we continued to Loch Carron for the next ten days, but oh my did it rain – every day, often all day – water shortage – I just don’t believe it.
Well that is it for another year, maybe see you all in 2011 or on second thoughts perhaps we shall just go away on a nice relaxing cruise instead. Now there’s a thought.
PS – EasyJet have offered me £50 for the taxi – their final offer!
Fraser McGlynn
by Iain Peterson (March 1990)
The family had had enough from Iain and the box had to go. While the children were at school Mrs McGlynn had a tea chest of rubbish ready for collection at the front door. Perched on top was the 2 row melodeon, bellows held together with elastoplast, spoons at the bass end and “Made in Saxony” emblazoned on the end. However, Fraser, the youngest of five, came home early from school and rescued it, started practicing and today is one of Scotland’s leading exponents of the 3 row British Chromatic accordion. He admits he learns something new about the box each day.
With an Irish father and mother from Tarbert, Argyll, he is Celtic on both sides which could account for his natural musical ability, but in common with the majority of West Coast musicians he had no formal musical tuition. He actually played the two rows separately.
At fifteen, his brother Iain bought him a new 3-row from Forbes in Dundee with 48 bass. Frustrated but keen to learn, he wrote and asked then for a tutor. Forbes replied that there were none in existence for this instrument, adding that it would be nigh on impossible to produce one. Undaunted, Fraser persevered, by now he was playing the 3 vertical rows separately, working on the knowledge of the mouth organ and using the sook/blaw principle.
Fate took a hand, and one day a certain Donald MacKay called and explained some of the intricacies of the 3-row e.g. that it was possible to use a combination of the three rows and thus form scales. That opened up a whole new world to Fraser.
Written music remained a mystery to him, but he was determined to learn. A medical student home on holiday – Donald Smith – was a medium. Fraser played a well known tune to him, say the “Glendaruel Highlanders” and asked Donald to write down exactly what he had played. Fraser then, in reverse, learnt what he had been playing by writing the names of the notes on the buttons. Thus, with total dedication and hours of practice he taught himself the melody line. Coupled with this he found that the 48 bass was not enough. He had no idea what basses he was playing, but he knew he needed more. Again by deduction and being an excellent mathematician, he discovered what chords he was playing and as he says- “if that’s teaching yourself to read music, then I did.” He then bought his next box with 72 bass.
On leaving school he became a painter and decorator. As his reputation spread, so the band had to go further afield. His employer had a lot of island work and they were very understanding when Fraser had an engagement to fulfil.
However, once they did get him to an island, say Islay or Jura, they often “Shanghai’ed” him for 3 or 4 weeks at a time and he would have to cancel engagements. It was most unsatisfactory both ways, so he left and joined the Post Office in Tarbert as a postman. But again with early starts for mail deliveries and late home-comings from dances this job had to go, so the only solution was in 1972 that Fraser went self-employed as a painter and decorator. This lasted for 10 years until he joined the Argyll and Clyde Health Board as Entertainments Officer, based in Lochgilphead. It was the ideal job for him, but more of that later.
Returning to his post-school days, Fraser played a lot in hospital and at concerts. It was during this time that he learnt a lot about handing people and audiences. I suggested that he might also have learnt how to abuse them (always in the best possible taste) but he said he learn that at Milngavie.
Life was full for him at this time. An excellent footballer, table-tennis player and athlete, he had also reached marksman standard with the school cadet force.
When not playing for dances he went to them to dance and to meet and listen to the top band-leaders during the fifties, which was the ‘golden era’ for dance bands. He was friendly with the late Andrew Rankine before he was twenty.
He formed his own band at eighteen. Jim Flaherty, now living in Falkirk, came to Tarbert as the “Co-op” baker and was a first class pianist. Another Tarbert man, Norman Smith, had bought a double bass but had no idea how to play it. However, Fraser marked the fingerboard with tape, named the notes and after some practice Norman became the band’s bass player. It also explains why Fraser is such a good bass player himself.
Jim Flaherty produced tapes of what he said the band should sound like i.e. the one he had previously played in. Fraser was not impressed. What it did do was to boost their ego and convince them that they were a lot better than they gave themselves credit for. It dispelled the inferiority complex that was prevalent on the West Coast at that time when big city bands / band-leaders were mentioned. The band line-up was Fraser on lead accordion, Duncan MacLean second box, Davie Scott on fiddle, Jim Flaherty on piano, Norman Smith bass and Jackie MacLeod drums. Donald Smith, when on holiday, augmented the band.
1959 was Lochgilphead’s Centenary year as a burgh and the B.B.C.’s “On Tour” came as part of the celebrations. There were audition for local talent which Fraser won and as a prize was asked to play at the Concert at night.
Ian MacFadyen was producer and invited him and his band for an audition at the B.B.C. in Glasgow. It was a complete disaster and they failed. Afterwards, he was handed a ‘crit’ sheet detailing all the shortcomings from the ‘Beebs’ point of view, mentioning things like ‘intonation’ and other obscure musical terms. With the bands limited knowledge Fraser asked “what the hell is intonation?” He was determined to find out and carefully scrutinised the whole sheet, analysing it phrase by phrase.
He discovered that both lead instruments had to play exactly the same notes and that the left hand on the piano and the bass fiddle had to correspond. To many of the modern day “whizz kids” or even the average young player reading this, it may seem bizarre but remember that anything and everything the band knew had been self taught. The six piece band lasted for 15 years with only one or two changes in personnel.
In 1964, Jim Flaherty announced that he was leaving the band due to a change of job. Fraser thought that a pianist of his calibre would be impossible to replace. They decided to disband the whole show and that their last booking would be the “At Home” at Skipness, when the Laird opened up the “Big Hoose” and entertained the Estate workers. It was to be on a Wednesday and would be minus the piano.
A farewell session was arranged at Jim’s house and a tape made of which all members received a copy, and that was that. During that session Duncan MacLean casually mentioned that there was a good pianist further up the loch, who played with Jock MacKenzie from Ardfern. Would it be alright for Duncan to approach him? The outcome was that the pianist said he would be delighted to play on the Wednesday night. Fraser thought this fine, because once the “At Home” was over, the band would be finished and he had grandiose ideas of going away on his own and playing solo on concert platforms or wherever fate took him.
Wednesday arrived, the dance started and after one set Fraser recognised the talent of the man. He approached his afterwards with a view to joining the band on a more permanent basis and the young pianist said he would be delighted to take up the offer and so started a 26 year association with Duncan MacKay, which has developed into a close friendship. The band received a “stay of execution” but not before Duncan had fulfilled all the engagements he had agreed to play with Jock MacKenzie. A man of integrity is Duncan or as Fraser describes him – “a man of honour”. Once again, the band was on the road and bookings came from far and wide.
Towards the end of 1966, Norman Smith moved from the area but left his bass with Fraser. Around this time a Tarbert based rock group, Rab and the Clansmen, had just returned from the U.S.A and their bass guitarist was Sandy Black, who was invited to join the band. Once again Fraser had to go through the rigmarole of marking the bass and teaching Sandy from scratch, but he was a more than able pupil. Together with Duncan MacKay, he rates them as the two most naturally talented musicians he knows. He feels that when they play from music their natural ability is stifled.
The band was now really swinging and in 1968 they went for their second audition. James Hunter was the Producer and the whole band, and in particular Fraser, were now more worldly wise regarding the band scene. The audition went well and they were asked which place would be most suitable for a broadcast should they pass. Glasgow was the choice.
About three months later, a letter arrived from the ‘Beeb’ saying that they had passed the audition and were offered a “trial broadcast”. This went out on 8th November, 1968. Prior to this, another broadcast had been recorded and kept “in the can”. In January, 1969 the band were invited to Aberdeen to do a live broadcast and this went well. Proof was that James Hunter, of whom Fraser speaks highly, congratulated them on an excellent performance.
Immediately after the programme, Fraser was called to the phone to speak to a certain Sandy MacArthur. He had simply phoned to say that he thought the broadcast was great and that he would expand on this when they met in person. All very mysterious.
At the 1969 Perth Festival, Fraser and the band were guests at the Evening Concert in the City Halls and on going off stage, Sandy MacArthur introduced himself and then the story unfolded.
Sandy was in the B.B.C. studio in Aberdeen the morning that Fraser was scheduled to do his live broadcast. James Hunter and he did not see eye to eye, because Sandy was always accused of being unprepared for recording sessions. Anyway, Sandy asked him what he had arranged for that Saturday night and was merely told “Tune in tonight, I’ve a band coming from Argyll to do a live broadcast”.
Sandy was a commercial traveller at that time and drove hundreds of miles a week. He more or less told James Hunter that it would be a folly to do such a thing, but Sandy was politely shown the door and told that he should not attempt to tell a B.B.C. Producer how to do his job. He went home to Elgin and laid off to Evelyn about the forthcoming music disaster. Needless to say, the result was a resounding success, hence Sandy’s phone call. It also demonstrated the faith that James Hunter had in Fraser’s band.
COMPETITION SCENE
He first competed at the Perth Festival in 1959. It was all a big game, the crack was good, entries were taken on the day and it was not too serious. He enjoyed every minute of it and met Bill Wilkie. They have been good friends ever since.
Fraser came third in the Traditional Scottish Section. He won in 1962 and again in 1966 and over this period he was third once and runner-up twice. The only reason he competed in 1966 was to prove to himself that the first time hadn’t been pure luck. I asked him what he played in 1966 and Cathie, his wife, told me the full story.
Friday night prior to Perth was always kept clear of booking so that they were all fresh on the Saturday. Having decided to enter, he chose his three tunes for the march, strathspey and reel. Cathie was getting her coat on to go to work and was at the door ready to leave when Fraser asked her to listen to his “set”. She asked him if he was competing the next day and on receiving a reply in the affirmative she said “That’s a waste of time – you’ll never win playing tunes like that”.
The bold boy was quite piqued at this and asked her to pick a better set. “No problem”, she said, just play me a selection of marches”. When he played one that she really liked that was the choice. Similarly with the strathspeys and the reels. The titles were unknown to her, but it was what she liked and the final set was “The Cameron Highlanders”, “The Devil in the Kitchen” and “The Blackberry Bush”. With these Fraser won for a second time.
THE TRIO IS BORN
The Trio as we now know it was formed in the early ‘80s for a number of reasons. One, was economy. It is possible to transport three people plus gear in one car. Second, was that on a number of occasions he would be booked to play a five piece band, but only turn up with four due to personnel letting him down. This he felt was being dishonest. Geographically, he was at a disadvantage with his nearest venue being 50 miles away, while trips to the Borders or the Aberdeen area became expeditions and involved two cars.
Having no permanent bass player, he was getting Alastair MacLeod from Tobermory to do broadcasts, and was joining the “rentaband” crowd which he had always spoken against. He may be many things, but he is not “two faced”. As a result he had an electronic bass fitted to his box, but Duncan MacKay must have been psychic, because at the same time he produced an electric piano plus amp. Thus the trio was born and continues to the present day.
I put it to Fraser that this was now an accepted sound by the “punters”. He carefully side-stepped this and went on to say that he always plays to suit himself, be it a concert, dance or broadcast. If anyone compliments him on his sound or what he plays, he accepts the praise and adulation and enjoys it. On the contrary, if they don’t like it -too bad.
He is a founder member of the Dalriada Accordion and Fiddle Club in Lochgilphead. Personally speaking, it is one of the best run Clubs in the country that I have visited. I recall one occasion when he announced that a lady would give selections on the mouth organ. She was in a chair and not very mobile, hence could not reach the stage. Down went Fraser into the audience, and knelt beside her with the ‘mike’ while she played. The applause for her effort was deafening and the best therapy she could have wished for.
There is another instance in the hospital where a patient spoke for the first time in twenty years, thanks to Fraser’s patience, devotion and care. A great family man, he has to wash and dry the dishes like the rest of us. The McGlynn household for a warm welcome and hospitality is par excellence.
I went on to ask some specific questions, one being “who is your favourite composer?” Donald MacLeod was the first answer because of the type of tunes he composed e.g. in G he composed tunes that were not instantly recognisable as pipe tunes and could easily be played by the world’s finest orchestras.
While Fraser is recognised for his unique playing in the pipe idiom he enjoys all music. He loves playing jazz, he is not a Country Dance fan and finds it almost boring to play at one. He prefers being a free agent, as in the village hall dance scene. To his regret he never met “Wee Donald”, but he knew the late A. G. Kenneth very well. A fine gentleman, true and honest to himself and the musical scene, he composed some very difficult tunes but great to play.
Another favourite is P/M Willie Lawrie of WW1 fame, but he likes all composers and is not addicted to one. He has no illusions about his own composing skills because he reckons there are too many good ones around.
Players he greatly admires are Alistair Hunter and Paddy Neary. Apart from the fact that they are excellent musicians, they are fine people in their own right and that is the “icing on the cake”.
On the younger scene there is an awful lot of talent going about but Fraser aye looks at the person first – “The man’s the gowd for a’ that”.
Competitions, such as Perth, he thinks are necessary, but not one every week in the summer as we have at present. Nevertheless, if competitors want to have butterflies and their stomachs in knots, then go on stage to play, then be slated by one man and marked down in one man’s opinion, then that is their business. He attaches no importance to winning as it could be that the winner can only play those three tunes well.
I gave him five seconds to name a favourite tune “John MacDonald of Glencoe” and “Raasay House” with that all time classic “The Highland Wedding”. Then “Blue Danube”, “The Black and White Rag” and “Tico Tico”. His taste is universal and includes Chopin, Mozart and Willie Lawrie from Kinlochleven.
His relationship with Robbie Shepherd is a love/hate one, but secretly he has a great admiration for him. The way he sees the current scene progressing is that in fifteen years everyone is going to have the same cloned sound.
This seemed like the perfect opportunity to pose the dreaded question about the East/West Coast sound which Robbie had once asked Fraser to explain. The answer he gave to the Dunecht Loon was “listen to me speaking, then yourself. You are speaking a different dialect from me, and you are therefore playing a different dialect from me – that’s the difference”. But the big problem is that many cannot hear the difference. There are too many players today who tend towards copying of styles and the copying of tunes – a vulture approach e.g. they wait on the next L.P. or broadcast of someone who is a recognised worker at the game i.e. one who takes time to put sets together from original manuscripts or collections of music or who takes a new approach to certain tunes. The vulture waits until he has heard six or seven broadcasts, then couples with tunes from L.P.’s he picks the best and there he has a programme for a broadcast. All the tunes have been named and researched by the ‘worker’.
However, if it has been played wrongly then everyone plays it in error and after two or three times the cumulative effect can be an unrecognisable tune. A prime example is “John MacMillan of Barra”. How many people take the time to refer to the original pipe setting and in the first part second bar, find that the third note is a D and not a C sharp as is commonly played. In essence it is cheating and complete anathema to Fraser. Similarly, with a ghost band or rent-a-band where all that is changing is the name. This is a contributory factor to the cloned sound he predicts will come.
As already said, Fraser’s family are important to him and give him every support. Kevin is in the band, and Ryan the youngest son has taken up the piano accordion and is making great progress. I heard him play and he started with the easy tunes like “Jean’s Reel” and the “High Level Hornpipe”. His dad is so pleased that he has finally discovered that there are more things in life than drums, golf and girls.
Fraser Jnr is a brilliant pianist having passed Grade 8 by the age of 15. Again father admits that it was possibly listening to him play the classics, along with Scott Joplin etc that made his realise that there is so much more than the Scottish scene. Given time he feels there should be more classical music played on the 3-row because there is so much more to be had from the instrument. It is not the ability alone which many have, but the thought process beforehand which is required to plan your route around the instrument. Fraser admits to having honed it, but it is still nowhere near perfection.
For a man of his ability who has been on the scene for well over thirty years, his career as an adjudicator has been short.
In March he will be judging the Pipe Section at Musselburgh. To date he has only judged twice, once at Ayr and once at Brampton. On the latter occasion he had been asked down to play for the Friday and Saturday night dance, so Saturday was free. He was asked to judge the march, strathspey and reel. To his horror they all played a march finishing with a chord, then into a Strathspey, chord and then the reel. In true McGlynn style he slated them, picked a winner and was never asked back.
My final question was – how would you like to be remembered in fifty years time? Instantly he replied “that was a nice fellow”. Having spent many pleasant hours in his company I know that this will hold true.
We have also spent many happy hours on various golf courses where, I believe, one’s character is truly revealed.
To me any many more who have had the privilege of knowing him, Fraser McGlynn will always be - “The original Highland Gentleman”.
John Ellis
by Nicol McLaren
John Ellis, fiddler and bandleader of the famous Highland Country Band was born in Tealing outside Dundee and brought up at Burnside of Duntrune, attending Murroes School near Kellas. His mother was Angus Fitchet’s father’s cousin and they often had family get togethers which included singing and playing Scottish music. John enjoyed the music and especially admired Jimmy Shand’s band and, as a result, wanted to play the button-box, but that never happened. His uncle, Dave Ellis, played the fiddle and so did his father. John remembers the house being full of family ceilidhs and “bothy ballad” musical nights. The Fitchets were also trying to encourage John to take up the fiddle and on his 14th birthday, John was given a fiddle after becoming increasingly influenced by the sound of Jim Barrie (fiddler with Shand’s band). His uncle taught him initially using a Honeymoon Self-Tutor book.
John then went to a John Gall at Middleton Farm, Dundee. He would cycle miles to get to lessons and had to be told by his mother to put the fiddle down as he was always practising – every spare few minutes he could find. John Gall had a Scottish band and he was asked to join it. It included John Gall’s sister, his brother Hugh Gall and Stan Manson. This was the first band John played in. They played at local gigs and after 1yr he joined the “Blue Bonnets”, consisting of Jimmy Scott (acc), John Philip (fiddle), Arlene McLeay (piano), Ron Howie (drums). They auditioned for BBC Radio in 1950, passed and subsequently broadcast. John had only been playing the fiddle for 4 years! He remembers that the fee for the entire band was £25!
John only ventured into the competition scene once, after serious coercion by Hector MacAndrew. He remembers the adjudicators were Yehudi Menuin, Hector MacAndrew and Jim Hunter. John states “a lad fae Shetland won” and John decided he preferred playing in bands to playing solo!!!
When John left school aged fourteen he served an apprenticeship as a gardener then as a landscape gardener. Aged twenty-one, he started his own nursery business and although now retired, he still provides bedding plants to customers to this day.
In 1953 John did his National Service in the War Office in London. Word got around that John played the fiddle and he went to hear the best Scottish band in London at that time, who were playing one night in Fleet Street - The Donnie McBain Band. Before the dance started, Donnie McBain approached John (having heard he played fiddle in a band in Scotland) and asked him where his fiddle was as they needed a fiddler that night He took John back to his digs, got his fiddle, played that night and John became a member of the band for the next two years whilst based in London. They played all over the London area, at Balls and other prestigious events and travelled to Birmingham and Worcester. In 1954 they made a TV recording for Children’s hour for the BBC. At this time only two people in Wellbank had TVs, so the entire village were crowded around those two sets desperate to see the local hero on television!
When in London, John also took saxophone lessons from Harry Hayes (the teacher of Ronnie Scott), although finding somewhere to practice was difficult, despite having employed tactics such as stuffing socks down the sax to reduce noise and waiting until lunch hour in his 15th floor office. He was actually ordered to stop practicing in his lunch hour at the office, as everyone walking past the war office stopped to hear the music flooding out of the 15th floor of the building. This was seen as drawing attention to the war office building and so may have been a compromise to national security!!!!
When his National Service came to an end, in 1955, John came back to Scotland and was immediately asked to join two different bands. Finding it difficult to make a decision, he asked advice from Jimmy Shand. His response was “Start your own one”. So John did, and the “Highland Country Band” was born.
The original line up consisted of Arlene McLeay (piano), Johnny Philip (fiddle), John (fiddle), Aileen Simpson (McIntosh) accordion and Sandy Ford (drums). An accordion was required so John advertised in the Dundee Courier. Irene Dear applied, was duly welcomed to the band, and has remained for over fifty years.
The personnel changed over the years, but included Jimmy Boal (accordion) and Jean Dowell (piano). In 1960 another accordionist was required and John again advertised in the Courier. This is when Douglas Muir joined the band. The first album was recorded in 1968 with CBS simply entitled “John Ellis and the Highland Country Band”.
Other memorable recordings include Volumes 1,2,3 by Emerald Gem in the 1980s, Polydor in 1980s, and Lismore during the later years.
The band was in great demand, but due to the work commitments of teachers within the band, they were sometimes limited as to where they could travel to. John’s most memorable tours were of Southern Ireland arranged by Ronnie Coburn in the late 60s/early 70s and more recently celebrating the Millennium in Vancouver courtesy of RSCDS Vancouver branch. The musical highlight for all of the members of the band was the Annual Ball for the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders held in Stirling Castle. The Highland Country Band played at this for twenty-five years. When the regiment was being disbanded, each member was touchingly presented with a miniature decanter and whisky glasses engraved with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlander crest.
John states that over the years there are two sets that are most frequently requested – the marches Captain Cameron’s March by William Marshall and Scotlandwell by Douglas Muir (which is widely known as the signature set of the band) and also Mackays’ Medley. In fact John’s band was responsible for bringing the music of Crofter John Mackay to the airwaves through the instigation of Bobby Coghill who thought the tunes would marry up well with John’s band.
John feels that Douglas, Irene and himself all jointly managed the band with Douglas being responsible for all the musical arrangements and Irene organising the music for playing at dances. He attributes the tightness of the front line sound down to playing together regularly for many years. When asked about the unique sound, he responded by saying he thought the two Ranco accordions and the fiddle sat well together and created that sweet sound.
John first recorded for BBC Radio in 1950. His was the last band to play from the old Aberdeen Beechgrove studio – a live broadcast in 2007. Sadly, due to health problems, the band last recorded a full length Take the Floor in 2007 from Perth City Hall alongside Jim Johnstone SDB and Gordon Shand SDB and then a shorter Take The Floor programme as guest artistes in 2008. This makes The John Ellis Highland Country Band the longest standing broadcasting Scottish Dance Band to date.
John lists his main musical influences as Jimmy Shand SDB, and the fiddle playing of Jim Barrie, Ian Powrie Band, Jim Cameron SDB, Ian Downie SDB and Bobby MacLeod SDB. He likes music to be simple and arranged simply.
The Highland Country Band is not John’s only musical pastime however. John has also been involved with the Dundee Strathspey and Reel Society for many years and became Honorary Vice-President in 2001.
John says that although he can no longer play the fiddle due to shoulder problems, he “really enjoyed all the years. Commercialism was never in our minds, making good music was all that really mattered to us. Everyone had a part to play in the band. It was a happy band”.
John’s other passion and current hobby is racing pigeons. John has been racing pigeons since 1958 and is the only person ever to have achieved five Gold awards from the Scottish National Racing Pigeon Club and the Scottish National Flying Club. Each gold award represents five first places involving pigeons coming first in races from France back to Scotland). He is a very enthusiastic member of the Leuchars club.
John lives with wife Pat in Wellbank near Dundee. Their daughter Joan is also a talented fiddler and played with the Auld Reekie Ceilidh Band for ten years.
See Hear! with Bill Brown
CD Reviews
Jeelie Jars ‘N’ Coalie Backies – Alex Hodgson – CDTRAX351
Take the Floor – Saturday Evenings 19.05 – 21.00 with Robbie Shepherd (repeated on Sunday’s)
REPEATS
4th Sept 10 – Dennis Morrison & Friends - Tribute to Ian Powrie (Violet Tulloch 2006)
11th Sept 10 – Tom Orr SDB (Isla St Clair 2001)
18th Sept 10 – Jim MacLeod SDB (Gordon Pattullo 2005)
25th Sept 10 – Band Compilation (Karen Matheson & Donald Shaw 2005)
CLUB DIARY
Aberdeen (Old Machar RBL) –
Alnwick (The Farrier’s Arms – Shilbottle)
Annan (St Andrew’s Social Club) - 19th Sept 10 – Robert Whitehead SDB
Arbroath (Viewfield Hotel) - 5th Sept 10 – Barrack Jamieson Band
Armadale (Masonic Hall) –
Balloch (St. Kessog’s Church Hall) – 19th Sept 10 – John Douglas SDB
Banchory (Burnett Arms Hotel) – 27th Sept 10 – Matthew MacLennan SDB
Banff & District (Banff Springs Hotel) – 22nd Sept 10 – Brandon McPhee Trio
Beith & District (Anderson Hotel) –
Biggar (Municipal Hall) – 12th Sept 10 – Blair Gardiner SDB
Blairgowrie (Moorfield Hotel) - 14th Sept 10 – Nicky McMichan SDB
Britannia (Arden House Hotel) -
Bromley (Trinity United Reform Church) -
Button Key (Windygates Institute) – 9th Sept 10 – George & David Rea
Campsie (Glazert Country House Hotel) -
Carlisle (St Margaret Mary Social Club) - 7th Sept 10 – Ian Muir SDB
Castle Douglas (Urr Valley Country House Hotel) – 21st Sept 10 – Burns Brothers Trio
Coalburn (Miners’ Welfare) - 16th Sept 10 – Ross MacPherson Trio
Coldingham (Village Hall) - 6th Sept 10 – Nicol McLaren SDB
Crieff & District (Crieff Hotel)
Cults (Culter Sports & Social Club) 1st Sept 10 - Graeme Mitchell SDB
Dingwall (National Hotel) –
Dunblane (Victoria Hall) – 15th Sept 10 – Ian Holmes SDB
Dunfermline (Headwell Bowling Club) – 14th Sept 10 – Bill Black SDB
Dunoon & Cowal (McColl’s Hotel)
Duns (Royal British Legion Club, Langtongate) 20th Sept 10 – Liam Stewart SDB
Ellon (Station Hotel) – 21st Sept 10 – Gary Sutherland SDB
Fintry (Fintry Sports Centre) –
Forfar (Plough Inn) - 26th Sept 10 – Steven Carcary Duo
Forres (Victoria Hotel) – 8th Sept 10 – Roya MacLean Trio
Fort William
Galashiels (Abbotsford Arms Hotel) –
Glendale (The Glendale Hall) - 23rd Sept 10 – Scott Band Trio
Glenfarg (Lomond Hotel) - 1st Sept 10 – Colin Dewar Trio
Glenrothes (Victoria Hall, Coaltown of Balgownie) - 28th Sept 10 – Susan MacFadyen Trio
Gretna (Athlitic & Social Club) -
Haddington (Railway Inn) - 19th Sept 10 – Graeme Munro SDB
Highland (Waterside Hotel) – 20th Sept 10 – Ian Cameron Trio
Inveraray (Argyll Hotel) -
Isle of Skye – (The Royal Hotel, Portree) -
Islesteps (The Embassy Hotel) – 7th Sept 10 – Steven Carcary Trio
Kelso (Cross Keys Hotel) – 29th Sept 10 – Darren Broadley SDB
Kintore (Torryburn Arms Hotel) –
Ladybank (Ladybank Tavern) -
Lanark (Ravenstruther Hall) - 27th Sept 10 – Susan MacFadyen Trio
Langholm (Eskdale Hotel) – 8th Sept 10 – Susan MacFadyen Trio
Lauder (Black Bull Hotel) - 19th Sept 10 – Jim Gold Trio26th Sept 10 – Accordiana (Melrose Corn Exchange)
Lewis & Harris (Stornoway Legion) - 2nd Sept 10 – Mhairi Coutts & Jimmy Lindsay
Livingston (Hilcroft Hotel, Whitburn) 21st Sept 10 – Iain Cathcart Trio
Lockerbie (Queen’s Hotel) - 28th Sept 10 – Ross MacPherson Trio
Mauchline (Harry Lyle Suite) -
Montrose (Park Hotel) –
Newburgh (The Ship Inn) - 30th Sept 10 – Gary Donaldson SDB
Newmill-on-Teviot / Teviotdale (Thorterdykes Roadhouse) 12th Sept 10 – Open Day
Newtongrange (Dean Tavern) – 27th Sept 10 – Jimmy & Sandy Lindsay
North East (Royal British Legion, Keith) – 7th Sept 10 – Roya MacLean Trio
Oban (The Argyllshire Gathering) –
Orkney (Ayre Hotel, Kirkwall) –
Peebles (Rugby Social Club) – 30th Sept 10 – Alan Gardiner SDB
Perth (Salutation Hotel) – 21st Sept 10 – 40th Anniversary – Ian Holmes & his Broadcasting Band
Premier NI (Chimney Corner Hotel) -
Reading Scottish Fiddlers (Willowbank Infant School, Woodley) -
Renfrew (Masonic Hall, Broadloan) –
Rothbury (Queen’s Head Hotel) -
Scottish Accordion Music (Banchory) -
Selkirk (Angus O’Malley’s) -
Shetland (Shetland Hotel, Lerwick) -
Stonehouse (Stonehouse Violet Football Social Club) -
Sutherland (Rogart Hall) -
Thornhill (Bowling Club Hall) - 14th Sept 10 – Iain Cathcart Trio
Thurso (Pentland Hotel) –
Turriff (Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown) – 2nd Sept 10 – Jimmy Lindsay Trio
Tynedale (Hexham Ex Service Club) – 16th Sept 10 – Wayne Robertson
Uist & Benbecula (C of S Hall, Griminish) -
West Barnes (West Barnes Inn)
Wick (MacKay’s Hotel) – 21st Sept 10 – Lomond Ceilidh Band
THERE WERE CLUB REPORTS FROM :-
1. Annan
2. Arbroath
3. Blairgowrie
4. Campsie
5. Forfar
6. Glendale
7. Kintore
8. Lauder
9. Lewis & Harris
10. Sutherland
11. Turriff
12. Tynedale
CLUB DIRECTORY AS AT OCT 2009
(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. Balloch A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per January 1978 issue – present)
6. Banchory A&F Club (1978 – present)
7. Banff & District A&F Club (Oct 1973 – present)
8. Beith & District A&F Club (Sept 1972 – per first edition – present)
9. Belford A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
10. Biggar A&F Club (Oct 1974 – present)
11. Blairgowrie A&F Club (
12. Britannia B&F Club ( joined 07-08 but much older
13. Bromley A&F Club (joined 95-96 – closed early 08-09)
14. Button Key A&F Club (
15. Campsie A&F Club (Nov 95 – present)
16. Carlisle A&F Club (joined Sept 1993 -
17. Castle Douglas A&F Club (c Sept 1980 – present)
18. Coalburn A&F Club (
19. Coldingham A&F Club (Nov 2008 -
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. Fort William A&F Club (2009 -
35. Galashiels A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
36. Galston A&F Club (Oct 1969 – per first edition – closed March 2006)
37. Glendale Accordion Club (Jan 1973)
38. Glenfarg A&F Club (formed 1988 joined Assoc Mar 95 -
39. Glenrothes A&F Club (Mar 93?
40. Gretna A&F Club (1991) Known as North Cumbria A&F Club previously (originally called Gretna when started in June 1966 but later had to move to venues in the North of England and changed name. No breaks in the continuity of the Club)
41. Haddington A&F Club (formed Feb 2005 - )
42. Highland A&F Club (Inverness) (Nov 1973 – present)
43. Inveraray A&F Club (Feb 1991 - present)
44. Islesteps A&F Club (Jan 1981 – present – n.b. evolved from the original Dumfries Club)
45. Isle of Skye A&F Club (June 1983 – present)
46. Kelso A&F Club (May 1976 – present)
47. Kintore A&F Club (
48. Ladybank A&F Club (joined Apr 98 but formed earlier
49. Lanark A&F Club (joined Sept 96 – closed March 2015)
50. Langholm A&F Club (Oct 1967 - present)
51. Lauder A&F Club (May 2010 -
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 Maine Valley A&F Club (
56 Mauchline A&F Club (Sept 1983 - present)
57 Montrose A&F Club (joined Sept 1982 - present)
58 Newburgh A&F Club (joined 2002 but founded
59 Newmill-on-Teviot (Hawick) (Formed late 1988 joined Assoc 1999 - closed March 2016)
60 Newtongrange A&F Club (joined Sept 1977 - present)
61. North East A&F Club aka Keith A&FC (Sept 1971 - present)
62. Oban A&F Club (Nov 1975 - present)
63. Orkney A&F Club (Mar 1978 - present)
64. Peebles A&F Club (26 Nov 1981 - present)
65. Perth & District A&F Club (Aug 1970 - present)
66. Premier A&F Club NI (April 1980)
67. Phoenix A&F Club, Ardrishaig (Dec 2004 -
68. Renfrew A&F Club (1984 -
69. Rothbury Accordion Club (7th Feb 1974) orig called Coquetdale
70. Selkirk A&F Club (
71. Shetland A&F Club (Sept 1978 - present)
72 Stonehouse A&F Club (first report June 05 -
73 Sutherland A&F Club (Nov 1982 -
74 Thornhill A&F Club (joined Oct 1983 – see Nov 83 edition – closed April 2014)
75 Thurso A&F Club (Oct 1981 - present)
76 Turriff A&F Club (March 1982 - present)
77 Tynedale A&F Club (Nov 1980 - present)
78 Uist & Benbecula A&F Club (Dec 2007 but formed 1994 -
79 West Barnes ( - present)
80 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?)
81. Araharacle & District A&F Club (cMay 1988)
82. Armadale A&F Club (Oct 1978? or 80) originally called Bathgate Club (for 2 months) Last meeting May 2010
83. Ayr A&F Club (Nov 1983 – per Nov 83 edition) Closed
84. Bonchester Accordion Club (Closed?)
85. Bridge of Allan (Walmer) A&F Club (Walmer Hotel, Bridge of Allan) (c March 1982)
86. Brigmill A&F Club (Oct 1990) Closed
87. Buchan A&F Club
88 Callander A&F Club (
89 Campbeltown & District A&F Club (c Dec 1980)
90 Cleland (cNov 1981 – March 1985) originally called Drumpellier A&F Club (for 2 months)
91 Club Accord
92 Coquetdale A&F Club (Feb 1974 or c1976/77 – 1981/2? – became Rothbury?)
93. Coupar Angus A&F Club (cSept 1978 - ?)
94. Cumnock A&F Club (October 1976 - forced to close cDec 1982 - see Jan 83 Editorial)
95. Denny & Dunipace A&F Club (Feb 1981)
96. Derwentside A&F Club
97. Dornoch A&F Club (first mention in directory 1986)
98. Dumfries Accordion Club (Oughtons) (April 1965 at the Hole in the Wa’)
99. Dunbar Cement Works A&F Club (Closed?)
100. Dundee & District A&F Club (January 1971 – 1995?)
101. Edinburgh A&F Club (Apr 1981) prev called Chrissie Leatham A&F Club (Oct 1980)
102. Falkirk A&F Club (Sept 1978 - )
103. Fort William A&F Club (21st Oct 1980 – per Dec 1980 B&F)
104. Gorebridge (cNov 1981) originally called Arniston A&F Club (for 2 months)
105. Greenhead Accordion Club (on the A69 between Brampton and Haltwistle)
106. Islay A&F Club (23 Apr 93 -
107. Kirriemuir A&F Club (cSept 1981)
108. Lesmahagow A&F Club (Nov 1979 – closed May 2005)
109. M.A.F.I.A. (1966 – 1993?)
110. Monklands A&F Club (Nov 1978 – closed cApril 1983)
111. Morecambe A&F Club (joined Sept 1982)
112. Muirhead A&F Club (Dec 1994 -
113. Mull A&F Club
114. Newcastleton Accordion Club
115. New Cumnock A&F Club (cMarch 1979)
116. Newton St Boswells Accordion Club (17th Oct 1972 see Apr 1984 obituary for Angus Park)
117. Ormiston Miners’ Welfare Society A&F Club (closed April 1992 – per Sept Editorial)
118. Reading Scottish Fiddlers (cMarch 1997
119. Renfrew A&F Club (original club 1974/5 lapsed after a few years then again in 1984)
120. Stirling A&F Club (Oct 1991 – closed 20000/01?)
121. Straiton Accordion Club (c1968 – closed March 1979)
122. Stranraer & District Accordion Club (1974 – per first edition)
123. Torthorwald A&F Club (near Dumfries)
124. Tranent A&F Club
125. Vancouver
126. Walmer (Bridge of Allan) A&F Club
127. Wellbank A&F Club
128. Yarrow (prev known as Etterick & Yarrow) (Jan 1989 – closed 2001/02)
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