Turriff & District – 30th Anniversary – 7th April 2012
by
B&F June 2012
Turriff & District Accordion and Fiddle Club celebrated the Club’s 30th birthday in tremendous style on 7th April in The Commercial Hotel, Cuminestown.
The first Club meeting was on 1st April 1982, in The Royal Oak Hotel, Turriff, with a full house of over 150 people. The late John D. Morrison, Chairman, welcomed the audience and the guest artistes were The Buchan A&F Club. There were plenty of players off the floor including a fiddler on holiday from Canada. The Club went from strength to strength with the help of loyal supporters, conscientious Committee members and in particular the late Margaret Wilson of Bogenlea, New Blyth, who was a stalwart Chairperson and Secretary for a long number of years.
The celebratory meeing was excellent – the hall was packed with an appreciative audience, an abundance of ‘off-the-floor’ players and of course, the well-respected guest artistes Robert Lovie and Friends.
Chairman Sandy Duncan welcomed the audience, then founder member Hugh Henderson and his daughter Pat Steele. Press Secretary and long standing club member, cut the beautiful cake baked and iced by Secretary Kate Michie. Flowers were presented to Hugh, Pat and Nellie Duncan, the Chairman’s wife.
Off the floor players included pianist Risie Kellas, fiddlers Alex Whyte, Nicola Auchnie, Megan Ingram, Maisie Ingram and Jim Stables, accordionists Allan Ferguson, Kevin Cheyne, John Stewart and George Ogg and drummer Andy Cheyne.
Time for the guest artistes and it was Robert Lovie, the Aberdour Loon fae Fyvie Castle, the Finechty fiddler, Raemond Jappy and box player John Bone faeInverallochy. The Trio made an excellent start with ‘Mr Michie’ and ‘Carbies’ Canter’, getting the audience in toe-tapping mode. Raemond, accompanied by Robert on piano, played a selection of well-known tunes including ‘The Duke of Fife’s Welcome to Deeside’, ‘Miller o’ Hirn’ and ‘J. F. Dickie’s Delight.’ Another of Robert’s friends and his former music teacher Grace Taylor played a piano duet with him, and she kept him in order (as teachers do!) as they played ‘Millicent’s Favourite’, ‘De’il Among the Tailors’ and ‘Tico Tico’. Accomplished accordionist John, accompanied by Robert on piano, played a variety of Scottish and Continental tunes, including ‘The Glasgow Reel’, ‘The Flying Scotsman’ and ‘Light and Shade’.
After tea and birthday cake it was back to the entertainment with Robert reciting ‘The furrett’, an Ian Middleton poem, before Raemond skillfully played a tremendous selection of Shetland music including ‘The Auld Resting Chair’, ‘The Sandyburn Reel’ and a firm favourite ‘Leaving Lerwick Harbour’. Robert had the audience in stitches as he recited another of Ian Middleton’s poems ‘Passion Pooder’, and then continued with a favourite song ‘Caledonia’. John returned to the stage and, accompanied by Robert, he played ‘Dancing Fingers’, an own composition ‘The Gypet Wifie’ and finished with ‘Czardas’. The Trio finished their superb programme with ‘Bonnie Nancy’, ‘Itchy Fingers’ and ‘The Flowers of Edinburgh’, before the other players joined them on stage for the final stramash. It was encore after encore, nobody wanted to go home! The audience eventually left with “a spring in their step”. A great night of entertainment to celebrate the Club’s 30th.
The first Club meeting was on 1st April 1982, in The Royal Oak Hotel, Turriff, with a full house of over 150 people. The late John D. Morrison, Chairman, welcomed the audience and the guest artistes were The Buchan A&F Club. There were plenty of players off the floor including a fiddler on holiday from Canada. The Club went from strength to strength with the help of loyal supporters, conscientious Committee members and in particular the late Margaret Wilson of Bogenlea, New Blyth, who was a stalwart Chairperson and Secretary for a long number of years.
The celebratory meeing was excellent – the hall was packed with an appreciative audience, an abundance of ‘off-the-floor’ players and of course, the well-respected guest artistes Robert Lovie and Friends.
Chairman Sandy Duncan welcomed the audience, then founder member Hugh Henderson and his daughter Pat Steele. Press Secretary and long standing club member, cut the beautiful cake baked and iced by Secretary Kate Michie. Flowers were presented to Hugh, Pat and Nellie Duncan, the Chairman’s wife.
Off the floor players included pianist Risie Kellas, fiddlers Alex Whyte, Nicola Auchnie, Megan Ingram, Maisie Ingram and Jim Stables, accordionists Allan Ferguson, Kevin Cheyne, John Stewart and George Ogg and drummer Andy Cheyne.
Time for the guest artistes and it was Robert Lovie, the Aberdour Loon fae Fyvie Castle, the Finechty fiddler, Raemond Jappy and box player John Bone faeInverallochy. The Trio made an excellent start with ‘Mr Michie’ and ‘Carbies’ Canter’, getting the audience in toe-tapping mode. Raemond, accompanied by Robert on piano, played a selection of well-known tunes including ‘The Duke of Fife’s Welcome to Deeside’, ‘Miller o’ Hirn’ and ‘J. F. Dickie’s Delight.’ Another of Robert’s friends and his former music teacher Grace Taylor played a piano duet with him, and she kept him in order (as teachers do!) as they played ‘Millicent’s Favourite’, ‘De’il Among the Tailors’ and ‘Tico Tico’. Accomplished accordionist John, accompanied by Robert on piano, played a variety of Scottish and Continental tunes, including ‘The Glasgow Reel’, ‘The Flying Scotsman’ and ‘Light and Shade’.
After tea and birthday cake it was back to the entertainment with Robert reciting ‘The furrett’, an Ian Middleton poem, before Raemond skillfully played a tremendous selection of Shetland music including ‘The Auld Resting Chair’, ‘The Sandyburn Reel’ and a firm favourite ‘Leaving Lerwick Harbour’. Robert had the audience in stitches as he recited another of Ian Middleton’s poems ‘Passion Pooder’, and then continued with a favourite song ‘Caledonia’. John returned to the stage and, accompanied by Robert, he played ‘Dancing Fingers’, an own composition ‘The Gypet Wifie’ and finished with ‘Czardas’. The Trio finished their superb programme with ‘Bonnie Nancy’, ‘Itchy Fingers’ and ‘The Flowers of Edinburgh’, before the other players joined them on stage for the final stramash. It was encore after encore, nobody wanted to go home! The audience eventually left with “a spring in their step”. A great night of entertainment to celebrate the Club’s 30th.