Violet Tulloch
‘The Star’
By Gussie Angus
The title was conferred by compere, Jeemie Burgess, at a Club Night following one of Violet’s many TV appearances and it stuck – our very own star.
This particular star was born in Lerwick where her first musical memories are of her father’s accordion playing – sadly he was to die a young man but the home was, and remains, a very musical one. An adept pupil, she had already acquired from him sufficient of an accordion technique and repertoire for the late Dr Tom Anderson (Tammy) to propel her directly into the front line of the Islesburgh Dance Band at the age of 13. A shock, this, to her musical system as she struggled to keep abreast of the legendary Tammy, Frankie Sinclair and Alice Sutherland (later Nicolson), Peerie Willie and Drew Robertson. Soon, however, she was an established player although the school headmaster had decreed that her public playing be restricted to weekends and then only as long as it did not interfere with her studies!
With the Islesburgh Band the most popular around in the 1950s there were few free weekends. Nevertheless, when her pal, the local brass bandmaster’s daughter, invited her to join the band to help swell the ranks, Violet readily obliged and graduated, through choice, to 2nd cornet, playing opposite her mentor, Tammy, who also played brass. As if that were not enough, she was also developing her piano playing, sneaking away to the local community centre to find an instrument, so out-of-tune was the household’s Joanna.
Soon, her solitary, self-taught, keyboard skills came to the attention of another emerging local talent, near neighbour and family friend, Ronnie Cooper, and Wednesday afternoon (Violet’s half day from work) became a regular musical date for the duo. It was around this period in her life that Violet began developing her own style of piano accompaniment, a style which was to become so distinctive in time to come.
Music inevitably had to take second place, as first a spell at college in Edinburgh and then marriage to a local businessman, Drew Tulloch, became the principal focus of her life. Bringing up sons Stewart and then Andrew meant that music-making for some years was more or less restricted to occasional home-based sessions.
A chance phone call from fiddler, Arthur Scott Robertson, in the late 1970s requesting that she accompany him on an Overseas Radio Broadcast, signaled her return to the scene and, before long, other fiddlers – Tammy, of course, Frankie Jamieson, Willie Hunter, and so on – were filling her diary with gigs, and old friend, Ronnie Cooper, and she resumed their musical partnership.
The Shetland Fiddlers’ Society, under Tammy’s direction, was by this time an established musical entity and Violet was invited to share piano accompaniment with the late Marjory Smith.
Violet was enjoying her return to public playing, but more particularly, the renaissance of traditional music, and was a founder as well as a committee member of the newly formed Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Club which remains an important musical venue for her. Whilst much in demand as an accompanist, her accordion playing was also in demand, principally by Jeemie Burgess whose band she joined in the mid-1980s along with Willie Hunter, Alan Bruce on piano and May Gair on bass – ‘The Milkshakes’, as they were affectionately to be known (a reference to Jeemie Burgess’ then career as a dairy owner) can still be relied upon to entertain on Club Nights.
Round about the same time, Aly Bain, probably Tammy’s best known pupil and an established folk musician with an international reputation, had been invited by BBC TV to play a programme of traditional music in the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. Aly was anxious that the broadcast would satisfy the purists as well as the viewing public and wanted high quality, non-intrusive accompaniment to enhance his own playing – old pals Peerie Willie and Violet readily agreed to help out. The programme was widely acclaimed and marked Violet’s TV debut and led to the long running series ‘Down Home’, featuring Aly and herself with a host of other musicians. Other recent TV spots include, ‘The Riverside Club’ and ‘The Shetland Sessions’.
A chance encounter with that other keyboard maestro, Phil Cunningham, led to yet another harmonious partnership which, when Aly was added, has developed into the now familiar trio playing to packed halls all over the place – they have, in fact, just completed a successful tour of Shetland!
Throughout all this, Violet continued her association with Tammy and was a great support in the formation and the early musical development of the group of youngsters now well established as Shetland’s Young Heritage and provided piano accompaniment to the group until Tammy’s death in 1991. The group tended to form the core around which Tammy’s celebrated fiddling Summer Schools at Stirling University were built and, once again, Violet provided that all-important backing.
She has particularly fond memories of one particular summer when the grand old man himself, Jimmy Shand, turned up at Stirling where, to a most appreciative audience, Jimmy, Tammy and she gave an impromptu rendering of ‘Snow in Summer’ – later, she recalls, she and husband, Drew, were graciously entertained in the Shand household at Auchtermuchty.
Tammy transplanted the Summer School idea to Shetland when he persuaded the local Education Authority to run one in Shetland and, in his own inimitable style, also saw to it that a piano accompaniment workshop ran in tandem – tutored by Violet, of course, and attracting pupils from all over the mainland as well as Shetland.
Elsewhere, she has found time to make recordings with Iain MacPhail, play with the Bill Black Band, accompany Ian Powrie, make four records with Aly and one with Willie Hunter. She has had ample opportunity for more varied and extended musical work but that would have meant sacrificing some home life which she was not prepared to consider. Preferring to keep her feet tapping firmly on Shetland soil, she has turned her attention to teaching piano, both at night school and privately with some very able pupils about to emerge – no names, but look out for a very talented 12 year old lass in the near future.
She is reluctant to be drawn on musical highlights, but recalls accompanying Willie Hunter at the Capitol Theatre in Aberdeen during the 1990 Alternative Music Festival. She was apprehensive at being separated by the width of the stage from Willie, against the backdrop of massed fiddlers but, such were the acoustics that Willie’s playing was inspired to new heights and his interpretation of the air ‘Glenmore’ visibly moved some of the audience.
Violet enjoys the atmosphere of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs and feels their influence will be all the more important given the recent shift of focus on our kind of music by an insensitive BBC Radio Scotland. She also, naturally, wants to see much greater emphasis placed on supporting musicians and on sympathetic accompaniment to our music.
Her own musical tastes range from classical to folk but’ if drawn, will confess to a secret passion for Scots and Shetland slow airs written for the fiddle.
Her other passion in life, after husband Drew naturally, is playing bridge – now there’s a surprise for you all – she’s a leading light in the Lerwick Bridge Club and takes a trick or two there I can tell you. Drew and son, Stewart, remain her most outspoken critics whilst younger son, Andrew, is too busy playing guitar with another local group ‘Home Bru’ – you may also have heard of them. Drew is also her principal supporter and their home in central Lerwick is a bit of a musical oasis – the scene of many a mighty night of music and venue for alternative festivals, both of the Folk and Accordion and Fiddle variety.
So, that’s a glimpse into the life and times of Violet, our very own star.
Box and Fiddle
November 1993
This particular star was born in Lerwick where her first musical memories are of her father’s accordion playing – sadly he was to die a young man but the home was, and remains, a very musical one. An adept pupil, she had already acquired from him sufficient of an accordion technique and repertoire for the late Dr Tom Anderson (Tammy) to propel her directly into the front line of the Islesburgh Dance Band at the age of 13. A shock, this, to her musical system as she struggled to keep abreast of the legendary Tammy, Frankie Sinclair and Alice Sutherland (later Nicolson), Peerie Willie and Drew Robertson. Soon, however, she was an established player although the school headmaster had decreed that her public playing be restricted to weekends and then only as long as it did not interfere with her studies!
With the Islesburgh Band the most popular around in the 1950s there were few free weekends. Nevertheless, when her pal, the local brass bandmaster’s daughter, invited her to join the band to help swell the ranks, Violet readily obliged and graduated, through choice, to 2nd cornet, playing opposite her mentor, Tammy, who also played brass. As if that were not enough, she was also developing her piano playing, sneaking away to the local community centre to find an instrument, so out-of-tune was the household’s Joanna.
Soon, her solitary, self-taught, keyboard skills came to the attention of another emerging local talent, near neighbour and family friend, Ronnie Cooper, and Wednesday afternoon (Violet’s half day from work) became a regular musical date for the duo. It was around this period in her life that Violet began developing her own style of piano accompaniment, a style which was to become so distinctive in time to come.
Music inevitably had to take second place, as first a spell at college in Edinburgh and then marriage to a local businessman, Drew Tulloch, became the principal focus of her life. Bringing up sons Stewart and then Andrew meant that music-making for some years was more or less restricted to occasional home-based sessions.
A chance phone call from fiddler, Arthur Scott Robertson, in the late 1970s requesting that she accompany him on an Overseas Radio Broadcast, signaled her return to the scene and, before long, other fiddlers – Tammy, of course, Frankie Jamieson, Willie Hunter, and so on – were filling her diary with gigs, and old friend, Ronnie Cooper, and she resumed their musical partnership.
The Shetland Fiddlers’ Society, under Tammy’s direction, was by this time an established musical entity and Violet was invited to share piano accompaniment with the late Marjory Smith.
Violet was enjoying her return to public playing, but more particularly, the renaissance of traditional music, and was a founder as well as a committee member of the newly formed Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Club which remains an important musical venue for her. Whilst much in demand as an accompanist, her accordion playing was also in demand, principally by Jeemie Burgess whose band she joined in the mid-1980s along with Willie Hunter, Alan Bruce on piano and May Gair on bass – ‘The Milkshakes’, as they were affectionately to be known (a reference to Jeemie Burgess’ then career as a dairy owner) can still be relied upon to entertain on Club Nights.
Round about the same time, Aly Bain, probably Tammy’s best known pupil and an established folk musician with an international reputation, had been invited by BBC TV to play a programme of traditional music in the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. Aly was anxious that the broadcast would satisfy the purists as well as the viewing public and wanted high quality, non-intrusive accompaniment to enhance his own playing – old pals Peerie Willie and Violet readily agreed to help out. The programme was widely acclaimed and marked Violet’s TV debut and led to the long running series ‘Down Home’, featuring Aly and herself with a host of other musicians. Other recent TV spots include, ‘The Riverside Club’ and ‘The Shetland Sessions’.
A chance encounter with that other keyboard maestro, Phil Cunningham, led to yet another harmonious partnership which, when Aly was added, has developed into the now familiar trio playing to packed halls all over the place – they have, in fact, just completed a successful tour of Shetland!
Throughout all this, Violet continued her association with Tammy and was a great support in the formation and the early musical development of the group of youngsters now well established as Shetland’s Young Heritage and provided piano accompaniment to the group until Tammy’s death in 1991. The group tended to form the core around which Tammy’s celebrated fiddling Summer Schools at Stirling University were built and, once again, Violet provided that all-important backing.
She has particularly fond memories of one particular summer when the grand old man himself, Jimmy Shand, turned up at Stirling where, to a most appreciative audience, Jimmy, Tammy and she gave an impromptu rendering of ‘Snow in Summer’ – later, she recalls, she and husband, Drew, were graciously entertained in the Shand household at Auchtermuchty.
Tammy transplanted the Summer School idea to Shetland when he persuaded the local Education Authority to run one in Shetland and, in his own inimitable style, also saw to it that a piano accompaniment workshop ran in tandem – tutored by Violet, of course, and attracting pupils from all over the mainland as well as Shetland.
Elsewhere, she has found time to make recordings with Iain MacPhail, play with the Bill Black Band, accompany Ian Powrie, make four records with Aly and one with Willie Hunter. She has had ample opportunity for more varied and extended musical work but that would have meant sacrificing some home life which she was not prepared to consider. Preferring to keep her feet tapping firmly on Shetland soil, she has turned her attention to teaching piano, both at night school and privately with some very able pupils about to emerge – no names, but look out for a very talented 12 year old lass in the near future.
She is reluctant to be drawn on musical highlights, but recalls accompanying Willie Hunter at the Capitol Theatre in Aberdeen during the 1990 Alternative Music Festival. She was apprehensive at being separated by the width of the stage from Willie, against the backdrop of massed fiddlers but, such were the acoustics that Willie’s playing was inspired to new heights and his interpretation of the air ‘Glenmore’ visibly moved some of the audience.
Violet enjoys the atmosphere of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs and feels their influence will be all the more important given the recent shift of focus on our kind of music by an insensitive BBC Radio Scotland. She also, naturally, wants to see much greater emphasis placed on supporting musicians and on sympathetic accompaniment to our music.
Her own musical tastes range from classical to folk but’ if drawn, will confess to a secret passion for Scots and Shetland slow airs written for the fiddle.
Her other passion in life, after husband Drew naturally, is playing bridge – now there’s a surprise for you all – she’s a leading light in the Lerwick Bridge Club and takes a trick or two there I can tell you. Drew and son, Stewart, remain her most outspoken critics whilst younger son, Andrew, is too busy playing guitar with another local group ‘Home Bru’ – you may also have heard of them. Drew is also her principal supporter and their home in central Lerwick is a bit of a musical oasis – the scene of many a mighty night of music and venue for alternative festivals, both of the Folk and Accordion and Fiddle variety.
So, that’s a glimpse into the life and times of Violet, our very own star.
Box and Fiddle
November 1993