I have encountered references to The Smith Brothers, musicians from Shetland who played at the heretics concerts in Edinburgh in the 1970s but could find nothing on them. At last, Doli MacLennan turned up some images of them. So here we have Rob and Maurice Smith. Rob played both fiddle and accordion.

Mark Hayward, fiddler in the Whistlebinkies and Scottish Ballet getting warmed up on board the Frigate Unicorn in Dundee tonight.

Through to Glasgow for a pre-St Patrick’s night gathering where I caught up with fiddling college mates John Gahagan and Jimmy McGuire. Jimmy is now a skilled violin maker and plays an instrument of his own make.

 The Clutha, 1963

The following was published by the Traditional Music Forum earlier this week:

MAPPING THE INSTRUMENTAL FOLK MUSIC REVIVAL IN SCOTLAND

Guest blog by Stuart Eydmann

I’m sure that no reader of this blog would disagree with my suggestion that instrumental traditional music in Scotland is in a very healthy state indeed. Participation levels are high throughout the country and among all age groups. This is supported by a large infrastructure of instrument makers and technicians, retailers, publishers, teachers, learning and performance opportunities. Traditional music is integrated, to various degrees, into formal education at all levels, there are dedicated programmes on radio and television and among many young people, playing a traditional instrument is seen as cool.It must be difficult, particularly for those under the age of 40, to appreciate that this was not always the case and that the current levels of interest is the result of developments of relatively recent origin.  Continue reading →

A great day in Co. Durham talking with Loanhead born fiddler Chuck Fleming. So many stories of fiddling in the revival and deep thoughts on the art and meaning of traditional fiddle playing.

Yet more photographs from the fiddle sessions at the Newcastleton Folk Festival have surfaced and will be added to this blog before long. A special favourite is this portrait by Christine Hoy of Border fiddler Tam Hughes and friend listening in to the music.

 The Clutha on a Clyde steamer in the 1960s

What a great way to spend a wet afternoon… sitting chatting with two great fiddlers Erlend Voy and Callum Allan of the Clutha. Formed in the early 1960s the Clutha folk group was noted its sensitive delivery of Scottish songs, including the big ballads, and was the first to employ a fiddle (actually two) as well as concertina and, later, the small pipes. I left with lost of information and memories which will find a place here in due course.

An important part of the fiddle revival was the rediscovery and exploration of important seams of repertory which was either overlooked or awaiting exploitation. This was particularly true of the compositions of Scottish born Tyneside fiddler James Hill whose tunes were popular with all fiddlers and concertina players in the 1970s and 80s. Much work has been done by historian and piper Graham Dixon in compiling a definitive collection of Hill’s tunes and putting his life into context. I was delighted to meet Graham yesterday and to hear of the republication (with an excellent CD) of his Hill book The Lads Like Beer. It is s super production that I strongly recommend.

After a dash from Edinburgh to Glasgow I joined the Whistlebinkies for their concert at Kilmardinny Music Society, Bearsden. Fellow fiddler Alastair Savage premiered his new St Andrew’s Lament written in response to the tragic Clutha Vaults disaster. What a lovely piece.

Early this evening I made a modest musical contribution to a reception to launch the publication of a festscrift for Margaret Mackay. Kath Campbell, Gary West and myself played s set of tunes composed for Maggie by Kath, some pipe marches and tunes from the Eliza Ross (Lady D’Oyly) manuscript, one of the great unexploited great treasures of Scottish traditional music. It was great to meet so many old friends including my former academic mentor Dr Peter Cooke who shared his memories from field work with fiddlers in the 1970s. Then it was off to Glasgow…