2009

STORNawAY (FIDDLERS) 5 REST OF THE WORLD (FIDDLERS) 9

THE FIRST REGISTERED FOOTBALL MATCH EVER TO TAKE PLACE ON THE ISLAND OF TARANSAY WAS WON BY THE VISITORS, THE REST OF THE WORLD TEAM.
IN A CLOSELY FOUGHT GAME THE VISITORS COMPLETELY DOMINATED THE MATCH. ALLAN HENDERSON (BLAZIN FIDDLES) REFLECTED ON A MAGNIFICENT PERFORMANCE – “WE WERE AWESOME!“. HOWEVER, THE CYNICAL NATURE OF THE STORNAWAY TEAM WAS CHARACTERISED BY WILLIE MACRAE’S CRUDE CHALLENGE ON CHARLIE MACKERRON (SESSION A 9). CHARLIE IS NOW RECOVERING BUT IT IS LIKELY HE WILL NEVER PLAY THE FIDDLE AGAIN!
ALLAN HENDERSON’S SCREAMER FROM 25 YARDS WAS ONLY ECLIPSED BY ROBBIE LEASK’S FIVE GOAL Rout THAT HELPED SEAL THE HOME TEAMS FATE.
DOLAN MORRISON WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY TO STAY ON THE FIELD OF PLAY AFTER TWO PARTICULARLY UGLY ENCOUNTERS WITH THE REFEREE (ALEC SUTHERLAND). IN FACT, MR SUTHERLAND WAS HEARD TO REMARK AFTER THE FINAL WHISTLE “I’LL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!”.
FOLLOWING THE GAME, THE TEAM MANAGER OF THE ISLAND TEAM, MURDO JOHNSTON, LEFT BY MUTUAL CONSENT.
THE CAPTAINCY OF THE STORNWAY TEAM (DOLAN MORRISON) IS UNDER QUESTION AND AN ANNOUCEMENT FROM THE CLUB IS DUE SHORTLY.
THE REST OF THE WORLD TEAM COMPLETED A MEMORABLE EVENING ON TARANSAY WITH A VICTORY CELEBRATION ON THE ISLAND THAT WENT ON THROUGH THE NIGHT.

20 Apr 2010

The Hebridean Celtic Festival which is celebrating its 15th anniversary created its Hall of Fame to mark the anniversary and the first three inductees were renowned Scottish artistes Runrig, Julie Fowlis, and Peatbog Faeries has now opened voting for the next round to festival-goers.

There are three categories now open to the public vote. One artist or performance will be recognised from each category.

The categories and nominations are:

Best Show in the Big Blue Marquee
Face the West (2009); Runrig (2005); The Chair (2009)

Best Show in An Lanntair, the Stornoway arts centre
Karen Matheson (2009); The Chair (2009); Iain Morrison (2008)

Best Show in the 15 Years of the Festival
Runrig (2005); The Chair (2009); Seth Lakeman (2008)

INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY TEMPLE RECORDS

Nigel Hitchcock
Nigel is an internationally renowned virtuoso saxophonist who has worked with many top artists in the fields of pop and jazz. After nearly twenty years of recording and touring around the world Nigel set down roots in the Isle of Skye five years ago where Scotland’s ever-popular Celtic fusion band the Peatbog Faeries are also based. Nigel’s amazing skills, innovation and boundless musicality have brought exciting new dimensions to the Peatbog Faeries’ repertoire and performances.

Fraser Fifield
One of Scotland’s most innovative and creative musicians, Fraser Fifield is a multi-instrumentalist and composer with a distinctly original sound. His distillation of influences from such diverse sources as the Highland Bagpipe tradition, Jazz Saxophone, Bulgarian Kaval and others, has lead to a growing catalogue of critically acclaimed recordings. Fraser is also known to many for his work with various Scottish bands and musicians that cross a whole spectrum of music making, including Salsa Celtica, Old Blind Dogs, Mr McFalls Chamber any many more. His latest recording  Stereocanto  was released in October 2009.

Patsy Reid
Patsy Reid from Knapp in Perthshire grew up playing both traditional Scottish fiddle and classical violin winning the prestigeous Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship twice at just 15 and 16 years of age. Her exquisite tone, elegance and a deftness of touch are apparent in her work with the popular folk band Breabach and she is also in great demand as a fiddle teacher, on such notable couses as Alasdair Fraser’s at Sabhal Mor Ostaig  and the award-winning Taransay Fiddle Camp. Patsy’s Celtic Connections commission ‘Bridging the Gap’  was described  “an attractive and skilfully assembled work that is coherent, imaginative and beautifully performed”.

Lauren MacColl
Lauren MacColl learned fiddle through the thriving  Feisean movement in Ross-Shire and is an emotional and communicative performer of the music from her Highland tradition along with her trio ‘The MacCollective’. She won the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award in 2005 and two years on released her debut album ‘When Leaves Fall’, named ‘Classic Album’ of Celtic Connections festival 2008. Her second album ‘Strewn with Ribbons’ was released to critical acclaim in 2009, a recording of music researched from old Highland Collections married with her own tune writing. As well as with the MacCollective, Lauren plays in a duo with flute player Calum Stewart and in a new project Mackinnon | MacColl | MacPherson and is also fiddle tutor at RSAMD’s Junior dept. “Her slow airs may well make you cry…..stop-you-in-your-tracks gorgeousness” (The Herald)

LIVE ACT OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY GREENTRAX RECORDINGS

Treacherous Orchestra
Emerging from the vibrant melting-pot of Glasgow’s 21st-century folk scene, The Treacherous Orchestra take Scottish dance music into a thrilling new dimension. Comprising a baker’s dozen of Scotland’s finest young instrumentalists, this truly turbocharged collective have incited merry mayhem at every one of their previously rare appearances, from remote Hebridean islands to the world-renowned Celtic Connections Festival. The band’s members, mostly still in their 20s, hail mainly from the length and breadth of Scotland and together represent the leading edge of the country’s ongoing folk revival. Having grown up under the influence of such pioneering fusion acts as Shooglenifty, Martyn Bennett and Wolfstone, they draw simultaneously on deep traditional roots and the full gamut of contemporary influences, interweaving these strands organically in a repertoire consisting almost entirely of original tunes.

Session A9
Showered with superlatives, Session A9 have been described as “The best band to have come out of Scotland in 100 years”, “Tighter than James Brown” and an “Amazing Festival band”, great praise indeed for a band formed through informal music sessions up and down the arterial Scottish road, the A9. Highly acclaimed concerts and festival appearances and a tune-up tour in 2009 have seen the band in increasing demand . With a four man fiddle frontline of  Charlie McKerron, Adam Sutherland, Kevin Henderson and Gordon Gunn plus Marc Clement on guitar;  Brian McAlpine on keyboards and David Robertson on percussion, Session A9 really are a  “Scottish super group”,

Face the West
Face The West are a young, fresh, Celtic Rock outfit with incredible talent. The group from the Island Of Lewis are hardworking and energetic. Powerful drums, deep bass lines, synths and keyboards provide the sound for the backing while traditional lead instruments get people’s hearts racing and feet tapping. At the 2009, Hebridean Celtic festival, their show on the main stage in the big blue tent was not only full of great music but created an irresistible ‘party’ atmosphere propelling even the most reluctant dancer on to the floor.

Friday 29th January 2010, 9.00pm

Old Fruitmarket

Although famed first and foremost as a fiddle band, the Scottish supergroup Session A9 are much more besides. Alongside their four-man frontline of Charlie McKerron, Adam Sutherland, Kevin Henderson and Gordon Gunn (drawn from such leading acts as Capercaillie, the Peatbog Faeries and Fiddlers’ Bid), their line-up also comprises piano, guitar, percussion and vocals, making music as exquisitely accomplished as it’s viscerally exciting.

Having added 2008’s Instrumentalist of the Year title at the Scots Trad Music Award to his collection of major accolades, the spellbinding singer, songwriter, guitarist and ex-Session A9 member Kris Drever tonight launches his hotly-anticipated second solo album, Mark the Hard Earth. As well as his own set, featuring sundry special guests on new original songs and freshly-worked material by Sandy Wright, Boo Hewerdine and Hamish Henderson, he’s sure to join his former bandmates for a number or two…

Stramash-Reels.mp32009

Stramash-Jigs mp3 2009

Alistair White- breton tune.mp3 2009

Anna Massie class.mp3 2009

Anna Massie.mp3 Class 2009.

Tutors-mp3 2009.

Charlie Mackerrons class-mp3 2009

Corran ra-mp3 2009

Corran ra-mp3 2009