2012 Newsletter, Issue 1

Transcription

1 2012 Newsletter, Issue 1 Welcome! Young Trad Tour 2011 A very warm welcome to our first newsletter of 2012, we hope you enjoy it! If you have any news, photos or events you would like to share in the next newsletter please get in touch by sending an to marketing@tmsa.org.uk. Trad Trails Our collaboration with Feis Rois -Trad Trailskicks off at the end of March, with around 500 sessions and ceilidhs due to take place all across Scotland. If you are keen to take part either as a musician leading a session or a venue hosting a session head to music-events-scotland.asp. The programme is due to run to November so there is plenty time to get involved! Louis DeCarlo Many thanks to those who supported the 2011 TMSA Young Trad Tour. Don t forget the CD is still available through the TMSA shop as well as a digital download from Amazon and itunes! Turn to page 2 for an interview with Alistair Ogilvy, a participant of the 2011 tour, as well as the upcoming 2012 TYTT tour. T Bothy Ballad Champion of Champions Many congratulations to TMSA Honorary Member, Joe Aitken, from Kirriemuir, who was the winner of the 30th Bothy Ballad Champion of Champions competition in Elgin on 18 February. MSA Patrons Pitch In Winning for the 5th time, Joe beat off stiff competition from the other five singers to take the title in the competition organised by The Rotary Club of Elgin and sponsored by The Macallan. Taking second place was Hector Riddell, with Graham White coming in third. Trad Trails 1 Young Trad Tour Bothy Ballad Champion of Champions 1 Q + A Alistair Ogilvy 2-3 Others taking part were defending champion John Dickson, Natalie Chalmers and Allan Taylor. The entrants for the competition in Elgin are determined throughout the year, with the winners of TMSA Bothy Ballad competitions in Aberdeen, at Keith, Auchtermuchty and Kirriemuir Festivals, at Strichen Festival organised by the Buchan Heritage Society, and at a competition in Turriff, being invited to take part. ALISON MACKINNON Inside this issue 4 Baw Bee Folk and Blues Club 5 Memory Lane 6 In Brief 6-8 News From Branches

2 PAGE 2 Newsletter 2012, Issue 1 Q & A with Alistair Ogilvy Alistair Ogilvy is a traditional singer and sings mainly in Scots although also sings selfpenned songs and contemporary folk song. He was brought up in the picturesque village of Strathblane, and has been singing ever since he can remember. He has been gigging professionally solo and with a band throughout Scotland for the past few years. Alistair featured in the 2011 TMSA Young Trad Tour as well as being the TMSA Young Singer of Merit, and was once again a finalist for the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Clare Button asks him a few questions: 1. You say you have been singing since you were knee-high to a grasshopper! Can you remember the first time you sang in public? I have been singing ever since I can remember, from performing at family parties as a youngster to the different gigs/events I do now. The first time I probably sang in public was at a school concert although the first folky concert was a performance I was involved in at my local pub where I sang Ae Fond Kiss, which is the first traditional song I learned and is still one of my favourites. 2. I know your family have been very important to you musically: what have been your other major musical influences? There are far too many musicians who have inspired me to mention, although people like Sheila Stewart, Gordeanna McCulloch, June Tabor, Anne Neilson, Barbara Dymock, Karen Matheson, Jim Malcolm and Rod Paterson have all inspired me with their musicianship and songs. When a musician emotionally touches you with a song or tune you automatically create a bond and admiration for what they do. 3. Your website displays the phrase The Sang s The Thing. Could you explain what this motto mean to you? The Sangs s the Thing is a quote from a well -known Scots singer. For me it means that the singer is a portal for the story to come through. It also means that when a singer is

3 Newsletter 20012, Issue 1 PAGE 3 singing they are in charge of the speed, feel and emotion. 4. What draws you towards a particular song? There are many reasons that draw me to a song, the main one being the story and a good tune. If a tune/story doesn t do the other justice I will research a variant or match another respectfully. Above all I like a song of substance and meaning. Another special thing about singing is when other singers and musicians join in with you in different harmonies, off the cuff with no practice. There's been many a time where the music and the harmonies flow so beautifully - it produces such an extraordinary feeling within you and you can also feel it with the people you're playing/singing with, it's like a circle of energy. 6. You seem equally comfortable singing unaccompanied or with your band does instrumental backing change the way you approach or feel about a song? I love to sing unaccompanied, I like the freedom of style, speed and emotions available and being easily able to touch people with a story. I equally love to sing with accompaniment, as an instrumentalist myself I know which songs work well with music and which don t. As long as the accompaniment is respectful and sympathetic to the song then that s when it works. 7. The last few years seem to have been pretty eventful for you musically! What would you most like to achieve in the years to come? I am very lucky for what I have achieved over the past few years. I would really like my debut album to influence other young folk into the Scots tradition. It would also be nice to bring my singing to the English and Irish festivals / events and to work with more of my favourite musicians. 8. Finally, what advice would you give to other young traditional singers starting out? The advice I would give is to serve an apprenticeship by singing wherever and whenever you can. Singing at floor-spots at folk-clubs, joining in sessions, learning as many songs as you can that appeal to you. Above all treat the songs and stories with respect and be yourself, and in return you will be respected as an artist. Another piece of advice is to develop a good ear, being able to listen to others is an important as others listening to you. Alistair has recently released his debut album Leaves Sae Green on the Greentrax label featuring many Scots songs. For more info check his website - or there is the 2011 Young Trad Tour CD available both through the TMSA website, or as a download from Amazon and itunes. TMSA Young Trad Tour Quiz In celebration of the recently announced winner of the 2012 BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year award, we are running a competition to win CDs from previous years winner and finalists! Just answer these 5 questions: 1. Who was the first ever winner of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year? 2. What instrument does this year s winner, (2012) Rona Wilkie, play? 3. Where does 2007 s winner, Catriona Watt, hail from? 4. What language does 2004 s winner, James Graham, sing in? 5. Which city is the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year finals held? Send us your answers, along with your name and membership number before 30 April to: office@tmsa.org.uk

4 PAGE 4 Newsletter 2012, Issue 1 The Time is Right for The Baw-Bee Folk n Blues Club Dumfries Folk n Blues Club relaunches after 20 years: John Carson writes about keeping folk and blues alive and live! The original Dumfries Folk Club started in the early sixties and sadly petered out in the early nineties. What a journey we had: Hamish Imlach, Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger, the Chieftains, Peter Bellamy, Mike Harding, Barbara Dickson, Boys of the Lough and Archie Fisher to name but a few. You had to be there half an hour before the Club started to be sure of a seat, while a pint of heavy was two bob (10p) and a whisky was half a croon (12 1/2p). Amongst the local singers were Alistair Morrison, Langley Roberts, Stan Packman, The Layabouts (Jimmy and Billy Henderson), Bill Patterson, Sheila Henderson, Maggie and Irvine McVeigh, Alyne Jones, Billy and David Morrison and a wheen mair. Some of us can remember those heady 60s and 70s when the folk scene was a force to be reckoned with! Well, what goes round comes around and a new generation of singers and musicians are waiting in the wings and deserve to be heard. Dumfries and Galloway has a long tradition of folk music and song and lays claim to a wealth of many fine musicians and singers- amateur and professional. With this in mind, four like-minded enthusiasts met in November last year to discuss the reintroduction of a folk club in Dumfries. Informal sessions take place in the town but a Folk n Blues Club would provide a centre for folk music for both locals and visitors. The Club aims to provide a platform for local as well as national performers and to develop skills and confidence among beginners as well as more accomplished musicians. The Club also aims to rekindle an interest in folk music for local people, including families and the younger generations, who may perhaps perceive folk clubs as elitist but would readily sing one of the auld sangs at Hogmanay or at family gatherings! After much hard work, phone calls, ing and Facebooking on the part of the organisers, and supportive encouragement from enthusiasts, performers and the local press, the Club was launched on 15 December. A packed house of weel kent as well as new faces, a hard core of singers, musicians and well wishers of all ages enjoyed a spirited and highly accomplished performance from our first ever guests: a double bill on our first night! Alistair Ogilvy and Darcy dasilva impressed the audience with their talent, warmth and choice of songs and ballads, whilst Dave Gibb, an established singersongwriter and fantastic finger picking guitarist, proved popular with his wide ranging repertoire and good humour. Many stayed on for the informal session in the bar afterwards Since the opening night, the Club has gone from strength to strength with a well attended Singers Night and a mindblowing bluegrass and blues evening from the ever-popular Hokum Hotshots. To date, Club membership has reached 50+ with many more attending the club regularly. The Club plans to maintain its mix of Singers Nights and high-quality booked guests, as well as workshops and larger events such as a Mini Folk Festival and BBQ and a Folk and Ale Festival, both coming up in the summer. The Club s Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have supported us and wished us well in our endeavours! The Baw-Bee Folk n Blues Club meets on the 2 nd and 4 th Thursdays of each month, pm, Birkhill Hospitality Venue, 16 St Mary s St Dumfries, DG1 1LZ. See Facebook: B a w - B e e F o l k C l u b o r : john.carson11@btinternet.com for info!

5 PAGE 5 Newsletter 2012, Issue 1 Irene Watt The Baw-Bee Folk n Blues Club, from left to right: John Carson, Rona Carson, Sheila Henderson, Billy Henderson and Haig McCulloch. Memory Lane We found this great 1960s photo of Archie and Ray Fisher in the TMSA Archives. Have you got a photo you would like to share? it in to marketing@tmsa.org.uk to have it included in a future TMSA newsletter.

6 PAGE 6 Newsletter 2012, Issue 1 Facebook and Twitter Many of the branches now have their own Facebook pages! If you would like to keep up to date with your local branch, or see what all the other branches are up to you can like their page. Similarly, the main TMSA page is kept up to date with TMSA news and other articles of interest. You can also follow the TMSA on Raffle The TMSA intends to organise another major fundraising raffle again this year, so if anyone is able to assist in providing prizes we would be very grateful. Notification will be going out to Branch Secretaries shortly. Anyone who feels they can contribute in any way please contact Alison Mackinnon at alison@cuillin1.co.uk Event Calendar 2012 The TMSA Event Calendar 2012 is now available online at the TMSA website. So if you ve misplaced your hard copy you can always check the dates of your favourite festival or event! We are also able to update the calendar with any events or festivals that missed out the first time round just send us the info to office@tmsa.org.uk. New Line up for TMSA Board We welcomed Clare Button as secretary and Kay Thomson to the board of the TMSA elected at the last AGM. They join Douglas Craik (Convenor); Alison Mackinnon (Vice-Convenor); Fiona Campbell (Treasurer) and Liz Wilson. If you are interested in getting involved with helping run the TMSA please let us know. The date for this year's Keith Festival is 8-10 June The North Sea Gas concert - 24 March Committee members are now listed on the website, which also has contact details and other info - News From Keith Branch Photos from the 2011 Keith festival, Left: Neil Hardie Scottish Dance Band Above: Jim Taylor and Jake Simpson

7 Newsletter 2012, Issue 1 PAGE 7 News From Perth Branch Perth Branch are once again delighted to be associated with the Glenfarg Folk Feast on April. We are sponsoring the following workshops:- Saturday 14 April TMSA Workshops ( 5) DADGAD guitar (Tutor: Jim Malcolm) and D Whistle (Tutor: Neil Paterson) Sunday 15 April TMSA Workshop ( 5) Basic PA set-up (Tutor: John Weatherby) Glenfarg Folk Feast is one of the premier folk events in Scotland and all are welcome to attend. News From Aberdeen Branch Traditional Music and Song Competitions Day in Aberdeen On Saturday 17 March, the TMSA Aberdeen Branch will be hosting their annual competitions day in the Boys Brigade Headquarters on Crimmon Place commencing at 10:30 am. Competitions include: traditional verse, singing and tune playing at junior and senior level; Song and tune original compositions; and a trophy for Sea Shanty or Work songs. This year there will be a new competition for Clarsach which is being sponsored by Irene Watt. Clarsach players of all abilities are encouraged to enter because the judging will be based on interpretation, musical execution and performance rather than on difficulty factor. The Lord Provost will be attending to present the Scott Skinner Rosebowl and medal to the winner of the Senior Fiddle competition. In the evening there will be a concert featuring prize-winners followed by a ceilidh where musicians and singers share their talents with the wider audience. This takes place at The Boat Club starting at 7:30pm. Everyone is welcome to participate in the competitions or just to listen and there is no charge. Call for more information. Above: 2011 Junior Fiddle winners Right: 2011 Senior Fiddle Winner Anne Nicol and Lord Provost

8 PAGE 8 Newsletter 2012, Issue 1 News From Edinburgh & Lothians Branch The first part of the New Year is always a busy time for our branch as we have several events in quick succession. This year s Muckle Sing took place on Saturday 18 February in Linlithgow, with Janet Russell as our very able guest tutor. It was a sell-out event, with 80 participants from a number of Community Singing Groups as well as about 25% individual singers. After learning some new (to us) songs and arrangements in the morning, the afternoon workshop explored Singing for Dancing with several sets of The Dashing White Sergeant and plenty of couples for The Gay Gordons on the floor, as well as Scottish step dance from our very own Fiona Campbell. We then heard contributions from 6 groups present during The Performance Platform section and rounded off the daytime with a delightful set of very contrasting songs from Janet herself. And the evening was completed with a singing session in a local pub. We hope to run a further Singers Gathering or Muckle Sing next year. Our Northern Streams Festival, an extravaganza of music from Britain as well as our Nordic friends including Iceland, takes place between April. The festival features concerts on Friday and Saturday nights, daytime workshops, talks and presentations, and children's workshops. You can follow the festival on See our new website for all the details - or to book go to (and go to Saturday, Sunday, or buy a weekend ticket at a great discount!) Don't forget that we still have our MONTHLY SINGERS' SESSION in the downstairs lounge of the Royal Oak Pub, Infirmary St, Edinburgh on the second Tuesday of each month from 8pm everyone welcome to come and sing, accompanied or not, or just listen. TRISH SANTER EDI AND LOTHIANS CONVENOR Memories of Mining In March, a long planned collaboration between Edinburgh & Lothians and Glasgow branches finally takes place! The initial idea came from a tape that was made by the TMSA back in the 80s, The Working Year, featuring songs from different Scottish industries mining, farming, fishing, etc. There are 2 concerts entitled Memories of Mining as follows: Glasgow - Partick Folk Club HQ, St Peter's Church Hall, Chancellor St, 8pm,16 March Edinburgh - Pleasance Cabaret bar, Edinburgh, 8pm, Friday 23 March The concerts feature Ragged Glory, Jim Bainbridge, Mick West, and Gifford Lind (Glasgow only), and Scott Murray (Edinburgh only). Tickets 10 ( 8 concessions). Glasgow tickets from Graham or Andy Edinburgh tickets obtainable online or by phone ( ) from the Usher Hall Box office: see: Deadline for 2012 Issue 2: Friday 25th May Please send general enquiries and correspondence to: TMSA National Office Tel: +44 (0) c/o The Drill Hall, office@tmsa.org.uk Dalmeny Street Web: Registered Company No: Scottish Charity No: SC The TMSA receives project funding from: