March 2010
We had an excellent night at our club in Stornoway on Thursday 4th March, with a good audience, good local players, and a brilliant guest band. Our MC for the first half of the night was Jan Carmichael. We started off with local artistes, on accordions were Ishbel and her boys, Donnie and Soapy, then Helen Macleod, and Tony Corbett. On fiddle were the Nicolson Fiddlers, followed by Gillian Johnson. Tracey Gordon played keyboard and John Angie Henderson on drums.
Our guest artistes took to the stage, they were the Robert Nairn Trio, comprising Robert on accordion, Ross Wilson on piano and Hugh MacCallum on drums. We were then treated to a very impressive programme of superb traditional music, from jigs, marches, waltzes, reels, and when he played a set of marches, Macdonald of the Isles March to the Battle of Harlaw, starting off slow and then into 6/8 tempo,
followed by the Braemar Gathering, the audience were captivated.
After the stramash, Alex John Morrison took over as MC and Alan Gardiner from Biggar was invited on to the stage, accompanied by David Bowen on keyboard and Ali Macpherson on drums, followed by Murdo Cameron from Glenelg, then local players Alexander Maciver, Donna Macdonald,Willie Macdonald, Anne-Louise Stewart, Nicola Morrison, and Ian Angus Macleod. On keyboard for the second half was Violet Morrison and John Angie Henderson on drums.
Robert and his band came on for the final set and again, we were not disappointed . This was an excellent selection of traditional dance music including some sing along waltz sets, scotch reel, military two step, march sets 2/4 and 6/8,and finally a set of jigs. Thank you Robert and his band for a terrific night, also to thanks to our local players and everyone who helped make this another superb night for our club.
Next month April 1st, our guest artiste will be Davis Bowen and Ceol Youngsters.
Chrisella Macdonald.