Main News
Mairi Voinot, Mike Vass, Archie Mcallister in concert
Item Posted: Monday 17th October, 2011
On Sunday 6th November Lochgilphead Parish Church is going to host a very different kind of concert. A combination of local traditional musicians and professional stars will be playing their socks off to raise money for one, very special, local musician: Mairi Voinot. Why does she need this scale of support? This 16 year old is raising the money to fly to California for a week in summer 2012, to attend probably the most famous fiddle school in the world: Valley of the Moon. Valley of the Moon is the brainchild of Scotland's Alasdair Fraser, a master fiddler whose charisma and talent draws musicians to his feet from all over the world for this one week of the year. Fares to California are not cheap, and it's a week of wall-to-wall tuition by a famous master in his own school.
Since 16 year old Mairi appealed for help for her fundraising, she has been overwhelmed by the generosity of the local people, and is close to reaching her target. She hopes the concert will finally enable her to book her place for this summer.
Mairi today is a confident, articulate and charming teenager, with a growing reputation as a talented fiddler locally and nationally. But it wasn't always so for her. Before this passion for traditional music grew in her she was retiring and tongue-tied. She started classical violin lessons as a youngster-along with bassoon, piano, Highland dancing. “But I didn't practise, and I wouldn't play for the adults.” Then she heard Archie McAllister play at a local ceilidh. “He sounded free, relaxed. I was happy listening to this music”. For two years the beginner's violin was laid aside while the family was in Africa. But they came back to Lochgilphead in 2007 -and found out that Archie lived next door! Within a few weeks Mairi had started lessons with Archie, and had the chance on holiday in Tiree to join in with the Tiree Feis. “I was so excited to learn by ear. The first tune at the Feis was 'The Skye Boat Song'. That evening I went and played it on the beach. No need for music or music stand-just me, the fiddle and the beach.” Mairi had found the love of her young life.
Significantly it was at this stage that Archie McAllister gave her an ultimatum: if she was serious about becoming a good player she would have to give up the dancing and the other instruments. Mairi did, and at the age of twelve started to put in an hour's practice each day.
Archie encouraged her to go to Sabhal Mor Ostaig in Skye, to the great summer fiddle school. Alasdair Fraser was teaching, accompanied by a young Skye musician, Sarah Naylor. When Mairi found out that Sarah was the tutor for Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop, her mother committed to driving her in the dark winter nights over to Struchur for the next three years, and Mairi's talent blossomed. Since then she has won competitions, and mixed with Scotland's young talent at fiddle schools and music festivals in Skye, Shetland, Beauly, Edinburgh, Glasgow. Last summer she had the honour of playing in the Argyll ceilidh trail.
Veronica Holstead started her on classical violin. Now the roll call of her tutors reads like a Who's Who of the Scottish traditional fiddle world: Archie McAllister, Sarah Naylor, Mike Vass, Aonghas Grant the elder, Catriona MacDonald, Mairi Campbell. This year there is the invitation from Alasdair Fraser to Valley of the Moon.
The family have loyally supported this transformation of a shy youngster into an accomplished performer. It has meant miles of travelling, and summers spent in tents at fiddle schools. “That second summer in Skye the rain was horrendous. The family got flooded, attacked by ticks and midges. My brothers are allergic to ANY holiday that has a fiddle in it!” But the fiddle schools are worth it.”You meet with a lot of people who share a passion for the music, and then you meet them again at the next fiddle camp. You share your experiences, and get exposure to multi-instrument classes...I've incorporated some cello technique into my playing these days...The atmosphere is terrific.
Now Mairi has a clear vision of what she wants to achieve. “I want to follow in the footsteps of our great performers and teachers...oh, and (afterthought) I want to learn how to make fiddles!” Mairi already has four pupils in Lochgilphead, and would love to teach more. She is also setting up a ceilidh band.
There is a huge renaissance in traditional fiddle going on in Scotland right now, and Mairi is one whose talent could become world class. Joining her on stage on 6th November will be two of her tutors, Archie McAllister and Mike Vass. Also a number of local musicians, who are all excited at the idea of helping her, grab the opportunities’ she needs to grow what is already an exceptional talent. Tickets are being sold for a tea, coffee and cake event at 2.30pm, with the concert starting at 4.00pm. Both events are in Lochgilphead Parish Church. This is going to be a great community event, so do yourself a favour, and come along and support it.
Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop Summer Workshop
Item Posted: Wednesday 10th August, 2011
Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop
Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop held its first Adult Summer Workshop on the 7th August 2011 in Strachur Memorial Hall. In spite of the rain 23 participants and 2 tutors met, bearing fiddles, guitars and packed lunches. Some came from Strachur, others from Dunoon, Tighnabruaich and far Balfron. ‘Please give my regards and a big, big thank you to the committee and everyone who put in so much effort to make it possible for us to enjoy such a great day! Thanks again!’ said Sabine from the Beginners’ class. ‘I thoroughly enjoyed today's workshop: it has inspired me to get out my fiddle and start practising again!’ said Moira from the Advanced class.
LFW’s regular tutor Mike Vass was joined by Amy Geddes, the workshop’s first tutor; it was most appropriate that she attended LFW’s first Summer Workshop. A most talented tutor, in no time at all she had us all playing happily together. Arranging a Programme for 23 players with such a wide range of abilities was no mean feat, yet from Beginners to Advanced they played alongside each other brilliantly. Credit to Amy for what all agreed was a highly successful day, both socially and musically. The committee would like to thank both tutors. Everyone is looking forward to our next workshop.
Reminder The workshop classes resume on Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31stAugust.
For more information please contact Evie Campbell, Secretary, on 01369 860499 or evie.cam@hotmail.co.uk
Paul McKenna Band as part of Cowalfest
Item Posted: Thursday 14th October, 2010
Cowalfest has grown to be the largest walking and arts festival in Scotland. This has been achieved both by a team of enthusiastic volunteers, and the involvement of local groups and arts organisations.
One local arts charity has been involved from the early days. Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop’s concert arm Fiddle Folk have brought many of the top national and international names to Cowal over the last eight years, and have put Cowal firmly on the traditional music circuit. They have also accessed blue grass and jazz concerts, arranged ‘Come and Try’ sessions, residential weekends, and teach in five local schools.
In partnership with Cowalfest they helped promote the Peatbog Faeries visit to Dunoon, and concerts in Strone and Strachur. Calluna was an exciting band whose approach to Celtic music was fresh and spirited. The classic combination of clarsach, fiddle and flute weave a colourful blend of traditional and original music. The Scots singer Christine Kyde is a renowned interpreter and champion of the Scots song tradition, and has performed and recorded with many others to produce some of Scotland's finest and often award-winning harmony vocal sounds. They also ‘imported’ a fine American fiddler, Jamie Laval, especially for Cowalfest. Strachur Memorial Hall was full to bursting at the concert with harmonica player Donald Black and Runrig’s Malcolm Jones.
Hopefully the same will be true of this year’s partnership concert when the Paul McKenna Band, winners of the Best Up and Coming Act at the 2009 Scots Trad Music Awards, come to Strachur Memorial Hall as part of this year’s celebrations. Combining their love for traditional and folk music as well as original songs and tunes the Paul McKenna Band has been playing to audiences throughout the UK since 2006. With a contemporary approach to songs, although not straying too far from their roots, their arrangements are both fresh and innovative. Their exciting sound is created through outstanding vocals, driving Guitar and Bouzouki, intense Fiddle playing, a warm pairing of Flute and Whistles and dynamic Bodhrán and percussion.
The blend of music and arts with the walking and other events is essential to give residents and visitors alike a reason to get involved, and has, in previous years, produced some of the most effective feedback from visitors and locals.
‘Everyone I talked to thought that Cowalfest was outstanding, and that having a range of other events such as your traditional music concerts added enormously to their overall enjoyment of the festival. The increased variety of events must be good for tourism and local businesses - as well, of course, as being a great benefit to the local communities.’
And there was one quote by a Cowalfest visitor that summed it all up:
‘The mountains, glens and lochs are the body of Scotland. Music is its soul.’
Cowalfest runs from 8th to 17th October. www.cowalfest.org