Short and sweet
Welcome to the Scotsman Sessions, a series of short video performances from artists all around the country introduced by our critics. Bruce Macgregor of Blazin’ Fiddles plays his composition Doddie’s Dream, dedicated to the late rugby legend Doddie Weir. To watch, visit www.scotsman. com/artsandculture were useless at promoting ourselves.
"I’d always wanted to promote Highland and Island fiddle styles, but it was never meant to be a band.” He assembled some of his many fiddle acquaintances including Iain Macfarlane, Duncan Chisholm, Aidan O’rourke, Alan Henderson and Catriona Mckay, some of whom, like himself, had been taught by the great Highland fiddler and tradition bearer Donald Riddell. The band name came, in fact, from Riddell’s heartbreaking tales of instruments being burned on the Isle of Skye by order of religious zealots.
Over the past quarter century, the supposedly oneoff project has performed internationally in venues ranging from village halls to the Albert version. Recently releasing their anniversary album Blazin’ Fiddles XXV, the current line-up consists of Macgregor with fellow fiddlers Jenna Reid, Kristan Harvey and Rua Macmillan, plus fiddler-guitarist Anna Massey and keyboard player Angus Lyon.
In the meantime, Doddie’s Dream continues to raise money for MND research and was played by “the Blazers” at an emotional memorial service for Weir in Melrose last December, ever a tune of hope.
Blazin’ Fiddles’ 25th anniversary concert is at Celtic Connections on 27 January, see www.celticconnections. com For more on the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation www.myname5doddie.co.uk/