Glasgow Letter
I used to think Mull Festival weekend was a tough one for Highland music in Glasgow. Places like the Park and the Islay saw most of their regular bands disappear to the Hebrides for the weekend.
It speaks, however, of the amazing number of bands on the scene these days that, whilst by all accounts there was a brilliant, successful festival up in Tobermory, the likes of the Park Bar and the Islay Inn were also hoaching with punters enjoying good music.
A special mention to Ally 'Buckets' MacLean and his band who were excellent in the Park on Friday night. Really good traditional Gaelic accordion and pipe music – with a great selection of Gaelic waltzes, Schottishches, and pipe marches. Exactly the ingredients of a great night of music in the Park Bar!
Looking towards this coming weekend, I am delighted to be playing with Tide Lines for the Eilidh’s Trust Tartan and Tiaras ball on Saturday evening in the Marriott Hotel. Also onstage will be the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Beinn Lee, Mark Cox and Jane McCarry (aka Tam and Isa from Still Game!), some young musicians, and some Highland dancers. This gig has been postponed a number of times since its original pre-lockdown date so it is lovely it is finally going ahead and hopefully plenty of money will be raised for the trust which does a lot for the musical education of young people in memory of Eilidh MacLeod from Barra.
In other news, Clydebank and District Highland Association held a ceilidh in Waterfront Parish Church last Friday night and the committee would like to thank everyone who came along to support the association and all who donated raffle prizes. The chairman for the evening was Neil Murray, Gaelic singers were Norman MacKinnon, Mary C MacLean, and Jimmy Cameron. The fiddler was Jean
Ann Callender, the piper was Robert Wood, and the accompanist was Kirsteen Grant.
Speaking of Kirsteen Grant, don’t forget the Glasgow Islay Gaelic Choir’s concert on Friday May 6, which I mentioned last week.
Bean an taighe for the evening is Kathryn Callander and the choir’s special guest will be John 'Ikey' Carmichael.
The concert is in the Bearsden Community Hub on 67 Drymen Road, begins at 7.30pm and tickets are £10; under 15s free. The raffle will be in aid of the crisis in Ukraine.
Another event I mentioned last week is the Tiree Association’s Supper and Songs event on Saturday May 14 in the Ralston Community Centre. With their traditional Burns night having been cancelled in January, the association decided it would be nice to have a spring get together for a cèilidh. A threecourse haggis supper (BYOB) will be served before a night of entertainment from Seamus O’Sullivan, Ruairidh Gray and Cathy Lees. Tickets can be booked by messaging the association Facebook page or email: thetireeassociation@ gmail.com. You are asked to please state any dietary requirements when booking.