Steven Carcary & Malcolm Ross
April 2023
The Club gathered for the last meeting for the season on Sunday, 9th April in Biggar Bowling Club with a full house and an array of local players. On accordions we had Newby Park, George Syme, Marshall Harkness, Jim Gold, Fiona Paul, Davy Millar, Jamie Webster, Calum Smith, Scott Wilson, Andrea Balderson (a first-timer from Symington), Hazel and Lucy McLaren, Sheena Dickson and Charlie Todd. Our only fiddler was Sarah Wilson and on keyboard we had Fiona Paul, Jim Gold and Keith Dickson, with Tom Hope and Charlie Todd on drums.
Our guests for the afternoon were accordionist Steven Carcary from Bridge of Earn and drummer Malcolm Ross from Arbroath. Both are at the top of their game and gave us a variety of music. In addition to all the Scottish tunes and tempos they treated us to several selections for modern ballroom and a very fine rendition of Wagner’s ‘Under the Double Eagle’. Malcolm always brings a small drum kit, which adds another dimension to the backing. Our thanks to the lads for making the long journey down to entertain us.
Our thanks are again due to the Biggar Bowling Club for hosting and a small token of our appreciation was presented to to Alex and Nettie Maxwell for looking after us so well. Thanks also to the ladies who provide the lovely cakes and tray bakes at half time.
We resume again on Sunday 12th November when local Moffat based accordionist Duncan Hutchison’s band will be the guest. We look forward to seeing you there.
John Burns SDB
March 2023
The Club met in the Biggar Bowling Club on Sunday 12th March to be entertained by the John Burns Ceilidh Band from Kilsyth. But before that we had the usual wealth of local talent on stage. On accordions were Fiona Paul, Newby Park, Jim Gold, Alan and Calum Gardiner, Jamie Webster, Yvonne Stewart, Marshall Harkness, George Syme, David Millar, Scott Wilson and Charlie Todd. On fiddle were Emma Gardiner, Gilbert Logan and Sarah Wilson. Providing backing were keyboard players Fiona Paul, Jim Gold and Alan Gardiner and drummers Andrew Barrie and Charlie Todd.
Our guest band was led by accordionist John Burns with brothers Gary and Alan Sutherland on second accordion and drums, and Craig Paton on keyboard. John, Gary and Craig are all former Senior Scottish Accordion Champions at Perth Festival and the playing was tremendous. John is also a talented composer and the varied programme, which included a Continental waltz, was interspersed with his own compositions.
One of our regular local accordionists, Fin Hope, was missing as he was representing Biggar Rotary Club at the Young Musician Competition (South Scotland Area Final) at Heriot Watt University. Fin recently won the Tigh na Gorm Cup (Junior 6/8 Pipe March Solo) at the National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Club’s annual festival held in Grangemouth Town Hall and he played drums with Biggar Accordion and Fiddle Club’s group who won the Banchory Trophy at this event. Congratulations to our group and to other local solo NAAFC Festival trophy winners Alistair Adamson, Calum Gardiner, Chloe Johnstone, Jake Johnstone and Lucy McLaren.
The Shands
February 2023
Sunday, 12th February at Biggar Bowling Club and there wasn’t a spare seat to be found to listen to our guests The Shands, a very talented family band from Dunfermline. But first we had a wealth of local, and not so local talent, namely accordionists Alistair Adamson, Keith Dickson, John Elliot, Alan and Calum Gardiner, Ian Graham, Joan Kirk and Mungo Riddell (from Morpeth), Gus Lowrie, Lucy McLaren, George McLarty, Nicky McMichan, Newby Park, George Syme, Robin Waitt, Jamie Webster and Scott Wilson. On fiddle were Islay Cathcart and Sarah Wilson. Keyboard players were Stuart Adamson, Keith Dickson, Alan Gardiner, Jim Gold and Fiona Paul and on drums Liam Forrest, Andrew Gibb Tom Hope, Nicky McMichan and Charlie Todd. Willie Little gave us a few tunes on the whistle. Thanks to several local musicians who stood down (due to the large number of supporting players) and to the ladies who provided the home baking for the half-time buffet.
The Shands consist of brothers Clelland and Inver Shand on accordions, sister Blythe on keyboard plus Gordon Smith from Gullane on drums. Inver (14) is the current All-Scotland Junior Accordion Champion and brother Clelland (17) is the current All-Scotland Senior Accordion Champion. The band played a varied programme which featured Scottish and Irish favourites such as The Shetland Two Step and The Plough and the Stars interspersed by Classical and Continental tracks including Hungarian Dance No.5 and La Sorciere as well as a lively finale piece called Punching Ball which rounded off a fine performance.
Frank Morrison SDB
January 2023
Biggar Club met on Sunday, 8th January 2023 to welcome in the New Year with local guest artistes the Frank Morrison SDB from Law Village. But before that we welcomed our local players, namely accordionists Marshall Harkness, Fiona Paul, George Syme, Calum Gardiner, Derek Edmund, Scott Wilson, Allan Smith, Jake Johnstone, Elizabeth Morrison, Sheena Dickson and Charlie Todd. On fiddle were Gilbert Logan, Emma Gardiner, Sarah Wilson and Chloe Johnstone. On keyboard Fiona Paul and Alex Graham and on drums Tom Hope, Gordon Young and Ruaridh Johnstone. Our thanks to them all for setting the scene for the afternoon.
Our guests were no strangers to the local Club scene with Frank Morrison on lead accordion, Cal Smith on second box, Alex Graham on keyboard and Billy Goodfellow on drums. Frank always plays a varied and interesting programme with not only Scottish numbers but unusual Continental ones from places like Slovenia as a contrast. In the first half he used the Jim Johnstone composition Peter Rae’s Jig, played in various tempos, as a tribute to our local stalwart Club supporter who passed away recently, and in the second half he played Standard of the Gael in memory of Borders legend Roger Dobson.
All the performers for our Christmas meeting
December 2022
Biggar held its December meeting on Sunday 11th amid three inches of snow at Biggar Bowling Club with Shelley (Clark) Gold and Friends as guests. Local entertainers present were accordionists Fin Hope, Alan and Calum Gardiner, first time player James Watson, Andrew and Adam Gibb, George Syme, Charlie Todd, Fiona Paul, Marshall Harkness and Sheena Dickson. On fiddle was Emma Gardiner and on keyboard Fiona Paul, Alan Gardiner and Keith Dickson. Drummers were Andrew Gibb and Tom Hope.
The Johnstone family
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Shelley with Calum Gardiner
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We were also delighted to have the entire Johnstone family from Crawfordjohn present with dad Kenny and eldest son Jake on accordions, daughters Chloe and Jenna on fiddle and keyboard, youngest son Ruaridh on drums and mum Lorna on vocals.
As guests we were delighted to welcome vocalist Shelley Gold from Sanquhar, backed by husband Tom on fiddle, David Kennedy on accordion, Stevie Todd on keyboard and Ross Anderson on cajon and percussion. The group performed two spots, featuring both traditional and contemporary material, which were well received. The band were joined by Shelley’s brother Shane Clark on vocals and guitar for their final song Fairytale of New York - adding a Christmas touch to the afternoon’s entertainment.
As guests we were delighted to welcome vocalist Shelley Gold from Sanquhar, backed by husband Tom on fiddle, David Kennedy on accordion, Stevie Todd on keyboard and Ross Anderson on cajon and percussion. The group performed two spots, featuring both traditional and contemporary material, which were well received. The band were joined by Shelley’s brother Shane Clark on vocals and guitar for their final song Fairytale of New York - adding a Christmas touch to the afternoon’s entertainment.
David Kennedy SDB
November 2022
The Club held its first meeting of the 2022/2023 season on Sunday 13th November and enjoyed a strong turnout of players and listeners alike. On accordion, we had George Syme, Newby Park, Calum Gardiner, Davie Millar, Jim Gold, Emily Gold, Fiona Paul, Andrea Balderson, Gus Lowrie, Scott Wilson, Alan Gardiner, Lucy McLaren, Roy Anderson, Jake Johnstone, Kenny Johnstone, John Weaks and Duncan Hutchison. Sarah Wilson and Chloe Johnstone played fiddle with Jim Gold, Fiona Paul and Jenna Johnstone on keyboard, Tom Hope, Ross Anderson and Ruari Johnstone on drums and Marshall Hartness on mouth organ.
Our guest artists for the afternoon were the David Kennedy Scottish Dance Band comprising David on lead accordion, Adam Gibb on second accordion, Tom Gold on fiddle, Stevie Todd on piano and Andrew Gibb on drums. The band treated us a to a superb afternoon’s entertainment, showcasing traditional music at its finest.
