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Wighton Heritage Centre, Central Library, Dundee DD1 1DB

Lunchtime Recital with Jim & Kate Taylor!

Wednesday 4th October, 1.15pm Admission free.

For our October Lunchtime Recital we are delighted to welcome two stalwarts of the Scottish traditional music scene Jim & Kate Taylor and their extensive repertoires of old songs and bothy ballads of the northeast.

Jim Taylor was born near Garlogie where he still lives, and is a retired Quantity Surveyor. A nephew of the late King of the Bothy Ballads, Tam Reid, Jim is keeping Tam’s songs going as well as a few others. He is in great demand as a compere, which allows his native North East humour to shine through, and he has been a guest at several singing festivals throughout the UK and Ireland.

Kate Taylor started singing at the tender age of 40 and has not stopped since. She is passionately fond of traditional singing and has been influenced mainly by Sheila Stewart, Elizabeth Stewart and Jane Turriff. Kate is a member of the Aberdeen Folk Club and the Aberdeen Branch of the TMSA, and she has also been a guest at several folk festivals and singing weekends where her fine voice and sense of fun have won her many fans.

Lunchtime recitals   Wighton Centre, Dundee Central Library, DD1 1DB, 1.15pm
 Admission free – retiring collection

4 Oct    Kate and Jim Allen, singers
1 Nov    Sylvia Crawford harp and fiddle
6 Dec    Wighton Singers
10 Jan   Shamblestones
7 Feb    Lorraine Wilson singer

Cappuccino Concerts
Wighton Centre, Dundee Central Library, DD1 1DB
Admission £5
Coffee and newspapers served from 10.30am – suggested donation £1
Concert runs 11am to 12 noon

16th Sep:       Bob Stewart 
28th  Oct           Alan Brown singer/songwriter
18th Nov    Wilma Kennedy, Gaelic song
25th Nov;        Zakia and Farrah Fawcett
20 Jan ’18     Simon Kempston, singer
24th Feb:       Sandy Brechin  Ewan Wilkinson,  accordionist and singer/guitarist17th Mar:      Heather Innes, singer
28th April:    The Quiggs, Scottish / Danish folksong duo

Classes 
in the Wighton Centre, Dundee Central Library, DD1 1DB

every Tuesday
Scots song with Sheena Wellington 2.00 pm
Suitable for beginners – just turn up

every Saturday
fiddle 
11.00am-12.3opm

every Saturday
whistle with Helen Forbes 12.30-2.00pm
Whistles can be provided

Most Saturdays
harp with Simon Chadwick 2.00-3.30pm
Suitable for beginners – just turn up
harps are available for use in class and also for long-term rental

Wighton Heritage Centre, Central Library, Dundee DD1 1DB

Cappuccino Concert with Bob Stewart!

Saturday 16th September, 11am (doors open 10.30am)

Admission £5 (tea/coffee available for small charge)

Bob Stewart has been entertaining delighted audiences for over 25 years and plays a variety of Scottish/Celtic and contemporary acoustic music. Bob’s performances are a very lively affair with a mixture of traditional and original material, a driving acoustic guitar sound, bodhran, whistle and mandolin (not all at the same time) and humour!

Bob has been a full time musician since 1989 and has played in several bands touring Scotland and Europe before going solo in 2007.  He has appeared on many successful albums over the years and has a new solo album due for release in Summer 2017 (album pre-orders will be available from June).

Bob has also performed for the BBC on local and national Radio and TV. 

He has worked with many top folk acts including appearing on stage at the Fochabers festival, guesting on bodhran, with the Battle Field Band. During this performance, Bob had to stuff the bodhran with guitar string packaging as the damp atmosphere had slackened the skin! Bob has worked in the studio with Ian McCalman who was a big influence throughout the years as well as Tich Frier, Andy Ramage, The Gaberlunzie, Blackeyed Biddy, Sheena Wellington and too many more to mention.

Bob has appeared with bands and solo at many festivals including, The Edinburgh Fringe, The Orkney Folk Festival, the Coastal Fringe Festival and he had the privilege to perform at the very first Fochabers festival……

Wighton Heritage Centre, Central Library, Wellgate, Dundee DD1 1DB

Saturday 18th February 2017, 11am (doors open 10.30am)

Cappuccino Concert   with  Andrew Gordon, Scottish Traditional Singer

Andrew Gordon’s music features a rich mix of traditional and contemporary Scottish songs.  (Some Irish, Canadian and English tunes also make it into the set!)

Andrew has been a folkie for as long as he can remember.  Brought up listening to the music of The Corries, Andrew developed a deep love of Traditional (and not so traditional) folk music.  He started playing when he was 13 and had his first solo performance at 17 supporting Gaberlunzie in The Kings Arms, Perth in 1994.

Like many Scottish musicians, Andrew remembers the days when the family and neighbours would gather at Hogmanay, to drink, sing songs, and make merry.  It was this community aspect that first led Andrew to get involved, and he became a regular at sessions around Perthshire in his early career. Things really began to take off for Andrew in 1999 when he played his first overseas gigs, visiting San Francisco and racking up 9 gigs in 3 weeks.

Andrew steadily increased his profile, and the opportunity to live and play in North America proved too exciting to turn down and Andrew moved across the pond in 2004. Over 18 months he performed all over Ontario, Michigan and Indiana.  On returning to Scotland in 2005 Andrew picked up where he left off, and started building a touring schedule in Europe. Andrew now performs in Germany several times each year, and is a regular at Stadthalle Gladbeck, Hermannsburg Highland Games, Folkival Festival in Nurtingen and the Kutschenmuseum Gescher as well as venues in Stuttgart, Wezlar, Grevenbroich, Hagen, Altena, Borken, Bremen, Celle, Bad Fallingbostel and Esslingen. He also has annual trips to Norway and Denmark.  Andrew has also been lucky enough to perform with Skerryvore and The Red Hot Chilli Pipers in Scotland, and with Sean Cannon from The Dubliners at Stadthalle Borken.

Folkingcool.co.uk said there was something compelling about Andrew’s music and passion.  Fellow musician Brian Higgins has always been a fan of the “robust” rhythms on both guitar and bodhran that Andrew uses to accompany his distinctive and passionate singing.  Andrew believes that one of the reasons audiences get behind his music is that he “gives it some welly”.

Tickets  £5  at door, tea/coffee available for small donation

The Friends of Wighton will host two Cappuccino Concerts and a Lunchtime Recital to round off what has been a very memorable year!

First up, on Saturday 19th November,  Mary Ann Kennedy and long-time musical collaborator Finlay Wells who will reveal some brand-new material from two forthcoming albums in a series of intimate concerts. ‘Glaschu’ – a lovesong to her urban Gàidhealtachd home town, and ‘An Dàn’ – a unique collection of original Gaelic songwriting by Mary Ann and some of Scotland’s finest poest – are scheduled for release in 2017. Join Mary Ann and Finlay to be among the first to hear these very special songs.

An urban Gael from multi-cultural Glasgow, Mary Ann Kennedy’s life has been one of music. A younger member of the ‘first family of Gaelic music’, her earliest memories are of a home filled with songs of community, history, work and worship from their exile island of Skye.

A hothouse classical training – and a brief diversion running the BBC’s Gaelic news service – sees her today as musician, singer, broadcaster, conductor, composer and producer, based at her creative Highland hub, Watercolour Music. 

On Saturday 26th, the Cappuccino Concert will feature Abercraig!  This group of young musicians were brought together by Friends of Wighton tutor Karen Hannah to appear at the MG Alba Scots Music Trad Awards in the Caird Hall on 3rd December.  The youngsters, ranging in age from 6 to 17, hail from Dundee, Angus, Perthshire and Fife and have been working hard with Karen, Kevin Findlay, Paul Anderson and MoragAnne Elder.  

Why Abercraig?  One of the last two ‘Fifies’ which linked both sides of the Tay before the Road Bridge opened 50 years ago!

And last event of theyear is the Lunchtime Recital on Wednesday 7th December, 1.15pm – 1.45pm with the traditional performance by The Wighton Singers.  The Singers have had a busy year giving performances in day centres, churches and the University of Dundee’s Baxter Suite. Their programme will feature seasonal and traditional Scots songs laced with their usual warmth and  good humour.

As always doors open for the Cappuccino Concert at 10.30am, tickets £5, and you can enjoy refreshments (available for a small donation) and enjoy a newspaper before the concert starts at 11am,

Lunchtime Recital, 1.15pm – 1.45pm,  is free, donations for the work of Friends of Wighton welcome.

Tuesday 26th July 2016:

Two chances to see and hear the delightful young musicians of the Feis Rois Ceilidh Trail!

Wighton Heritage Centre, Central Library

1.15pm  Lunchtime Recital:    Feis Rois Ceilidh Trail          Donations welcome

HM Frigate Unicorn, South Victoria Dock Rd, DD1 3BP Dundee

19:00

Experience the Feis Rois ceilidh trail aboard the HM Frigate Unicorn! This performance will showcase Scotland’s most outstanding young traditional musicians who will perform lively reels, jigs, and crafted Scots song.

Tickets £8 (adults), £6 (concessions) from

https://www.gammabookings.com/FrigateUnicorn/

Friday 29th July 2016

HM Frigate Unicorn
South Victoria Dock Rd, DD1 3BP Dundee
19:00 for 19:30

Traditional music played by brilliant fiddlers Charlie Mckerron and Jonny Hardie with guitarist and drummer Davy Cattenach

Tickets £10 from

https://www.gammabookings.com/FrigateUnicorn/

Extra Special early evening recital
at the Wighton Centre. £10 admission

Friday 8th July, 6.30pm  – 
Tony McManus guitar
 

Lunchtime recitals   
Wighton Centre, Dundee Central Library, DD1 1DB
 Admission free – retiring collection

Wedesday 1st June, 1.15pm
Kyle Howie, smallpipes and whistles

Tuesday 26th July, 1.15pm
Feis Rois Ceilidh Trail (N.B. this is a Tuesday !)

Cappuccino Concerts
Wighton Centre, Dundee Central Library, DD1 1DB
Admission £5
Coffee and newspapers served from 10.30am – suggested donation £1
Concert runs 11am to 12 noon

Saturday 21st May
Helen Forbes & Lou Lewis. Whistle and guitar

Saturday 25th June
 Tayside Young Fiddlers

Saturday 20th August
Wilma Kennedy: Gaelic singer, including songs from Albyn’s Anthology

Saturday 24th September
Heather Innes  and Pauline Vallance, song and clarsach

Saturday 22nd October
Bruce Davies, popular singer songwriter

Saturday 19th November
Mary Ann Kennedy & Finlay Wells

Saturday 26th November
Young Trad Awards Group

 

Classes 
in the Wighton Centre, Dundee Central Library, DD1 1DB

every Tuesday
Scots song with Sheena Wellington 2.00 pm
Suitable for beginners – just turn up

Not every Saturday
Gaelic song with Wilma Kennedy 10 am

every Saturday
fiddle 
11.00am-12.3opm

every Saturday
whistle with Helen Forbes 12.30-2.00pm
Whistles can be provided

every Saturday 
harp with Simon Chadwick 2.00-3.30pm
Suitable for beginners – just turn up
harps are available for use in class and also for long-term rental

Frigate Unicorn, Victoria Dock, Dundee
Robyn Stapleton
Scotland’s finest young traditional singer, BBC Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician 2014, Scots Singer of the Year nominee, will be singing on board the Unicorn on Friday 10th July.
Robyn, who hails from Stranraer, is touring Scotland to celebrate her debut album “Fickle Fortune” which was released in May to critical acclaim.
Recent career highlights include being commissioned to record “Coming Thro The Rye” for Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, and performances at the Trad Music Awards and, with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, at Proms in the Park!
Robyn is no stranger to Dundee having given two recitals at the Wighton Heritage Centre.    Sheena Wellington, who tutored Robyn during her honours year at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, said of her former student:-

‘Robyn was gifted with a beautiful voice, warm, rich, flexible and distinctive.  Couple this with a true love and respect for her material and the ability to engage an audience anywhere from a care home to a Prom concert hall and you have a very special singer indeed.’
Robyn will be accompanied by band members Kristan Harvey of Blazin Fiddles (Young Traditional Musician 2011), David McNee in guitar and bouzouki and Alistair Iain Paterson on piano and harmonium (Young Traditional Musician Finalist 2014).
Doors open at 6:15 for performance at 7:00pm
Tickets £9 (£7 concession)
Online booking:
https://www.gammabookings.com/FrigateUnicorn/

or available at the door.

Cappuccino Concert with Phil Hare, guitarist and songwriter!

A last minute chance to book the great English guitarist, singer and songwriter,  Phil Hare, has Friends of Wighton staging a second April Cappuccino Concert on Saturday 25th at the Wighton Heritage Centre, Central Library, Wellgate, Dundee.

“We don’t usually have two Cappuccinos in one month,” said the FoW’s Sheena Wellington, “but when well-known Dundee musician Paul Campbell said Phil would like to play the Wighton during his Scottish tour I was thrilled.  He write great songs and his guitar-playing is just awesome! Check him out on YouTube!” 

Phil Hare is widely regarded as one of the finest and most distinctive acoustic guitarists working on the current folk music circuit.

Among the many press quotes available on Phil; IAN WELLS of the DAILY TELEGRAPH wrote: ‘If folk song is history from underneath, then Phil’s songs are today’s broadsides’. The New York based magazine DIRTY LINEN wrote: ‘The songs are British, maybe even Northern English, but this guy is clearly a world class player’. ‘Some beautiful guitar playing from the vastly underrated Phil Hare ‘LIVING TRADITION’.
The Cappuccino Concert starts at 11am, tickets are £5.  Doors open at 10.30 when coffee, biscuits and the papers are available for a small donation.