Zoom Recital with Simon Chadwick Wednesday 3rd March 1-15 pm

Medieval Harp virtuoso Simon Chadwick needs no introduction to the Wighton audience.   As Musician in Residence, harp tutor and hard working secretary he was a mainstay of Friends of Wighton  for many years.  Since he moved to Armagh in 2018 though we have kept in touch. He has been sorely missed, so it is a particular delight to welcome him on the 3rd.

A Chadwick recital is always a treat and an adventure. During the last year’s lockdowns, Simon has been working on old Irish harp tunes from the Bunting collection, finding unusual tunes, and unusual versions of better known tunes. He will play some of them for you on Wednesday including some with interesting connections to versions in the Wighton collection.   

The Zoom link is below, the Recital is free but donations can be made on our webpage  www.friendsofwighton.com

Sheena Wellington is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Wighton Lunchtime Recital
Time: Mar 3, 2021 01:00 PM Greenwich Mean Time

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87171364577?pwd=cnRvQW5jaytPMC9HekxRWlZOcHBmZz09

Meeting ID: 871 7136 4577
Passcode: 513416

Henry Lebedinsky: Wighton Harpsichord concert

When a renowned American early music specialist says he is coming to town and would like to play your harpsichord what can you do but add an extra Cappuccino Concert to your programme?

Henry Lebedinsky last played at the Wighton Heritage Centre in October 2010 while on his honeymoon!  His return visit is on Saturday 15th October, from 11am to noon, when his programme will include17th and 18th century works by Élisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre, Giovanni Battista Draghi and Elizabeth Turner.

Hailed by The Miami Herald for his “superb continuo… brilliantly improvised and ornamented,” Henry Lebedinsky performs as a historical keyboardist and Irish traditional guitarist across the United States and the United Kingdom. In addition to performing, Mr. Lebedinsky has taught masterclasses and workshops on historical performance practice at the University of Edinburgh, and many American institutions. He is also an avid composer of music for choir and organ. He currently lives in the Seattle, Washington area.

The venue for the concert will be the lovely Wighton Centre, upstairs in Dundee Central Library. This airy space houses the internationally important Wighton Collection of old Scottish music books: over 700 volumes from the 17th, 18th and 19th century.

The Wighton Harpsichord is a French double-manual instrument after the C18 maker Nicholas Blanchet. It was built by Mark Stevenson, Cambridge 1983 for Annette Heilbron (1928 – 2011), of the Helicon Ensemble and founder member of the National Early Music Association.

The concert will be at 11am on Saturday 15th October. Coffee and newspapers will be available from 10.30am. Admission will be £5.

 Henry Lebedinsky at his last concert playing the Wighton Harpsichord in Dundee in 2010

Lunchtime Recital with Iona Fyfe

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

Wednesday 7th September, 1.15pm – 1.45pm

Lunchtime Recital with Iona Fyfe:

Iona Fyfe, from Aberdeenshire, combines modern contemporary folk music with the traditions of Scotland’s haunting traditional ballads and lively songs.  Iona has performed extensively across Scotland and Europe at festivals such as Celtic Connections, Folkest Italy, Aberdeen International Youth Festival, Dundee Celt Fest and currently studies Traditional Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Growing up in Huntly within the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland movement, Iona is a fine exponent of Doric poetry as well as Traditional Ballads and Bothy Ballads. Singing at numerous national competitions, she has won a number of prestigious titles such as Best Female Singer  both at Aberdeen TMSA 2016 and Buchan Heritage Society 2016. Iona’s sensitivity for ballads is what led her to be awarded 100/100 marks for her Traditional Song, Bonny Udny at The Buchan Heritage Society 2016 – an unprecedented mark in solo Traditional Ballad competitions.

“Iona’s voice displays incredible confidence and maturity… Even without accompaniment, Iona’s voice is as finely tuned, precise and eminently enjoyable an instrument as you’ll find… Utterly haunting.”                                  – Folk Radio UK

BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2015 Semi-Finalist, Iona Fyfe, has become one of Scotland’s finest young ballad singers who, at 18 years old, continues to embrace and promote the repertoire and language of Aberdeenshire throughout the UK and further afield.

 Iona’s first EP The First Sangs was released in March 2015 and debut band EP was released in July 2016.  https://itun.es/gb/C0aQ5

Friends of Wighton’s autumn season

Friends of Wighton’s  autumn season  kicks off with a series of great concerts featuring some of the finest singers, in both Scots and Gaelic traditions, in Scotland.  

Wighton Heritage Centre:

Cappuccino Concerts – admission £5, (tea & coffee available for small donation):      

Saturday 20th August, 11am (doors open 10.30)

Double Mod Gold Medallist Wilma Kennedy, one of Scotland’s finest Gaelic singers – and, we are proud to say,  Wighton Gaelic song tutor – with a programme which includes songs from Albyn’s Anthology, which is in the Wighton Collection.

Saturday 24th September, 11am (doors open 10.30):

Caim:

Heather Innes (vocals, bodhran) and Pauline Vallance (vocals, clasarch, flute) first played together for an impromptu song on Ciaran Dorris’ live Christmas show on Celtic Music Radio December 2013. They enjoyed working together and decided to continue if the occasion arose. It has a number of times and as well as singing in the Caim trio for concerts and festivals in the last few years, Pauline and Heather have continued to give duo concerts in Scotland and are looking forward to a tour in Ontario, Canada in May 2017.

Lunchtime Recitals – admission free, donations welcomed.

Wednesday 7th September, 1.15pm – 1.45pm:  

Iona Fyfe, singer

Iona Fyfe, from Aberdeenshire, combines modern contemporary folk music with the traditions of Scotland’s haunting traditional ballads and lively songs.  Iona has performed extensively across Scotland and Europe at festivals such as Celtic Connections, Folkest Italy, Aberdeen International Youth Festival, Dundee Celt Fest and currently studies Traditional Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Frigate Unicorn, Victoria Dock, Dundee:

Friday 30th September. 7.30pm

MBO Band!  – McKerron Brechin & Ó hEadhra

Fiery tunes and beautiful songs from the Gaelic and Scots tradition by three of Scotland’s finest musicians.

The Scottish trad trio of Charlie McKerron (fiddle), Sandy Brechin (piano accordion) and Brian Ó hEadhra (guitar & vocals) are three accomplished musician who draw on a wealth of tunes and songs from the Gaelic and Scots traditions.

They each are acclaimed composers in their own right. The trio have performed in Scotland and abroad and have wowed audiences with their choice of material and engaging stage performances. Each artist is also known through their work with other acclaimed acts; Charlie performs with Capercaille and Session A9; Sandy with Bùrach and the Sandy Brechin Band; Brian with Cruinn.

Sandy Brechin – “whose accordion bellows boldly blow where no box has blown before.”  – Archie Fisher
Brian Ó hEadhra – “the most vocally talented, versatile and engaging male vocalist in Gaeldom.”   – fRoots
Charle McKerron – “Fiddle wizardry”  – Stuart Morrison, The Herald

Tickets from HM Frigate Unicorn or Dundee Box Office

The Queen Mary harp – Scottish early music played by Simon Chadwick

For the first Cappuccino concert of 2016, Simon Chadwick will be in the Wighton Centre playing a selection of historical Scottish clarsach music using the beautiful decorated replica of the medieval “Queen Mary” harp.

The event will be held in the Wighton Centre, upstairs in Dundee Central Library. Doors open at 10.30am when coffee and newspapers are served, and the music will run for an hour starting at 11am.

Simon will play a selection of tunes associated with the famous medieval harp, from medieval variation-sets traditionally associated with the Lords of the Isles, who may have commissioned the Queen Mary harp in the medieval Hebrides, through to 18th century airs once played on the Queen Mary harp by the Robertsons of Lude, when it was preserved by them at their house near Blair Atholl in Perthshire in the early 1700s.

Illustrated talk on the Sir Jimmy Shand Collection

There will be a unique aspect to the Cappuccino Concert in the Wighton Heritage Centre, Central Library, Dundee on Saturday 19th September.

The distinguished Scottish music expert Dr KAREN McAULAY, Music and Academic Services Librarian at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly RSAMD), will give an musically illustrated talk on the Centre’s recently acquired Sir Jimmy Shand Collection of 18th and 19th century music books.

Karen is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, and is in demand to talk not only about Scottish music history but also about library and research skills.  She’s also a practising musician, as a church organist and music arranger.  With the help of the Wighton’s harpsichord, she will explore the musical treasures contained in these volumes and some of the rarer and most interesting volumes will be on display.

Karen’s visit comes at a key moment.   The Friends of Wighton members are raising funds to have the Shand Collection conserved so that it can be on permanent display and available for use by musicians, singers, scholars and community group.  A crowdfunder for The Sir Jimmy Shand Connection has topped £1100 with some weeks still to run.  Contributions from the great man’s admirers have come from across the UK as well as Europe and the USA!

“We’re delighted with the success of the crowdfunder so far,” said Sheena Wellington, Friends of Wighton Honorary Librarian, “but we still have a target to reach and there are still lots of special thank you gifts waiting!”    ‘Perks’ for those donating online include limited edition CDs, signed prints, etchings, specially composed tunes, house concerts and the opportunity to be entered into a founder’s book to be kept in the Wighton Centre.

To find out more visit http://igg.me/at/jimmyshand

Karen Hannah cappuccino concert

Cappuccino Concert

Saturday 18th July, 11am (doors open 10.30)

Wighton Heritage Centre, Central Library, Dundee

Karen Hannah, fiddle  and Bob Turner, keyboards

Admission £5 at door (coffee available, for donation)

The popular and talented Karen Hannah returns to the Wighton with her lively mix of fiddle tunes and humour.

She will be joined on this occasion by keyboard maestro Bob Turner, whose musical pedigree covers stage, screen, jazz, folk and world music.

http://www.karenhannah.co.uk/

http://www.ceilidhminogue.co.uk/bob.html

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