Lunchtime Recital: Wednesday 1st February, 2pm with Rosa Michaelson & Colin Allison

The Friends of Wighton are delighted to announce the first Lunchtime Recital of 2023 and it is a cracker!

 Lunchtime Recital: Wednesday 1st February, 2pm – 2.30pm, entry free, donations welcome.

Rosa Michaelson, fiddle, and Colin Allison, guitar

Rosa Michaelson and Colin Allison, fiddle and guitar, playing a selection of tunes from James S. Kerr’s “Merry Melodies”, an influential set of music books published in Glasgow, dating from 1881 onwards.

Rosa and Colin are experienced musicians with a range of styles, including folk, classical and jazz. They have played in various Scottish folk and ceilidh bands, including “The Loose Moose Ceilidh Band”.  Rosa first learnt Scottish traditional music at primary school, initially from “Kerr’s Merry Melodies”, a set of tune books which she has recently revisited in the context of 19th Century music publishing in Scotland. She subsequently played with the Edinburgh Shetland Fiddlers and Tom Anderson in Shetland. In the 1980s, she was a member of “Sprangeen”, the first all-female Scottish traditional ensemble. Colin currently plays with Louisiana Fairytale, a New Orleans inspired jazz group, and the Dundee University Big Band.

Alan Reid: Saturday 15th October at 11 am

Alan Reid, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist. founder member of the legendary Battlefield Band and a Master Storyteller in song.

Glasgow born Alan  has been taking Scottish folk music all over the world since 1975. He joined the fledgling Battlefield Band in 1969 while studying at Strathclyde University and subsequently recorded almost 30 albums with this hard-working and enduring band, in that time garnering a reputation for his playing and his singing.  His groundbreaking keyboard work helped cement the band’s reputation as one of the most influential Celtic bands of its generation. With the band Alan toured the world, bringing Scottish traditional music to audiences in five continents and playing in many prestigious music festivals and venues. Along with former Battlefield Band colleagues he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in November 2016 in recognition of their contribution to Scots traditional music.

He began composing songs and tunes in the 1980s and from 1990 was the band’s principal songwriter. His songs are noted for their strong storytelling element whilst being firmly grounded in Scots history and tradition. His songbook ”Martyrs, Rogues and Worthies”, was published in 2001 and in 2009 he was nominated in the ‘Composer of the Year’ category at the Scots Traditional Music Awards.

In 2010 he left the ‘Batties,’ to concentrate on his duo with guitarist/singer Rob van Sante. He composed all the music for the duo’s third album, ”The Adventures of John Paul Jones’, which told the story of the Scots born mariner who was a hero for the American colonists during the American Revolutionary War. A presentation of the album (with drama written by Alan) was performed at the 2012 Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival and at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival. The duo also developed a multi-media show telling Jones’ story which was showcased at Mystic Seaport Sea Festival in Connecticut in 2015.

2014 saw his music featured in the National Theatre of Scotland’s award winning production of “The Glasgow Girls” musical about asylum seekers, while his singing and speaking talents were featured in “The Life and Times of Scrooge”, the solo album of Finnish rock star Tuomas Holopainen of metal band Nightwish.  That same year Alan and Rob’s fourth CD “Rough Diamonds” was released and was followed by “The Dear Green Place”  in 2017. The duo continued to perform in Europe, North America and Australia up till 2019 when they played a last tour together of the U.S. West coast. Alan now performs as a soloist while Rob records and sings with his wife Janie.”

In recent years Alan has taught Scots Song at the prestigious annual “Swannanoa Gathering” in North Carolina, USA. He was also a guest artist in the Linn Records mammoth 12 CD recording of the songs of Robert Burns, Scotland’s beloved National Poet, whose poems, songs and music have endured over the centuries.

As well as the recordings with Battlefield Band and with Rob Van Sante, Alan has released two solo albums, “The Sunlit Eye” and “Recollection”.

No Trees to Whisper: a song cycle for soprano and clarinet  Saturday 26th March 2022 – at 2pm – on Zoom 

Performed by Turning the Elements:  Frances Cooper (soprano) Joanna Nicholson (clarinet), with the support of Creative Scotland.

Friends of Wighton’s first online event, in November 2022, was Dawn Wood’s poetry workshop for this commission and we are honoured and delighted to be showing the World Premiere of No Trees to Whisper.  

We are also thrilled to be Zooming to you from The Weaver’s Room in Verdant Works (www.verdantworks.co.uk) Dundee’s five-star rated textile museum.   Thanks to Dundee Heritage Trust’s Deirdre Robertson, for making it possible, and Wendy Gammie, for making it work!

The concert is free but donations can be made at www.friendsofwighton.com

Sheena Wellington is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Saturday 26th March, 2pm-3pm (waiting room open at 1.50pm

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85037688867?pwd=SWFXek1uc1ArdjhFeVBLTFIrVms4Zz09

Meeting ID: 850 3768 8867
Passcode: 255139

The inspiration for the project came from Dr Samuel Johnson and James Boswell’s famous diaries of their Journey to the Highlands and Islands in 1773 –

“ I sat down on a bank, such as a writer of Romance might have delighted to feign.   I had indeed no trees to whisper over my head, but a clear rivulet streamed at my feet….  Whether I spent the hour well, I know not: for here I first conceived the thought of this narration”

Poetry was commissioned from Iain Morrison, Dawn Wood and Haworth Hodgkinson, and music from Linda Buckley, Aidan O’Rourke and Gemma McGregor. Three very individual pieces from the poet/composer partnerships are woven together by interludes composed by Joanna, and nature photography by Frances to create a 40-minute film of evocative words, music and images.

Frances and Joanna have performed as Turning the Elements for nearly 10 years, taking this intimate combination of instruments to audiences around the country, and they performed as part of the prestigious Made in Scotland Showcase, curated by Creative Scotland, in the Edinburgh Fringe of 2019.   This is the second major work they have commissioned. 

www.turningtheelements.com

https://www.facebook.com/turningtheelements

Zoom Lunchtime Recital 2nd February 2022 with MoragAnne Elder and Elisabeth Flett

The Lunchtime Recital on Wednesday 2nd February, 1.15pm -1.45pm will be given by mother and daughter duo MoragAnne Elder and Elisabeth Flett, playing fiddles and singing a selection of tunes to do with winter and the North.   

Both, of course, are long time friends of the Wighton, MoragAnne currently running the mixed instruments class and Essa  who has grown up coming to Wighton classes and whose musical career we follow with great interest and pride.  

Essa is taking part in the Danny Kyle Open Stage online at the end of the month – her slot is on January 31st at 5pm on Celtic Radio and you can listen in here: https://www.celticmusicradio.net

The concert is free – donations can be made at    Friends of Wighton – Scottish music in Dundee

and the link is

Topic: Wednesday Wighton Lunchtime concert
Time: Feb 2, 2022 01:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87820161927

1st December Lunchtime Zoom Recital with Shona Donaldson and Paul Anderson

For our last concert of 2021 Friends of Wighton can’t provide the usual mincepies and chocolates but we are offering a very special pre-Christmas Zoom treat!     Our guests are the award-winning traditional singer Shona Donaldson and the far-famed Tarland fiddler Paul Anderson MBE.

Shona Donaldson grew up in Huntly in a musical family, learning the fiddle and attending traditional music festivals including Strichen and Keith. As well as picking up the usual song repertoire, Shona also learned from bothy ballad singers like Jock Duncan and Geordie Murison. Soon, to the delight of her mentors she was winning prizes in the normally male–dominated  bothy ballad world. 

In 2015, Shona became the first woman to win the coveted Bothy Ballad Champion of Champions title to add to her 2009 Scots Singer of the Year award. She is also an accomplished songwriter.

Paul Anderson MBE is widely regarded as the finest fiddle player of his generation. Having found, at age five, an old French violin under the spare bed in his grandparents’ house, he has gone on from there to win all the major fiddle prizes including the Glenfiddich Scottish Fiddle Championship.

Paul has toured extensively here and abroad and is also well-known as a composer with over 300 works including many for film, television and theatre.  His 8 solo albums and over 40 album with other musicians have received international acclaim.

Since lockdown began the couple, who recently celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary, have produced  86 “Live from the Lounge” shows from the Tarland home they share with sons Hector and Roderick.  These can be checked out on Paul’s Facebook page.

Sheena Wellington is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Lunchtime Recital with Shona Donaldson, traditional singer, and Paul Anderson MBE, fiddle 

Wednesday 1st December 1.15pm – 1.45pm (Zoom available from 1pm)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81867139033?pwd=M3dmd3ErcnZwdVU0KzJyeWVDck5FUT09

Meeting ID: 818 6713 9033
Passcode: 057619

Lunchtime Recital with singer Alan Brown Wed 3rd November 1.15pm

Alan Brown was born and raised less than half a mile from where the present day Wighton Library stands and Dundee has been a major influence on his career to date. Exiled from the city since 1970 he is difficult to pigeonhole: singer, songwriter, musician, composer, novelist, journalist, after dinner speaker, playwright, poet, standup, tour guide, and is probably best summed up as – an entertainer! After  thirty years performing professionally in Scotland and overseas, it was the Wighton which hosted his first ever solo appearance in his hometown and we are delighted to welcome him back. Expect a varied programme of award-winning songs and stories, brand new material and a few surprises.

Sheena Wellington is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting  on Wednesday 3rd December at 1.15pm (link open from  1.05pm) with singer Alan Brown

Topic:  Lunchtime Recital with Alan Brown, singer  

Time: Nov 3, 2021 01:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84067174263

Meeting ID: 840 6717 4263

Sandy Brechin: Wednesday 5th May

Sandy Brechin: Wednesday 5th May 2021 1.15pm – 1.45pm

Sandy Brechin is one of Scotland’s best known accordionists, famous for his lightning-fast playing and hilarious on-stage humour. He has developed his own unique approach to the art of accordion playing and his innovative style is instantly recognisable: a combination of slick, incredibly fast finger-work on the melody and a revolutionary method of syncopation on the bass. Sandy was the first in Scotland to play professionally the small 48 bass size of accordion, which is now pretty much his trademark. Despite its small size and range, Sandy gets a huge sound out of it.

Sandy also has a great sense of humour so be ready for some fun!

Admission is free but you can donate to Sandy’s tipjar =    www.paypal.me/sandybrechin

Sheena Wellington is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Lunchtime Recital – Sandy Brechin, accordion & fun!
Time: May 5, 2021 01:00 PM Greenwich Mean Time

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83182178611?pwd=dXJTcCtOUHdqeC9GWHE1S1N0K0FjZz09

Meeting ID: 831 8217 8611
Passcode: 820859

Dr Sally Garden: first Musician in Residence at the Wighton Heritage Centre shares a rare Wighton score

Mezzo-soprano and musicologist Dr Sally Garden hails from an Angus farming family, and is the youngest of four professional musician siblings.  She has a special interest in Scots and Scandinavian song and is founder of the Grieg Society of Scotland. Her recital and research work, which has seen her tour the castles, kirks and concert halls of Scotland, has also taken her to Norway, Denmark and Germany.

Sally is a member of the Walter Scott Minstrelsy Project (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz), a former Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Scandinavian Studies (University of Aberdeen), and earlier in her career was appointed Historical Musician in Residence at the Wighton Heritage Centre, Dundee, where she directed a 3-year programme of events to unfold one of Scotland’s finest music archives. In 2009, she pioneered the first ever live music event at the National Library of Scotland, with an invited lecture-recital on Scottish-Scandinavian musical links, entitled Hu, Hei, Duncan Gray! Sally is also editor of the complete songs of Aberdonian composer Ronald Center

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