Growing up in a tiny wee village in rural Angus, where the main landmark was an ancient Pictish stone in a ruined churchyard is one of the best starts for a young Scot interested in history, legend and stories. Couple that with coming from a family of bagpipers, moothie players, and singers with repertoires as varied as they come, and it’s no surprise that Lynne Campbell has absorbed all of those influences to become a heritage performer who not only sings traditional Scottish songs, but anchors them in context, tells their stories, and works with communities who want to explore the themes within the Scots tradition. She’s performed shows on HMS Unicorn, at Verdant Works, the Gin Bothy in Glamis, and has written shows and performed at Dundee and Edinburgh Fringes. She loves nothing more than to share Scotland’s songs and stories.
For the occasion, some of the best, most interesting and rarest of the Wighton Collection will be on display. There will be song from the Wighton Singers, tunes from Rosa Michaelson and, maybe, a surprise guest or two!
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
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)
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
On Wednesday 6th October at 1.15pm, Friends of Wighton will be delighted to present on Zoom the wonderful Robyn Stapleton, one of the finest singers of her generation. The reviewers have raved:-
‘Rich, characterfully lilting, warm and clear’ The List
Robyn is an award-winning singer and song leader who shares her talent and passion for traditional music with audiences and communities throughout Scotland and internationally.
‘Her warm sweet voice has a depth and colour that belies her youthfulness’ fROOTS
Don’t miss it – link below
Sheena Wellington is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
And to kick off the new season we have Choras. Harmony singing trio Choras are Aileen Carr, Janice Reavell, and Barbara Dymock. Each is a much loved and respected traditional singer in her own right and together they excel. A concert with this acappella trio with their superb harmonies, eclectic selection of songs and sense of fun is not to be missed!
Barbara Dymock is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Choras
3rd February 2021, 1pm: Hesperi at Home: Concert for the Friends of the Wighton Collection
Bite-size Baroque #3 “Music from the Wighton Collection”
Join us this Wednesday *ON ZOOM* for a duo recital for the Friends of the Wighton Collection!
Tom and I are *so” excited to be performing for the Friends of Wighton this coming Wednesday lunchtime, as the third of our “Bite-Size Baroque” series! This week won’t be quite so “bite-size” though; we’ll be presenting around an hour’s recital of all sorts of music from the Wighton Collection, an incredible collection of Scottish music held in Dundee Central Library. Composers to include William McGibbon, John Reid, Elizabeth Hardin, Giuseppe Sammartini, Walter Clagget, Robert Bremner, and of course, James Oswald. All new repertoire!
This week, you’ll need to join us on Zoom rather than YouTube, but of course, you don’t need to have your cameras on if you don’t want to! Do make sure you’re on mute for the recital itself, though.
Here’s the link: see you at 1pm GMT, Wednesday 3rd February!
The Friends of Wighton invite you to an online illustrated talk on the Montgomerie Collection to be given by Dr Margaret Bennett on Wednesday 6th January 2021. The talk starts at 1.15pm but you can log-in at any time from 1.05pm
The Zoom host will be Sheena Wellington.
Zoom meeting. Wednesday, 6 January 2021⋅1:05pm – 2:00pm.
