Our Honorary Librarian, Karen McAuley, gave an excellent talk at the ‘Towards a Scottish Traditional Music Archive’ conference in Edinburgh on 11th June, and links to the text are below:
Part 1: The Wighton Collection in Dundee
Part 2: Accessing the printed repertoire across Scotland
Doors open, 10.30am, admission £5.
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.
https://www.facebook.com/turningtheelements
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
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
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
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.
Topic: Lunchtime Recital with Robyn Stapleton
Time: Oct 6, 2021 01:00 PM Greenwich Mean Time
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86555688317?pwd=dnJPM3lOTDVUU1FFY1ptQWJmY1ErUT09
Meeting ID: 865 5568 8317
Passcode: 653876
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
Time: Sep 1, 2021 01:00 PM London
Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/84086842145?pwd=QU9rRFJlWS9xOElrZmpTSkpDNzdSdz09
Meeting ID: 840 8684 2145
Passcode: 280639
