Document 1031

It's time tae reflect as fiddlers come and go - February 28, 2005

Author(s): Robbie Shepherd

Copyright holder(s): Robbie Shepherd

Fiddlers come and fiddlers go Ere's naething worries me! The Scottish Fiddler - Jock Morgan I WIS fair looking forrit tae the nicht. The Scottish Fiddle Orchestra on their twinty-fifth anniversary concert in the Music Hall on Setterday nicht, me a member o the aadience for a cheenge an nae in the spotlicht taakin tae the stage.

In the spotlicht? I cwidna o draan mair attenchin tae masel as I hirpl't ben North Silver Street deukin atween cars in Golden Square an taakin the steps up tae the Gallery nearly ryvin the banisters aff the wa in the bygaun.

The focus o attenchin wis a sair tae - a helliva sair tae - an noo I ken fit Esma's cam throwe aa these years wi her ost-tae-oh (ooch!) problems.

"Ay, Ay, Robbie" said a freen - he'd better be or ance - remindin foo the Sunday afore I hid a sair thrapple maakin my presentin o ma radio programme something atween Lee Marvin an a cheese grater. "Ye hae been pittin yer fit in yer moo again hiv ye?" Weel thankfu kyn, I got an aisle seat an a gran view o the hale proceedins - a concert weel worthy o the speecial celebration.

Noo I canna believe it wis jist a fower eer afore that I hid been privileg't tae tak pairt in the twinty-first anniversary wikkeyn an eence again I fun masel on the Friday nicht stannin up at the denner giein a toast tae es gran array o musicians.

Es time I chose as a theme the lines o Jock Morgan, that fine fiddler an entertainer fae Kemnay fa fiddl't an sang wi the best o them in my era o the Tivoli Theatre.

Aye immaculate in tartan jaiket an dress troosers, he wid introduce himself as the only entertainer on stage weerin a kilt wi sleeves.

Ay, fiddlers come an fiddlers go an looking roon the faces tuckin in tae a gran denner in the Elphinstone Hall, it wis time tae reflect.

I myn weel in ma early days o broadcastin, dasht near coincidin wi the advent o the Orchestra, foo I challeng't director John Mason tae prove at he wisna pushin hame-ower fiddlers a thochtie ower far.

It wis gran, bi the wye, tae see John haein focht back fae serious ill health, in his usual fine fettle in spite o a fair loss o weicht.

"Keep the music simple" wis the maxim o Jimmy Shand at I adher't till as weel, bit I lang hae lost the argument, prov't ower an ower again at the Concert on Setterday nicht.

WELL, a packit hoose ilka eer since wid be eneuch testament tae John's vision bit mair, much mair, is the wye their music meeves on wi nae threat tae the tradition. An orchestra noo kent aa ower wi trips to Australia, New Zealand an Canada.

It wid be difficult tae gie a highlicht o the Concert bit in the absence o Bill Cook as leader throwe haein the flu, Yla Steven took on mair the role o a leadin licht an es suitit me doon tae the grun.

Sic a fine player is Yla an specially on slow airs wi the cello o wir ain Irene Wood resonatin in the backgrun.

I maun menchin tee the juvenile section o the Bucksburn & District Pipe Band, ere as special guests an tae a young loon or wis't a lass ahin the big drum.

Aa ye cwid see wis the drum an twa furry fists gaein the muckle roon-aboot drum laldee - the instrument happin the sma cratur fae sicht o's aadience. Weel deen nivvertheless.

AY, FIDDLERS come an fiddlers go, sadly - an ma thochts turn't tae the likes o the first compere the Rev James Currie, o Reesa MacGinn and Betty Henderson, a duo tae saften ony hairt, the recent tragic death o Colin o'Riordan an mang those fa gie vital support, the late Bill Cowie fa dreeve the Aiberdeen contingent aa ower Britain an wid o hurl't the hale jing-bang for naething, sic wis his enthusiasm.

Here's tae the neist twinty-five.

Tae feenish the day, I wis fair trickit tae read anent my "scutterin-aboot hens" last wikk, that Asda his introduc't a pinch o Doric saat tae their new store at Peterheid wi signs like "pooch the change" an "come awa in".

Micht I remin them that they cwid dee waar than stick up twa signs I hae brocht up in es column mair than eence.

The entrance an the exit cwid hae signs hingin fae the ceilin wi chynes sayin "SYN" and "SYOOT".

Information about Document 1031

It's time tae reflect as fiddlers come and go - February 28, 2005