st aidan's uniting church, duggan street north balwyn, … turner and neil adam party!! ......

Volume 18, Issue 05August - September 2012

We will be busy workshopping all day Saturday, then following that with a session and dinner and then Sunday morning a further workshop and then Sunday arvo a concert. We are planning to leave Melbourne about 8 Saturday morning and return about 8 Sunday night, tired but we imagine happy!

Footstompin highlights this month

Foot Stompin' Free Scottish Music Podcast.Our October 2009 Foot Stompin' Free Scottish Music Podcast features a diverse range of music starting with new releases in this podcast. We start with the fanfare from Edinburgh Tattoo 2009 and then head into a new compilation of fiddler Archie McAllister.We then play a new duo called Tattie Jam followed by the debut release by pianist Mhairi Hall. Following this we play the new Pur CD, the new concept album Zama Zama by Battlefield Band and finish off with the new double album from Shooglenifty. New New New!!! http://www.footstompin.com/radioRead about the podcast on our blog http://footstompin.wordpress.com

Judy Turner and Neil Adam

Party!!

Hi fiddlers,I'm having a birthday party on November 14th - that's a busy weekend for MSFC and I'm hoping you'll want to make it even more eventful by joining me at my place in the evening, so please try and squeeze it in!ThanksJean McC

Neil Adam performing at The Portarlington Festival 2009 -shot courtesy of DougNeil Adam performing at The Portarlington Festival 2009 -shot courtesy of Doug

Catherine Fraser's WorkshopSunday November 15th 2009

Philip Island Concert courtesy of Doug

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Tartan Day –MSFC on stage at Fed Square, Sun 1 JulyThanks to all who performed as part of Tartan Day celebrations on Sunday 1st July at Federation Square. Melbourne managed to turn on some particularly Scottish weather for the day! Perfect weather for a bit kilt wearing

Jack Wilson’s Trip Report: So last Thursday I got back from a 9 week whirlwind tour of the world. I went to China, Italy, France, Ireland, the US and Canada for a half language nerd half fiddle holiday. I learn Chinese, French and Italian at university so it was great to practice those languages and to scope out possible uni exchange destinations and visit friends, and then it was onto the fiddle!So first stop was Derry, Northern Ireland for the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention. It's a somewhat biennial event hosted by a university which is part conference, part concert series, part workshop week etc. The conference took place from 9-1 each day and academics, musicians and interested people gave papers on an amazing range of topics relating to traditional music and dance. There were all sorts of workshops, talks, masterclasses and other events in the afternoon, and then a massive concert every night with really the worlds' best traditional musicians and bands. And after the concert was of course the festival club, the drinking, the sessioning and the networking. Alasdair and Natalie, Chris and Catriona all send their love to the fiddle club, and I did my best to lobby many other artists to consider coming to Australia!The next major fiddle stop was Cape Breton Island, my (musically) spiritual home! Cape Breton in the summertime is a three-month-long party: there are concerts and dances on every night all over the island, and I had two weeks packed full of music, meeting people and playing. I got invited up to play fiddle and piano at various dances and concerts, went to heaps of dances and played in a few sessions too. It was an amazing two weeks, and a great way to end the trip.

NESSIENorth East Scottish Strings

including Elbow Pipes

Nessie meet on the 2nd Sunday of every month. So if you're in the area, drop in and join in the fun!

For more information contact:

Claire Ph: 03 5963 3277

Kristen Ph: 03 5766 6282

Matthew Robertson03 9484 8076 [email protected]

Howard G 03 9874 6520 [email protected]

Sue 03 9481 7268 [email protected] Kirsty0434 354 948 [email protected]

Jack Wilson 03 937 92635 0424 660 461 [email protected]

Melody0408 191 619 [email protected]

Judy Turner

0438 560 [email protected]

President / DirectorPhoneEmail

TreasurerPhoneEmail

Tour Manager / CD SalesPhoneEmail

SecretaryMobileEmail

Young person's groupPhoneMobileEmail

AdministrationPhoneEmail

Founder MSFC / Fraser/Haas Concert Details

PhoneEmail

MSFC CLUB CONTACTS

The Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club (MSFC) meets at 2.00 PM on the 3rd Sunday of the month at:

St. Aidans Church Hall,17 Duggan Street,

North BalwynVic 3104

MSFC Western-VIC mini-tour 5-8 JulyThe early days of July saw a group of MSFCers brave the cold temperatures to bring some Scottish music and dancing to Western Victoria. Over four days we visited Ballarat, Drysdale, Noorat and Colac and saw some familiar faces but reached some new audiences as well. Audiences were on the small side but welcoming and appreciative that we’d made the effort to travel out to see them. In addition to the four nighttime gigs, we stopped in at May Noonan Aged Care residence in Terang to play for some very happy locals, including the two resident canaries who were quiet until we started playing! We were lucky enough to be joined by a number of guest musicians at various times on tour and we’d like to thank them all for their talent and time: Geoff Jones, Ceilidh South, David South, Clare Patti, Ginny Botha. There are many people to thank but huge thanks must go to Sue O’Leary, our tour manager extraordinaire who never fails to organise us so that we all know where we are going, when we are going, where we’re staying but more importantly, when the coffee breaks and opshop explorations are! Many thanks to all who came on tour and played so well and to all those who helped out with support along the way. The MSFC is such fun to tour with! This is a fact that I think Phil, our Coach Captain, figured out soon enough. For those who didn’t meet him, Phil was a ‘Canadian Pom’ who spoke in a Yorkshire accent and loved to be controversial. He is not backwards in coming forwards and many of the laughs on the bus were a result of or at least involved him. It may have only been four days but we felt like we got to know him quite well and a few of us got together and wrote him a song (see page 4).

Welcome to August - September 2012! We’ve had a huge couple of months and more to come!

Agenda for meeting - Sunday 19 August 2012St Aidan's Uniting Church, Duggan Street North Balwyn, 2-5pm

2.00pm To start off the day, Jean will tell us a bit about the part of Scotland her father came from - Dufftown. She will also play some family tunes and will teach us one or two of them.3.15pm Famous arvo tea - bring something to share 3:45 We’ll also review PM Jim Christie of Wick, and Tullochgorum and Nine Pint Coggie in preparation for Chris Duncan and Catherine Strutt’s October visit.5:00pm Close

:





Party!!





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Claire Ph: 03 5963 3277

Kristen Ph: 03 5766 6282






Judy Turner



TreasurerPhoneEmail






PhoneEmail

MSFC CLUB CONTACTS




CD launch -Melbourne-Thornbury Theatre, Sat 21 July

Thank you to all who helped make the launch gig at Thornbury Theatre on Saturday 21 July a success.The CD is something to be very proud of as a group, and adds another string to our bow. It reflects what we’ve done over the last 12-18 months and it’s a real coup for us that we were able to include some special guest items with Chris Stout and Catriona McKay, Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas. Even aside from those tracks featuring the guests artists, our own home-grown material is musically rich, well arranged, beautifully played and is a credit to us. Whether you were on the CD in any capacity or not, please tell your friends about it and encourage them to get a copy and hear what we do as a group. Highlights included:

Neil and Judy’s RL Stevenson show in the first half – a fine expression of an interesting life;

Gus Downing’s intros and world class attempt to get the tongue-twister - something like “the Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club Fiddling Truvvlership” - right on the night - and lovely to hear from Bill Sides and show him our appreciation; Our best wishes go to Doug Bird for a speedy recovery. Many thanks to all who helped out on the night in various ways to support Athalie and Doug - he will be getting home soon so no doubt we’ll see him at our next gig or practice.

Some feedback we received from the launch gig: “I thought the gig at Thornbury was great, I came with some Preston orchestra people who loved it too, congrats, terrific music.”“Really enjoyed the concert on Saturday. Thanks for the invite.”“Thanks for letting me know about the concert, it was great! It was indeed an inspiration to see and hear so many of you playing from memory.”

CD pricingThe Committee has discussed and decided on the following general public pricing structure for Of an Island: 1 for $25, 2 for $45 and 3 for $60.For MSFC members the price is a flat and simple figure: $20 each for any number (i.e. whether or not you buy 1, 2, 3 or more, or buy in 1s and 2s multiple times).

CD Review:Of Of An Island, July 2012 by Judy TurnerWe know this stuff. We know it well. We can really play it. It’s familiar, and yet better than expected. The cellos are strong and sonorous, but in a new way. They make a mighty sound, and thread the whole together. Now listen! The fiddle playing is

full of guts and determination. There’s a new spirit afoot – if possible, the club is even more confident than before - we are become gritty, resilient islanders! Four years since Gates of Gold have made a huge difference to the way the group attacks the tunes, as typified by track one, where Chris Stout’s strength of personality and musicality carry us along, after a brief week with those tunes. And then there’s Catriona - ringing like a beautiful bell, above the top of the whole sound. Maybe there’s a touch of blob somewhere, but it’s hard to detect. Pretty well every opening, every ending, tight and on the money. Great job Hugh – great job singers and harmonisers after the event – great job Matt, all those months of persistence - great job Sirocha, your set really rips along at the end – great job Gus, you Shetland hero you – and wait, there’s even a surprise! George Jackson, the fiddle dauphin, playing with all the lift and swing of a highland dancer. Wow Jenny, in my favourite set on the album, with its raffish Cape Breton charm – you sound so right! Love the way we all put our backs to wheel in St Ath’s, and gave it all those lashings of emotion. And how charming to have our dear Alasdair – part guru, part naughty boy – finishing the set, with his exhuberance and his sweet sweet sound. Go Natalie! Go Dave Alleway in Sparrow's, you legend. Go the stramash! Go MSFC – long may you lift the roof off halls and set marquee walls ringing in this wide brown land.

Camperdown weekend 25-26 August

MSFC is playing the main set of the joint concert on Sunday 26 August as part of the Camperdown-Corangamite Shire ‘Burns Festival’. This event (MSFC’s third year of involvement) is maturing as a fine thing, and we’re delighted to be involved once again. It’s a chance to show a few more people around the district our music, and we were really well received last year, so let’s do it all over again. A couple of practices later in August will brush up on current sets and a couple of spares from other repertoire so we have plenty of fire power. Sirocha and others will lead the day. This will be a good chance to get on stage and perform the new CD sets and other items. Concert starts at 2pm and we’re the first act with a 70minute set. More details and to follow in a separate email.

Neil Adam performing at The Portarlington Festival 2009 -shot courtesy of Doug



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Sirocha Bruckard0438 060 [email protected]

Matthew Robertson03 9484 8076 / 0477 031 777 [email protected]

Howard Grenville 03 9874 6520 [email protected]

Sue 03 9481 7268 [email protected] Kirsty Greenwood0434 354 948 [email protected]

Melody0408 191 619 [email protected] Judy Turner0438 560 [email protected]

PresidentPhoneEmail

DirectorPhoneEmail

TreasurerPhoneEmail



Vice-PresidentPhoneEmail

Founder MSFC PhoneEmail

MSFC CLUB CONTACTS



North Balwyn Vic 3104

Duncan & Strutt weekend 19-21 OctoberThe next thing that we are gearing up for after Camperdown is the Chris Duncan and Catherine Strutt visit in October. Chris and Catherine will be with us for the weekend of Friday 19th – Sunday 21st October. No firm details as yet but the plans are for a Saturday all-day workshop and a big combined Sunday gig. This is our monthly meeting weekend. Therefore, the Sunday gig will replace our normal meeting. We look forward to seeing Chris and Catherine and learning from and performing with them. Please pencil this weekend in your diaries! More details to come. Possible short gig at Surrey Hills Music FestivalWe have applied to play at the Surrey Hills Music Festival on Sunday 28th October. It is likely that we will be accepted to play as this helps us satisfy our City of Borroondara grant perfor-mances. Please pencil it in your diaries. The gig will likely be a 40-50min set between 12-11pm. We will receive confirmation mid August on this one. As soon we know, an email will be sent out asking for expression of interest to play (20 or so people would be good).

AGM – It’s that time of year again!On Sunday 16th September (our monthly meeting) we will hold our AGM. If you are interested in being a part of the committee and want to know what it involves please speak to Sirocha or Melody or any current committee member. You’ll receive an email shortly with an invitation to the AGM and an attached nomination form. Nominations can be completed at the August monthly meeting or completed and sent electronically to Kirsty ([email protected]). Nominations must be received by Friday 7th September.

Looking ahead to 2013…We’ve applied to play at the National Folk Festival – Easter 2013.We are also getting ideas going for a next appearance at the National Celtic Festival – June 2013.Echuca-Moama Celtic Festival – March 2013We’ll keep you posted on any developments!




For more information contact:Kristen Ph: 03 5766 6282




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High upon musicAnd low upon curePommy Phil Coach DriverWent out on a tourChosen and acceptedUnsuspecting was heOf fiddle club anticsAnd how fun we can be

He’s captain not driverOf couch not busHe’s proven he’s worthy Through protecting usLadies with old frames And dangerous trucksHe’s skills are outstandingAnd it’s not due to luck

He seems to like butter It’s good for the figureHe does not stay up lateOr else he will witherHis rest is important His beauty is primeHe likes punctualityYet adds ‘ish’ to the time

Our portable dance floor‘E puts down on t’ groundFor Ceilidh to dance onAnd go round and round,But before she gets startedAnd goes foot to foot,‘E’s offered to danceIn ‘is own birthday suit. ‘E’s driven full coach loadO’ ladies to t’ winery,All decked in stilettosAnd all sorts o’ finery.

From the Tour - continued: Our Coach Captain, Phil, inspired this song- which should be sung to the tune of Bonnie George Campbell. You have to imagine the middle verses in a Yorkshire accent. If you can’t, ask Matt to sing it for you when he returns!

‘E’s took ‘em in t’ mornin’,Been at their disposal,And later in t’ day gotA marriage proposal. Coach Captain Phil,‘E ‘as sense o’ humour;‘E’s quick wi’ a story,Whether fact or just rumour.‘E mischievously sitsHalf way down the aisle,And stuffs up our head-countFor just a wee while. ‘E’s driven for divasLike André Rieu,Who books ‘im againAs ‘e says ‘is adieu.If we ‘it road againFor a fiddling tour,We’ll ask for ‘our Phil’‘Cos e’s not very dour

He threatens to eject usHe says he’ll drive offHe says “get off the busWhether you like it or not”He says that we’re rubbishBut we know the truthHe thinks that we’re alrightRough, not uncouth

High above tarmac And low in the busPhil the couch captain Was transporting usGuided by sat navAnd fiddlers 23Transporting the famous MSFC.

Photos courtesy of Rachel Bugeja, Pete Dwyer, Sue O’Leary, Shannon O’Leary and Guy Le Couteur.





Party!!





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Claire Ph: 03 5963 3277

Kristen Ph: 03 5766 6282






Judy Turner



TreasurerPhoneEmail






PhoneEmail

MSFC CLUB CONTACTS




Melbourne Scottish Fiddle Club Calendar: Aug - Sept Newsletter 2012 August Date Day Starts Ends Venue Notes

Rhythm section practice

8 Wed 7pm 9pm Athalie’s

Camperdown practices


MSFC monthly meeting

19 Sun 2pm 5pm St Aidan’s

Camperdown weekend

26 Sun 2pm 3pm Theatre Royal Sirocha and others to lead.

September Date Day Starts Ends Venue Notes Rhythm section practice


Practice for CD&CS gigs


MSFC monthly meeting and AGM


October Date Day Starts Ends Venue Notes Marysville/Buxton Golden Triangle Dancers Scottish dance

6 Sat Arvo/ evening

late Buxton Hall (not an MSFC gig, but please consider playing)

Contact: Di Gaylard (Music: Matt R)


10 Wed tbc tbc tbc


17/18

Wed/ Thur

tbc tbc tbc

20

Sat 11am (tbc)

4pm (tbc)

tbc Workshop with CD and CS

Chris Duncan & Catherine Strutt weekend

21 Sun tbc tbc tbc Joint big gig Replaces monthly meeting

Surrey Hills Festival tbc

27 Sun tbc tbc tbc Likely gig. tbc

November Date Day Starts Ends Venue Notes MSFC monthly meeting


December Date Day Starts Ends Venue Notes MSFC end-of-year meeting TBC

16 Sun 2pm 5pm St Aidan’s TBC

st aidan's uniting church, duggan street north balwyn, … turner and neil adam party!! ......

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