Ceòl Agus Co-Rùn – The Glenuig MacDonalds

30 Nov 2003 in Gaelic, Highland, Music

Aros Centre, Portree, 28 November 2003

SURPRISINGLY, this was the first time the piping MacDonald brothers from Glenuig have played a whole concert together, although they have, on occasion, come together to perform spots at festivals and such like. The Kilmuir-based Gaelic singer, Anne Martin, managed to persuade Dr Angus, Allan and Iain to team up for a concert to kick off a series of musical events in Aros over the coming winter and spring.

The MacDonald Brothers from Glenuig

The MacDonald Brothers from Glenuig

The series, called Ceòl agus Co-rùn, will also feature the Finlay MacDonald Band, Dàimh, Malinky, ‘Island Women’, Altan, Cliar and John McCusker.

Perhaps because the MacDonalds have played together so rarely there was considerable excitement stirred up when the Aros concert was announced. Those who were not quick enough off the mark to snap up tickets for the 180-seater theatre were disappointed.

The lucky ones, ranging from the very young to the very old (there was at least one nonagenarian in the audience) arrived in the Aros theatre with great anticipation and the MacDonalds provided them with a fabulous performance which, if anything, surpassed expectations. Supported by the deft Orcadian guitarist, Kris Drever, they were simply enchanting.

Afterwards an elderly lady was overheard to say that “the tonic Dr Angus and his brothers have just given me should be available on the National Health”. Many among the audience were surprised by how versatile the Macdonalds are as musicians – as expected, they piped, but one or other of them also played the fiddle, flute, whistle, bodhran and trump during the concert.

Allan also sang a couple of songs while accompanying himself on the small-pipes. There were a total of seven sets of pipes played on stage – “all in different keys and some are in keys they aren’t supposed to be in”, Iain told the audience. Inevitably tuning and re-tuning took time. Iain added that it is an inexact and exacting science – “pipers spend half the time tuning their instruments an the other half playing out of tune”.

Their concert repertoire was largely from the Highland tradition, with one or two forays over Struth na Maoile to borrow from Ireland. Intriguingly, it also featured a Viennese-type waltz which dancers in 1950s Moidart called “Ca Va” and to which Allan has added five parts. This Highland/Gaelic dominated mix of music was what the audience has come to hear, and they got it by the bucket full.

What also became abundantly clear was the MacDonalds’ talent for composing original pipe tunes. In particular, we heard a number of Allan’s compositions, notably ‘Seudan a’ Chuain’, ‘We’re a Case the Bunch of Us’, ‘Dr Flora MacAulay’ and ‘The Handshaker’.

In short, this was a hugely enjoyable evening. Now that the MacDonalds have at last played a concert together I hope that they themselves have warmed to the idea and that their next one will not be too far off.

© Cailean Maclean, 2003