Orkney Arts Theatre, Kirkwall, Orkney, 23 October 2011

IT was a shame the audience wasn’t bigger, but I can report that those who failed to turn out on a wet and windy night or were away for the school holidays missed a treat at the TMSA Young Trad Tour 2011 concert.

THIS was the chance to see six finalists of this year’s BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award, with fiddler Daniel Thorpe, the winner of the 2010 award. Their Orkney date was down to Orcadian fiddler Kristan Harvey being the 2011 winner.

Daniel Thorpe (fiddle and 2010 Award Winner), Lorne MacDougall (Pipes/whistles), Mairi Chaimbeul (Clarsach/Gaelic song), Kristan Harvey (fiddle and 2011 Award winner), Tina Rees (piano), Andrew Waite (accordion), Alistair Ogilvy (Scots song)

She led us into the sets with a tender slow air laced with richness and emotion, with pianist Tina Rees syncopating the rhythm. ‘Karen’s Reel’, written by Saltfishforty’s Douglas Montgomery for murdered Orkney lass Karen Aim, upped the tempo for a dazzling portrayal of Karen’s bubbly personality.

The pace was alternated with solo cameos, duo, trios and all hands sets. The ‘Jakey Set’ by accordionist Andrew Waite from Duns moved seamlessly from a mellow air to his own bustling ‘Izzy’s Guide’ to ‘Jake’, followed by the dazzling ‘Beoga!’.

Versatility was again displayed by Scots singer Alistair Ogilvy of Strathblane, whose slowed down version of drinking song ‘Calton Weaver’ was made beautiful with the melancholy breeze of both fiddles and delicate harp and piano.’The Land o the Leel’, a dying man’s haunting song, contrasted with the bawdy ‘Tail Toddle’.

A waulking song traditionally sung while working cloth, ‘Cò Siud Thall air Sràid na h-Eala’, introduced us to the sublime Gaelic vocals of accomplished clarsach player Mairi Chaimbeul of Skye. Pizzicato strings and the harp combined to take us back to those long ago working days. Mairi’s admirable zest for seeking out and rearranging traditional songs and making them her own was fluently performed.

Piper and whistle player Lorne MacDougall’s pipes set showcased the virtuosity of this twice over trad awards finalist, accompanied by Tina Rees of Glasgow, who added jazzy notes.

The set list was successfully arranged to showcase the individual and combined talents of these young musicians who take treasures from Scottish traditional music and keep it alive and evolving.  My personal preference is for more spirited reels and jigs over quiet airs, and the concert was weighted towards the latter.

And it was mighty fine to see Kristan playing again on home turf after her stonking sets at Orkney Folk Festival in May. Encore please.

The tour continues to Lyth, Inverness, Aberfeldy, Livingston, Campbeltown, Portree, St Andrews, Glasgow and Coldingham. And there’s a CD featuring the highlights of the concert produced by Corrina Hewat.

© Catherine Turnbull, 2011

Links

• TMSA