30th November – St Andrews night Ceilidh – Bowling Club in collaboration with the Portsoy 75 Club
20th Dec – Christmas Extravaganza with guests Fair Tricket
A near capacity audience were treated to a fantastic evening of Folk Music at our recent club night on the 3rd Friday. Bill Gray was MC for the evening and ensured all 12 floor performers had time for a couple of songs or tunes. We even had a doric story from Queen Victoria’s Doric Diary. Ewan MacColl seemed to be favoured by many performers, including one of our guests, Bob Drummond who sang a couple of McCarthy songs as well as the much loved Ralph McTell classic, The Streets of London. Danny Couper was also on very fine form singing a selection of Aberdeen Street songs as well as classic songs collected from the singing of Jeanie Robertson . He also gave a great rendition of Hamish Henderson’s Freedom Come All Ye. A song that many think should be Scotland’s National Anthem.
A few regulars were missing, some to I’ll health. We wish them well and hope to see them at our Xmas Extravaganza on 20th Dec. The very talented young lasses from Cullen, Chloe and Charlotte (aka Fair Tricket) are our guests. Joan, Paul and Chris are organising the refreshments and a collection of food items will be made for a local charity.
Finally, there are still tickets available for our joint venture with Portsoy 75 Club. A St Andrews night Ceilidh. Dancing, singing, Tunes and Poetry. A great night for sure. Only £15, includes supper, provided by Megs Kitchen and Gaulds Sandend.
15th Nov Open Mic. – Special Guests Bob Drummond and Danny Couper.
Sat 30th Nov. St Andrews Night Ceilidh. A joint event with 75 Club.
Inverness-based Dougie Mackenzie is an award-winning traditional singer and former Mod winner, and Penicuik-based Brian Miller is an accomplished guitarist who has played in many of Scotland’s top folk bands including Clan Alba and The Battlefield Band. This is sure to be a great night of songs and stories.
The next session on Friday, November 15 welcomes veteran banjo player and trad singer Danny Couper, who will take to the stage with Bob Drummond, sponsor of the annual Haal festival
To celebrate St Andrew’s Day, Folk at the Salmon Bothy, in partnership with Portsoy 75 Club, will host a St Andrew’s Day Hoolie on Saturday, November 30 at Portsoy Bowling Club. Entertainment will be provided by the Kenny McKenzie All Star Ceilidh Band, with performances from Moira Stewart, Doug Hay and various floor performers. With thanks to sponsorship from Auntie Meg’s Kitchen in Whitehills, and Gauld Fruit and Veg in Sandend, stovies and vegetable pasta will be available during the break. Tickets are £15 each, booking is essential and the event is for over 18s only.
Our very own Stuart B Campbell is part of the music lineup for this event. Along with Scratch N Brass, Will Boyd Wallis, Wee Cabin Ceilidh, Rachel Sermanni, Cat Noble, Stuart B Campbell, and Gary Moyes.
Donald WG Lindsay & Alasdair Roberts at The Salmon Bothy, Portsoy
Donald and Alasdair will present a programme featuring a rich variety of pipe tunes with guitar accompaniment, as well as a broad selection of songs both traditional and original. The pipe tunes bring together a diverse range of influences, from Scots fiddle tunes (Donald’s elder brother’s fiddling being an early influence), by way of Hungarian and Romanian pipe music, to classic and contemporary Highland piping and Lowland, Border and Northumbrian tunes. The songs range from variants (some rare, some more well-known) of traditional ballads or ‘muckle sangs’, to songs from the Scots lyrical tradition from the early modern period onwards, to contemporary songs written by both Alasdair and Donald.
In the company of Donald WG Lindsay and Alasdair Roberts, listeners can expect a thrilling evening in which rare and splendid gems of Scottish musical history and tradition will be brought to life in the hands of two unconventional masters, who invite you to join them in celebrating thirty years of music and friendship!
Alasdair Roberts : fingerstyle guitar, vocals Alasdair Roberts is a musician (primarily a guitarist and singer) who is based in Glasgow Scotland. He has worked with Drag City Records since 1997, firstly releasing three albums of self-written material under the name Appendix Out and then several albums under his own name. He has also released music on labels such as Secretly Canadian, Galaxia and Stone Tape Recordings. His work mainly consists of two parallel strands: self-written song material and interpretations of traditional songs and ballads from Scotland and beyond.
Alasdair has collaborated widely with many different musicians throughout his musical career, including the Scottish Gaelic singer Mairi Morrison, with whom he made the 2012 album Urstan. He has also collaborated with artists from other disciplines such as puppeteers (Shane Connolly, with whom he worked on a puppet theatre interpretation of the Scottish folk play ‘Galoshins’), film makers (including Luke Fowler, contributing a soundtrack to his film ‘All Divided Selves’) and, most recently, a poet (fellow Scot Robin Robertson, with whom he made the 2013 album Hirta Songs).
“He discovers the inner mystery of traditional music and shows that if this infinitely expressive material is respected, it may yet reward us with results that sound utterly unprecedented. Five stars.” – The Times
Donald WG Lindsay : Scottish smallpipes, vocals
The inventor of the Lindsay System, a sophisticated new Scottish instrument based on the smallpipes, the original prototypes of which are now featured in the museum display of the National Piping Centre in Glasgow. A number of young Scottish musicians have taken up this new three-octave design of Scottish smallpipes, most notably Malin Lewis who is currently touring their debut album Halocline. Donald himself has been featured widely on BBC Radio 3, 4, and 6 music, both with his unique instrument and as a singer, being described by Iggy Pop in 2020 as “really, really good”. He returned in 2022 to live on the Orkney Islands, after three years spent developing his original instrument designs on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, and finally returns to live touring this autumn with a series of duo dates with Alasdair Roberts this September beginning with an intimate performance on the remote Orkney island of Papay, and culminating in shows at Edinburgh’s Summerhall, and the Tolbooth in Stirling
Friday16th August – Club Night. We have the great Dave Goulder as guest. Dave will do a couple of extended sets – songs, stories, poems etc. Probably Dave’s best known song, covered by many many artists, is The January Man – followed closely by From Sandwood down to Kyle. A great evening assured- especially if you like steam trains. There will of course be ample time for floor spots. Doors open 1900 for 1930 start. Only £5 entry!
20th September – We hope have a visit from Ugie Wall of Sound (tbc). They will do a couple of extended sets and floor singers will be given ample time to play, sing, tell stories etc.
18thOctober – Standard open mic Club Night. Doors open 1900.
26th October – Dougie McKenzie and Brian Miller as guests. Another great night of Scottish Songs in store from a champion singer and superb accompanist. Doors open 1930 for 2000 start. Tickets £10
6th November – Standard open mic Club Night. Doors open 1900.
30th November – St Andrews Night. We are planning a joint event with Portsoy 75 Club (tbc). Possible Ceilidh Dance (band to be confirmed), songs from Moira Stewart and many more. Stovies and a veggie pasta dish. More details to follow.
Joining us for our Club Night on Friday 16th August is the great Dave Goulder. Dave will perform extended sets including songs, stories and poems. Dave Goulder is a contemporary of his friends Martin Carthy, Archie Fisher and Gordon Bok, all of whom have recorded his songs over the years
A locomotive fireman in the days of British Rail, he has recorded and published two albums and a book of ‘steam’ ballads as well as his more lyrical output of wild songs such as ‘January Man’, ‘Easter Tree’ and ‘Sandwood Down to Kyle’. Classical guitar has always been his instrument of choice but he’s also happy to give a tune on the Jew’s harp. A master craftsman dry stone dyker and instructor, he can punctuate his sets with humorous tales of stone and steam
Plenty spots for keen performers to take the floor and entertain too.
Doors open 7pm for 7.30pm. £5 entry fee. Bring your own bottle. All welcome, to perform, or just to relax and enjoy the entertainment on offer.
Folk at the Salmon Bothy have compiled a plentiful programme of concerts, sessions, workshops and sing-arounds, which will showcase traditional music, song, dance, stories and more. Taking place in Portsoy from 31 May to 2 June, the Haal festival offers lots of opportunities for both participation and spectating.
The main Friday evening concert features internationally renowned Cloughmor Ceili Band. The band has a wealth of champions among them, and has toured extensively across Europe. They will have toes tapping with their lively tunes at the concert, and will also provide the music and guidance at a ceilidh dance workshop on Saturday afternoon.
Also on the Friday night line up are veteran Scottish traditional singers Arthur Watson and Chris Miles, as well as young award-winning Aberdeenshire fiddler George Davidson, and Irish guitar maestro Gearaidh Matthews, who will also leading a workshop on Saturday afternoon.
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On Saturday, two of the biggest names in British folk music will perform, Allan Taylor and Jacqui Mcshee. Allan Taylor is a wonderful songwriter who paints pictures through words, accompanied by his sublime guitar playing. Many of his songs such as Good To See You, The Beat Hotel and Traveller, have been covered by many performers and translated into multiple languages.
Jacqui Mcshee’s Pentangle is a reincarnation of the 1960s groundbreaking group which included world class musicians such as Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, playing a mix of trad folk with a hint of jazz. The current band is equally high in class, and includes percussion, double base, keyboard and sax, which beautifully complements Jacqui’s rich voice.
New this year is the Haal fringe, including acts such as Fil Campbell and Tom McFarland from Belleek, Bob Sharp, Alyson and Neil MacConnachie, Moonshine Madness, Dick and Maggie Trickey, The Sir-Reel Clarks, SC&T Youth, and Beyond Boyndie. They will busk and perform sets across various venues in the town free of charge, with thanks to support from the event’s generous sponsors, including Hydrasun, Kenway Tyres and Hamlyns of Scotland.
For those who enjoy bothy ballads, a celebration of the life and songs of the late Jock Duncan will be held on Sunday at Portsoy Church Centre. Many champion bothy balladeers will sing songs strongly associated with Jock, while folklorist Pete Shepheard will also give a short talk on his recently published book about the renowned Scottish singer.
Bob Philips, chairman of Folk at the Salmon Bothy, commented, “Excitement is really building for us now as the Haal nears. We have a confirmed full programme of music, song, dance, stories and more, which showcases the vast talent across the traditional folk scene, both from the UK and beyond. The festival promises lots of opportunities to join in and participate, as well as the chance to sit back and enjoy the entertainment on offer. Demand has been high for the ticketed events, so we would encourage visitors to book in advance to avoid disappointment.”
Remaining tickets are available from Bob Philips, on 07968 872 217 or bobportsoy@gmail.com
Further information on all Folk at the Salmon Bothy events is available at www.bothyfolk.org or on the Folk at the Salmon Bothy Facebook page.
Folk at the Salmon Bothy members and guests recently enjoyed one of the best attended Open Mic Sessions for many months.
Borders based singer songwriter Kenny Speirs enthralled the audience with performances of his own sensitively and well crafted songs, as well as many popular covers from the pens of Andy M Stewart, Rabbie Burns and more.
Kenny was supported by fourteen sets from floor singers, musicians and storytellers. The appreciative audience enjoyed sea shanties, the history of Fyvie Castle, and a variety of unaccompanied Scottish and English traditional songs.
Tributes were paid throughout the evening to the late great Joe Aitken, who sadly died recently. Seven times Bothy Ballads Champion of Champions, and dedicated family and community man, Joe was remembered fondly by many who knew him.
Organiser Bob Philips, MC for the evening, opened and closed the session with tributes to Joe. During the evening, John Mather recited a poem by Sheena Blackwall about Joe, while Doug Hay, Bill Gray and John Dickson sang some of Joe’s well known songs, including The Hearst o’ Retie, The Twa Gadgies and The Yellow’ on the Broom. The audience joined in enthusiastically.
The next Open Mic Session takes place on Friday 17 May at Portsoy Salmon Bothy, where the full session will be dedicated to performers keen to take the floor. Doors open at 7pm for 7.30pm start. Admission is £5, and guests may bring their own bottle.
Folk at the Bothy’s annual general meeting will take place at 7pm at the Station Hotel on Tuesday 21 May, all welcome.
The Club is also looking ahead to the 14th Haal which takes place in Portsoy from 31 May to 2 June. Tickets are on sale now, and the full programme can be found in businesses locally, or online.
