4th March 2010

The March meeting of the Isle of Skye Accordion & Fiddle Club held in the Royal Hotel, Portree was opened by a trio of local players introduced by Club M.C., Jim Campbell. On stage were accordionists John Cameron and John MacGilvray with Donald John Campbell on drums who provided selections of toe-tapping marches and beautiful Gaelic airs. Fiddler Wendy Riva of Kimuir gave her usual fine performance which included her version of The Roses Of Prince Charlie before handing over the microphone to solo accordionist Emma Beaton. A change of instrument from fiddle and accordions saw the talented young Bruce MacDonald and his sister, Rowan, perform duets on the Highland bagpipes, after which Bruce delighted the audience with two solo sets played with flair and confidence. Next on stage was another young player, nine year old Ellie MacPherson, with some tunes on her fiddle and played with a confidence which belied her tender years. A member of the audience, Ronnie MacRae, was persuaded to take to the stage to perform a couple of songs and soon had the audience singing along with him, after which it was the turn of “mine host” of the Royal Hotel, David Morton, to strap on his piano accordion and play some old favourites including Whistling Rufus and The Bluebell Polka interspersed by some lovely Gaelic waltzes. To round off the first half of the programme accordionist Ross MacPherson of Connel, no stranger to the Skye Club, played several selections accompanied by Portree drummer, Donald MacRae. The entire second half of the evening was devoted to the guest band from Argyll, The Michael Garvin Trio, comprising of Michael himself leading on piano accordion, with Ross MacPherson on second box and talented drummer Fraser MacInnes. The trio launched into a great and varied programme of wonderful music in their great west coast style to delight the appreciative audience and rounded off a fine evening of the best of music with local musicians joining in to the traditional final “stramash”. The Club meet again in the the Royal Hotel, Portree on Thursday 1 April when, in a change to the advertised programme, the guest band will be Mackay’s Dance Band – an evening not to be missed!