Despite a road closure affecting attendance, members and guests gathered in good spirits at the Inveraray Inn for the first meeting of the New Year for the Inveraray and District Accordion and Fiddle Club.
Compere Jane MacKay welcomed those present before Fyne Folk opened the evening with a carefully chosen selection of Burns slow airs. The group featured Sally Hall and Jake MacKay on fiddles, with Margaret Campbell on keyboard, setting a gentle and reflective tone to start the night.
Jake then swapped fiddle for moothie to perform a set of lively Burns tunes, joined by John Kelly on guitar. The evening continued with a variety of supporting performances, including John Kelly on vocals, Janine Ashall on whistle accompanied on guitar, and visiting accordionist Janet Graham from Cumbernauld, who was joined by John Kelly on guitar and Alex MacAllister on accordion. Each performance was warmly received by the audience.
The guest artists for the evening were the well-known MacAllisters, with Archie on fiddle, brother Alex on accordion and nephew Arran on guitar and vocals. They treated the audience to an entertaining and varied programme featuring Gaelic waltzes, pipe marches with a strong west coast feel, as well as jigs, hornpipes and reels.
A highlight of the set came with Archie’s Scott Skinner selection, which included a particularly moving rendition of the slow air Hector the Hero, flowing seamlessly into a strathspey and reel. Arran also delighted the audience with a pair of songs, including Wild Mountain Thyme, before bringing the evening to a close with another song and a set of popular American hoedown tunes that earned rapturous applause.
All performers were thanked for an excellent night of music. The club now looks ahead to next week’s meeting, when it will welcome back the ever-popular Hector McFadyen and his Trio from Oban. The evening will mark the 35th anniversary of the Inveraray and District Accordion and Fiddle Club, with organisers promising another memorable night of music.
