The 2019 festival was again an opportunity to showcase talent and enthusiasm in the Friday & Saturday morning competitions, Trophies included: the Maggie Adamson Goblet for the 2019 "Fiddler of Strathspey”, the Clan Grant trophy for the 2019 "Chieftain's Fiddler" and the Festival patron's trophy, the magnificent and unique "Grantown East Celtic Horn" As well as these prestigious awards there were fiddle classes for 9 and under, 12 and under and 16 and under, leading to the Grantown Society Cup for the 2019 junior (9 and under) Fiddler of Open trophies included the Reidhaven Quaich and the John McGregor Memorial Trophy. The Imray Trophy is presented annually to the fiddler whose enthusiasm and potential most impress the judges. St Columba’s and the Wheatley Hall provided a most attractive venue for audiences and the competitors, challenging their peers, playing well rehearsed pieces and gaining valuable experience under the watchful eye of our very supportive and knowledgeable adjudicators.
2019 Competition Results
Friday 20 September 2019
Restricted Entry - Pupils from schools in Strathspey, Speyside and Badenoch
Section 1 Fiddle Solo - Traditional Scottish - own choice
Class 1: Open: Winner: Winner: Bronagh Gillies, Dufftown. Runner-up: Maili McLeod
Class 2: Primary (a) primary 2 - 4
(b) primary 5 - 7 Winner: Molly-Mae Robson, Grantown. Runner-up: Angus Robinson, Grantown
Section 2 Fiddle Solo - Traditional Scottish
Class 3: Open - slow air: Winner: Maili McLeod, Kingussie. Zoe Allen, Kingussie
Class 4: Primary - slow air: Winner: Angus Robinson, Grantown. Runner up: Annabelle Schulz, Grantown
Class 5: Open - March, Strathspey and Reel: Winner: Bronagh Gillies, Dufftown. Runner-up: Harriet McAuly-Brand, Grantown
Class 6: Primary - March, Strathspey and Reel: Winner: Angus Robinson
Overall winner: Bronagh Gillies
Saturday 21 September 2019
Open to all competitors, including Friday's entrants
Section 3 Angus Cumming Collection (revised)
Class 8: 16 and under - Winner: Kathleen Macdonald, Portree
Class 9: 12 and under - Winner: Angus Robinson, Grantown
Section 4 Traditional Scottish
Class 11: 16 and under - March, Strathspey and Reel - Winner: Kathleen Macdonald. Runner -up: Cassie Findlay, Keith
Class 12: 12 and under - Winner: Angus Robinson
Class 13: 9 and under - Winner: Mackie Robinson, Grantown. Runner-up: Elle MacDonald, Helensburgh
Section 5 Traditional Music Group
Class 14: open - Own choice Traditional Scottish piece - Winners: Swiss Family Robinson, Grantown and Zurich
Section 6 Own Composition
Class 15: senior Grantown East Celtic Horn - Own original composition, introduced and played by the composer. Winner: Kathleen Macdonald, Portree.
It was decided that The Maggie Adamson Goblet, The Grantown East Celtic Horn and The Clan Grant Trophy were to be awarded for outstanding playing. No award was made in 2019 for the Goblet and the Clan Trophy.
Programme
Thursday 19th evening
Pre-festival session: Stovies and Strathspeys. 8.00pm in the Legion with Ronnie Douglas and others.
Friday 20th morning
Friday 20th lunchtime
Friday 20th afternoon
Friday evening
Saturday 21st all day
Saturday 21st morning
Saturday 21st Lunchtime
Saturday 21st lunchtime and afternoon
Saturday 21st afternoon
Saturday 21st evening
Sunday 22nd morning
Note:The organisers reserved the right to make changes to the programme if necessary.
2019 Competition Results
Friday 20 September 2019
Restricted Entry - Pupils from schools in Strathspey, Speyside and Badenoch
Section 1 Fiddle Solo - Traditional Scottish - own choice
Class 1: Open: Winner: Winner: Bronagh Gillies, Dufftown. Runner-up: Maili McLeod
Class 2: Primary (a) primary 2 - 4
(b) primary 5 - 7 Winner: Molly-Mae Robson, Grantown. Runner-up: Angus Robinson, Grantown
Section 2 Fiddle Solo - Traditional Scottish
Class 3: Open - slow air: Winner: Maili McLeod, Kingussie. Zoe Allen, Kingussie
Class 4: Primary - slow air: Winner: Angus Robinson, Grantown. Runner up: Annabelle Schulz, Grantown
Class 5: Open - March, Strathspey and Reel: Winner: Bronagh Gillies, Dufftown. Runner-up: Harriet McAuly-Brand, Grantown
Class 6: Primary - March, Strathspey and Reel: Winner: Angus Robinson
Overall winner: Bronagh Gillies
Saturday 21 September 2019
Open to all competitors, including Friday's entrants
Section 3 Angus Cumming Collection (revised)
Class 8: 16 and under - Winner: Kathleen Macdonald, Portree
Class 9: 12 and under - Winner: Angus Robinson, Grantown
Section 4 Traditional Scottish
Class 11: 16 and under - March, Strathspey and Reel - Winner: Kathleen Macdonald. Runner -up: Cassie Findlay, Keith
Class 12: 12 and under - Winner: Angus Robinson
Class 13: 9 and under - Winner: Mackie Robinson, Grantown. Runner-up: Elle MacDonald, Helensburgh
Section 5 Traditional Music Group
Class 14: open - Own choice Traditional Scottish piece - Winners: Swiss Family Robinson, Grantown and Zurich
Section 6 Own Composition
Class 15: senior Grantown East Celtic Horn - Own original composition, introduced and played by the composer. Winner: Kathleen Macdonald, Portree.
It was decided that The Maggie Adamson Goblet, The Grantown East Celtic Horn and The Clan Grant Trophy were to be awarded for outstanding playing. No award was made in 2019 for the Goblet and the Clan Trophy.
Programme
Thursday 19th evening
Pre-festival session: Stovies and Strathspeys. 8.00pm in the Legion with Ronnie Douglas and others.
Friday 20th morning
- Schools fiddle competition with adjudicators Paul Anderson and Ronnie Gibson. For schools in Strathspey, Speyside and Badenoch. 9.30 in St Columba's Church and the Wheatley Hall.
- Carnyx demonstration and talk. John and Patrick Kenny introduce our own Deskford Carnyx, the Tintignac Carnyx from France and the Loughnashade Horn from Ireland. Grantown Grammar School at 11.37.
- Morning Coffee & Cake Session. High Street Merchants 10.30
Friday 20th lunchtime
- Fiddle Workshop with Ronnie Gibson
- Lunchtime Pie and a Pint 12.30 Chaplin's Coffee Shop
Friday 20th afternoon
- High Schools' Music jamboree. A Young Peoples' event all afternoon in the Marquee in the Square.
- Fiddle and Carnyx presentation. 1.30 in Grantown Primary School With Patrick and John Kenny and Paul Anderson.
- Afternoon Tea & scones Session. 2.30 in Chaplin's Coffee Shop
Friday evening
- Festival Concert. 7.00 Boat of Garten Community Hall with Paul Anderson, Celtic Carnyx "Dragon Voices", Cairngorms Orchestra, Feis Spe Monadh Ruadh Ceilidh Band, Traditional songs and dances. Tickets £15/£10
- Informal Evening trad session. 8.00 pm Claymore Bar
- Late night bar-room session. 10.30 in the Ben Mhor Hotel with Paul Anderson and others
Saturday 21st all day
- Welcome to Grantown, introducing Grantown's shops past and present - displays, competitions and of course shopping. All day in the High Street and Square.
- Model Railway Exhibition - former Hydro shop.
Saturday 21st morning
- Open Fiddle Competitions. Competitions to find the 2019 "Fiddler of Strathspey" the "Grantown East Fiddler" and the "Chieftain's Fiddler" as well as other competitions and sessions with a total of over £700 of prize money. Leaving on tour at 10.00am from St Columba's Church and playing at Castle Roy, Nethy Auld Kirk, Cromdale Church and Grantown East. Part of the walks talks and tours programme
- Carnyx talk and recital in the Square with international musicians and ancient instrument specialists, John and Patrick Kenny - Deskford Carnyx, Tintignac Carnxy, Loughnashade Horn, Conch shells, Scandinavian steer horns, Didgeridu, Trombones (of course!) and possibly Alphorn.
- Musical walks, talks and tours. With musical highlights visit and enjoy some of Strathspey's historic treasures in association with the Scottish Civic Trust "Doors Open Day'. Hop-on Hop-off vintage MacBraynes bus.
Saturday 21st Lunchtime
- Strathspeys on the Speyside Line. Pizza Lunch at Grantown East Heritage and Cultural Centre, Patron of the Fiddle Festival. Again in association with Doors Open Day.
Saturday 21st lunchtime and afternoon
- Fiddlers' Café. Workshops, presentations, teas, coffee and home baking. From 11.00 until 4.00 Grantown Community Centre.
Saturday 21st afternoon
- Musical Procession - through the ages. Regality Cross to the Community Centre along the Square and High Street South Side pavements. 1.50 from the Regality Cross.
- Musicians' Assembly and winners' recitals. 4.00 in the new Community Centre theatre with afternoon rehearsals.
Saturday 21st evening
- Family Ceilidh. 7.00 Ben Mhor Hotel with the Forres Fiddle and Accordion Group and others, including Corralach, Scottish Folk Duo. Tickets £8/£4
- Late Night Bar-room Session. Ben Mhor Hotel. Following the Ceilidh. Led by Paul Anderson.
Sunday 22nd morning
- Pictish Stone and Old Inverallan. Guided walk through the woods and along the River Spey. Meet in the Square at 9.45
- Churches Together Sunday Service. 11.00 in the marquee in the Square with music from Paul Anderson and others.
- Strathspey "Stramash" and Community Picnic. Music from Cairngorms Orchestra, Feis Spe Junior Ceilidh band, Dunphail Dance band. amongst others. Dancing, Activities, Food and Drink. Celtic art and craft workshop. From 1.30 in the Square.
Note:The organisers reserved the right to make changes to the programme if necessary.
PAUL ANDERSON
Already something of a legend in the time honoured fiddle tradition of Scotland, Paul Anderson is the finest Scots fiddler of his generation. Although only in his forties, he is already something of an icon in Scotland, a fact duly recognised by two specially commissioned portraits of him, a life size one in Aberdeen Art Gallery and a study which is in the care of the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.
In the tradition of many of Scotland's great fiddlers, Paul is a composer of some repute, having composed over 300 pieces in the Scots style. His music provided the theme tune for the film "Red Rose" about the life of Robert Burns He composed & recorded the theme music for the PBS television show "Tartan TV" in the USA, and in 2008 he was the musical director for HMT Aberdeen's critically acclaimed production of "Sunset Song" by Lewis Grassic Gibbon. In 2008 Paul performed at a private reception for Prince Charles at Fyvie Castle to celebrate Prince Charles’ 60th birthday and in June 2010 he performed at an 80th birthday party in Edinburgh Castle for Sir Sean Connery at the request of the Scottish Government. In 2011 Paul performed at Scotland House in Brussels for members of the EU parliament and at a Burns Supper in the British Embassy.
During his competitive career Paul won most of the traditional fiddle championships in Scotland and in 1995 won Scotland's premier fiddling event, the Glenfiddich Scottish fiddle championship which was held each year at Blair Castle.
A regular on Scottish T.V and radio, and in 2011 he presented a series of features on traditional Scottish music and song for the BBC Scotland programme “Landward.” Paul has toured extensively and recorded eight solo albums and over forty albums with artists like Pallas, Rock Salt and Nails, The Cutting Edge and the Banchory Strathspey and Reel Society. Paul regularly recites the poetry of Robert Burns and in 1993 he played the part of the young James Scott Skinner in the play “The Strathspey King”. Paul was brought up on the family dairy farm at Tarland near the Cairngorms National Park in the heart of rural Aberdeenshire, where at the age of five he discovered an old fiddle under his grandparents spare bed, an old French violin which he plays to this day.
see more of Paul's bio at paulandersonscottishfiddler.com
Already something of a legend in the time honoured fiddle tradition of Scotland, Paul Anderson is the finest Scots fiddler of his generation. Although only in his forties, he is already something of an icon in Scotland, a fact duly recognised by two specially commissioned portraits of him, a life size one in Aberdeen Art Gallery and a study which is in the care of the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.
In the tradition of many of Scotland's great fiddlers, Paul is a composer of some repute, having composed over 300 pieces in the Scots style. His music provided the theme tune for the film "Red Rose" about the life of Robert Burns He composed & recorded the theme music for the PBS television show "Tartan TV" in the USA, and in 2008 he was the musical director for HMT Aberdeen's critically acclaimed production of "Sunset Song" by Lewis Grassic Gibbon. In 2008 Paul performed at a private reception for Prince Charles at Fyvie Castle to celebrate Prince Charles’ 60th birthday and in June 2010 he performed at an 80th birthday party in Edinburgh Castle for Sir Sean Connery at the request of the Scottish Government. In 2011 Paul performed at Scotland House in Brussels for members of the EU parliament and at a Burns Supper in the British Embassy.
During his competitive career Paul won most of the traditional fiddle championships in Scotland and in 1995 won Scotland's premier fiddling event, the Glenfiddich Scottish fiddle championship which was held each year at Blair Castle.
A regular on Scottish T.V and radio, and in 2011 he presented a series of features on traditional Scottish music and song for the BBC Scotland programme “Landward.” Paul has toured extensively and recorded eight solo albums and over forty albums with artists like Pallas, Rock Salt and Nails, The Cutting Edge and the Banchory Strathspey and Reel Society. Paul regularly recites the poetry of Robert Burns and in 1993 he played the part of the young James Scott Skinner in the play “The Strathspey King”. Paul was brought up on the family dairy farm at Tarland near the Cairngorms National Park in the heart of rural Aberdeenshire, where at the age of five he discovered an old fiddle under his grandparents spare bed, an old French violin which he plays to this day.
see more of Paul's bio at paulandersonscottishfiddler.com
Deskford Carnyx
Dragon Voices
We are excited to be able to add a performance of the Carnyx to this years festival!
The carnyx was a wind instrument of the Iron Age Celts, used between c. 200 BC and c. AD 200. It was a type of bronze trumpet with an elongated S shape, held so that the long straight central portion was vertical and the short mouthpiece end section and the much wider bell were horizontal in opposed directions. The bell was styled in the shape of an open-mouthed boar's, or other animal's, head.
It was used in warfare, probably to incite troops to battle and intimidate opponents, as Polybius recounts. The instrument's significant height allowed it to be heard over the heads of the participants in battles or ceremonies.
Read more about the Carynx here - Carynx history
We are excited to be able to add a performance of the Carnyx to this years festival!
The carnyx was a wind instrument of the Iron Age Celts, used between c. 200 BC and c. AD 200. It was a type of bronze trumpet with an elongated S shape, held so that the long straight central portion was vertical and the short mouthpiece end section and the much wider bell were horizontal in opposed directions. The bell was styled in the shape of an open-mouthed boar's, or other animal's, head.
It was used in warfare, probably to incite troops to battle and intimidate opponents, as Polybius recounts. The instrument's significant height allowed it to be heard over the heads of the participants in battles or ceremonies.
Read more about the Carynx here - Carynx history
Tintignac Carnyx
The carnyx was a wind instrument of the Iron Age Celts. The carnyx is featured in the opening battle scene of "Gladiator" (2000); and is used as both a musical instrument and a fear-inducing weapon
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DRAGON VOICES - John & Patrick Kenny - holding the Deskford Carnyx & Loughnashade Horn
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Cairngorms Orchestra
Cairngorms Orchestra will be playing Paul Anderson's Heilan Ways Symphony. This thriving new community ensemble brings together a range of keen instrumentalists from all over the National Park, rehearsing weekly under the directorship of Robin Versteeg, a local professional pianist, conductor, and church musician.
Cairngorms Orchestra was founded in the spring of 2018 by a group of likeminded and enthusiastic local instrumentalists. Bringing together a range of players from all over Badenoch and Strathspey in a shared love of orchestral music - and a sense of fun! - this new community group meets weekly under the guidance of pianist, conductor, and church musician Robin Versteeg. Recent and future repertoire includes music by composers such as Bizet, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Saint-Säens, and Leroy Anderson, and in just 6 months the membership has grown to over 30 enthusiastic musicians. Rehearsals are held in Dulnain Bridge village hall on Monday evenings, 7:30-9:30pm. There is a break for tea halfway through and plenty of time to socialise - as well as play! New members will be warmly welcomed and we have vacancies within the brass and string sections.
Contact: [email protected].
cairngormsorchestra.com
Cairngorms Orchestra was founded in the spring of 2018 by a group of likeminded and enthusiastic local instrumentalists. Bringing together a range of players from all over Badenoch and Strathspey in a shared love of orchestral music - and a sense of fun! - this new community group meets weekly under the guidance of pianist, conductor, and church musician Robin Versteeg. Recent and future repertoire includes music by composers such as Bizet, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Saint-Säens, and Leroy Anderson, and in just 6 months the membership has grown to over 30 enthusiastic musicians. Rehearsals are held in Dulnain Bridge village hall on Monday evenings, 7:30-9:30pm. There is a break for tea halfway through and plenty of time to socialise - as well as play! New members will be warmly welcomed and we have vacancies within the brass and string sections.
Contact: [email protected].
cairngormsorchestra.com