Scots Trad Music Awards 2004 Nominations page 1 of 3

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Album of the Year - (sponsored by Birnam CD)

Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas - Fire & Grace - WINNER
Master fiddler Alasdair Fraser, long regarded as one of Scotland's premier musical ambassadors, presents the rich Scottish fiddle tradition with unsurpassed eloquence, passion and energy. In his latest collaboration, with vibrant young cellist Natalie Haas, Alasdair continues his journey, exploring the dynamic and rhythmic soul of Scottish dance music together with lyrical, sensitive airs.

Blair Douglas: Angels from the Ashes
Blair Douglas was a founder member of bands as diverse as Runrig, Mactalla and Cliar, and has created a series of idiosyncratic and highly-regarded recordings under his own name. The latest, Angels from the Ashes , marks a return to top form for a musician who admits he reached a low ebb in the wake of a fire that destroyed the family home, and all of his instruments and music in 1997.

Martyn Bennett: Grit
There are ten tracks on this unforgettable album. Using voice archive recordings of singers like Lizzie Higgins and Sheila Stewart which he has married to electronic techno noise and dance rhythms he delivers a modern sounding album still true to its traditional roots. Amongst the passages of crunching beats there are contrasting almost peaceful interludes. Martyn Bennett is an artist who continues to astound.

The Occasionals - Reel of Four
This is the fourth collection of music by The Occasionals, a selection of sets for Scottish country dancing featuring a range of traditional and contemporary tunes, with some new compositions by accordionist Freeland Barbour and fiddler Ian Hardie. Add in Gus Millar on drums and Kevin Macleod on banjo, mandolin and tenor guitar and you have The Occasionals ~ Reel of Four

BBC Radio Scotland Personality of the Year

Fiona MacKenzie - WINNER
"I should like to nominate Fiona Mackenzie, Mairi Mhor Gaelic Song Fellowship, (Highland Council) for her work in bringing Gaelic song and music to schools and communities in the Highlands and Islands. Her CD Seinn o ho ro Seinn has proved an inspiration to teachers and Gaelic learners since it was launched in October 2003. She has now also produced the first book of Ross-shire Gaelic songs to be published in several generations."

Frank McArdle
"My nomination goes to Frank McArdle who is the main teacher of Glasgow Comhaltas branch and St. Roch's. He is the main man for spreading traditional music in Glasgow and his encouragement and dedication have began the careers for many trad musicians including John McCusker, Claire McLaughlin, Mark Maguire to name a few. His Tuesday night classes see more than 200 pupils of all ages learning to play a variety of instruments and many of his pupils are All-Ireland medallists who wouldn't have been able to achieve without Frank McArdle. I could go on for hours about all the good he has done for music, but i won't! I think you get the idea-no one deserves the award more than Frank McArdle.

Harris Playfair
"Based in Kelso, Harris has been a long standing teacher and advocate of traditional music in the borders. His coaching of the stunning Kelso School band, who performed at last year's awards, shows what can be done with raw talent, inspiring them and gaining a standing ovation on the night.""

Rita Hunter
"I would like to nominate Rita Hunter (Feis Rois Manager) for Personality of the Year. As an organiser, she never stops bringing new ideas to the traditional music world. She's been at the centre of the resurgence and her "teaching to performance" portfolio ensures sure that we are constantly getting new talent emerging on the scene."

Community Project of the Year (sponsored by Greentrax Recordings)

ALP Scots Music Group
ALP Scots Music Group is a community education project based in Edinburgh which aims to make the traditional music, song and dance of Scotland widely available to everyone by offering classes, events, workshops, social gatherings and publications.

Broonie - The Legend
A new musical work celebrating the legacy of Scottish folktales, presented through traditional Scottish music, song and dance with a contemporary twist. This projects aims were to introduce people to Scottish traditional music and dance and to learn something of the rich heritage of Scottish folklore. The music was written by Andrew McGarva, (of the folk band Coila) and the band featured Marc Duff and Alistair McCulloch.

Feis Rois Traditional Music in Schools project - WINNER
Fèis Rois organises the TMIS scheme, bringing traditional musicians, singers and dancers to Primary 6 & 7 children throughout Scotland. Lively 1-hour visits give children the chance to hear good quality traditional music, to learn about the instruments and the different types of tunes and most importantly to join in. Each visit invites all the pupils to learn either a song or a dance together, and teachers are sent a resource pack with advice on how to follow things up. Fèis Rois made contact with every area in Scotland, and up to 15,000 children, almost exclusively in Social Inclusion Priority areas, have already received visits. The feedback is absolutely incredible and very moving, and reveals that many children rarely or never see or hear live music. We receive great letters from teachers and pupils, lots of them saying that they didn't think they would like Scottish music but that now they love it! Fèis Rois has also been bowled over by the fantastic enthusiasm and tremendous professionalism of all the visiting musicians and singers, who tear around the country and really enjoy the work. TMIS was created by the Scottish Arts Council and is funded through the Scottish Executive's Cultural Strategy.

Glasgow Fiddle Workshop
Glasgow Fiddle Workshop or GFW as it is affectionately known began in 1990 as one of a number of traditional arts activities set up by the Community Education team of the then Strathclyde Region. GFW was formed as a voluntary organisation in 1994 with the aim to offer a facility for people to increase their knowledge of Scottish Traditional Fiddle styles and to learn more about fiddle music and its history.

Club of the Year (sponsored by The Living Tradition Magazine)

Edinburgh Folk Club
One of the first Scottish folk clubs, EFC won the Radio 2 Folk Club of the Year in 2003. They have an annual songwriting competition and run every Wednesday night in the The Pleasance Cabaret Bar at 8pm.

Glenfarg Village Folk Club
The Internationally Famous Glenfarg Village Folk Club is now in its 26th year and still going strong. It meets every Monday night and offers a wide range of musical acts as well as providing an opportunity for budding performers to 'have a go'. Over the course of a year you can enjoy both traditional and contemporary folk from home and abroad, blues, jazz, ragtime, story telling, poetry and great humour. The organisers are always tracking down the latest talent to break onto the folk scene as well as dusting down some of the golden oldies who have been around for a wee while longer. There is much more to Glenfarg Village Folk Club than Monday nights in the Terrace Bar. Members also enjoy many social events throughout the year.

Gretna Accordion & Fiddle Club
Gretna Accordion & Fiddle Club meets in The Halcrow Stadium, Gretna, on the first Sunday of the month from September to May. The club hosts many wonderful traditional music evenings and attracts members from both Dumfriesshire and Cumbria.

Hootananny, Inverness - WINNER
Hootananny Ceilidh Café Bar, is a great place to hear traditional music. Situated in the heart of Inverness and open since July 2002, it quickly became 'the' gathering place for celtic musicians and bands both local and visiting. There is 'live' music available every night during spring, summer and autumn and Wednesdays through to Sundays in the winter and there are workshops for those interested in learning a traditional instrument.

Event of the Year (sponsored by Visit Scotland)

Celtic Connections Festival
The first festival was programmed in 1993 to fill a scheduling gap in The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall's winter season and to meet the growing demand for folk music. Since then it has developed into a citywide celebration of Celtic music and culture. Now, eleven years on, there are more than 200 events staged over a three week period in multiple venues across the city, producing Glasgow's only major festival. Although focusing mainly on Scottish traditional music, the festival is truly international. Performers from the Celtic heartlands of Canada, USA, France and Spain regularly appear - and, in the last two years, the festival has showcased Nordic music.

Hebridean Celtic Festival - WINNER
The Hebridean Celtic Festival is a four-day musical celebration. Based in Stornoway, the Western Isles of Scotland, it is held annually and is fast approaching its tenth year. Over 14,000 festival-goers attended the 2004 event and there are a number of reasons for its increasing popularity:
The music - top quality programme with a Celtic twist, traditional, world influences and the best of home-grown talent; the setting - (grounds of Lews Castle); the community - which give the festival great support and a warm welcome to visitors. The festival also rolls out a series of community workshops and events that help ensure our culture continues to thrive. They are a family-friendly event and this is reflected in preferential ticket treatment.

Piping Hot, Glasgow International Piping Festival
Piping Hot was staged over the seven days in August leading up to the annual World Pipe Band Championships. The festival included recitals, workshops, concerts and competitions held at various venues across the city. It was the country's first ever festival dedicated to piping music and attracted both international and UK based audiences. Piping Hot presented an innovative contemporary programme featuring some of the most accomplished traditional musicians in the world alongside emerging performers whose edgy, experimental music and performance styles will challenge perceptions of piping.

Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Festival
This highly acclaimed festival swings in October to the sound of reels, jigs and marches. The success of the first festival in 1988 has been repeated and it is now a highly popular annual event. The highlight of this lively festival of concerts and dances, that take place throughout the islands, is the Grand Dance, where up to a dozen bands play virtually non-stop accordion and fiddle music.

Gaelic Singer of the Year (sponsored by Macmeanmna)

Julie Fowlis
Originally from North Uist, Julie was brought up in a Gaelic speaking community and was involved in piping and Highland dancing from an early age, both in Uist and later in Ross Shire. She has appeared as a solo artist on television programmes such as Tacsi, Fàilte and An t-Urlar Ur and has appeared on Ceòlraidh and Air an Urlar with all female band, Dòchas.

Maggie MacInnes - WINNER
Maggie is one of Scotland's foremost singers and clarsach players. She is steeped in the Gaelic tradition coming from a long line of Gaelic singers and storytellers from the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Taking her music to an international audience runs in the family as she is the daughter of the world famous traditional singer, Flora McNeil M.B.E.

Rachel Walker
Rachel Walker was introduced to Gaelic singing at the age of 10 as a participant at Fèis Rois. Brought up in Kinlochewe, and now living in Kirkhill, 24 year old Rachel was one of the first graduates from the RSAMD's BA Scottish Music degree course, where she studied Gaelic song with Kenna Campbell. Rachel has built up quite a reputation as a fine Gaelic singer, forming, along with some of her fellow students, the group Dòchas.

Rona Lightfoot
Rona Lightfoot, a wonderful Gaelic singer, was brought up in one of the most culturally rich families in South Uist. Her mother Cèit Bean Eardsaidh Raghnaill gave the Gaelic speaking world one of the best archive collections of Gaelic songs, and from their father, Rona and her brother inherited then mantle of the famous Macdonald pipers of South Uist.

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