THE March guest artistes at the Dumfries Accordion and Fiddle Club were Fife based Nicola Braid and Gordon Haddow, joined by Margaret Robertson (Aberdeen) on piano and Kevin Milne (Forfar) on drums – above.
What a great guest artiste they proved to be too, currently the National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs ‘guest artistes of the year for 2024’, Nicola and Gordon showed exactly why!
They performed a great programme of tunes, all with anecdotes from Nicola, great harmonising between the two accordions and a balanced blend from piano and drums. The near capacity crowd smiled throughout and gave strong applause for the fine music produced.
Two steps, waltzes, marches, reels, French musette, slow air, polkas jigs, and much more, made up the programme.
Compere John Caskie thanked Nicola and Gordon for their performance.
During the evening local, visiting and supporting players entertained to a high class, all accompanied by Willie McRobert (Moffat) on piano and either Ian McRobert (Moffat) or Robert Dorrance (Kirkpatrick Fleming) on drums:
Players performing were Carlisle’s John Waugh and Fred Prise, from Lochmaben, on accordion; Gretna duo Madeline and Brian Maxwell on whistle and accordion; Locharbriggs accordionist Stephen McWhan; Dumfries accordionist John Douglas; John Cowan, of Kirkcudbright, on fiddle; whistle by William Little, Dumfries; Carlisle’s Newby Park with Dumfries pair Barbara Fisher and Matthew Murray, all on accordion.
The final meeting of the club takes place at the Crichton Golf Club on April 1 when Iain McPhail and his SDB will be the guest artistes to bring the curtain down on another successful season.
