Folk Radio was in Perth on Saturday, for the annual celebration of traditional music organised by Hands Up For Trad – The MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards. For the 2018 awards at the Perth Concert Hall, Gaelic singer and TV Presenter Kim Karnie (who has also written for Folk Radio) joined regular presenter Mary Ann Kennedy for another spectacular event; with support from MG Alba, Creative Scotland, PRS for Music and Belhaven Brewery.
There were live performances from Karine Polwart, Kinnaris Quintet, Croft No. 5 and many more. As well as a thrilling evening’s music, there were 20 individual awards announced, paying tribute to a wide range of music, poetry, song and community projects.
Mànran opened the evening with a rousing set, and there were early, memorable performances even ahead of the live TV broadcast on BBC Alba. Scots Singer of the Year nominee Hannah Rarity sang Davey Steele’s Rose of Summer Lee, and Neath the Gloamin’ Star at E’en; there was a truly inspiring set from The Gordon Duncan Experience, the youth trad orchestra for young people aged 12 – 18, based at Perth Concert Hall; and South Uist newcomers Eabhal, who won this year’s Battle of the Folk Bands at Edinburgh Tradfest.
Among those awards is The Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Scottish Music – a £25,000 prize to support the winner to progress unique ideas and empower creation. This year the prize went to trail-blazing trio Talisk (main image). The Birnam CD Album of the Year Award was presented to fiddler Duncan Chisholm for his remarkable Sandwood album. Duncan was also awarded the title of Composer of the Year, and in his acceptance speech he paid tribute to Speyside musician Hamish Napier, with whom he worked very closely to write the album, which he described as ‘an 18-month labour of love’.
Duncan Chisholm
Singer and Gaelic tutor Eilidh Cormack was declared Gaelic Singer of the Year, and in winning the title of Scots Singer of the Year, Iona Fyfe paid tribute to the many organisations and individuals who have encouraged, tutored and nurtured her wonderful talent for not only Scots song, but as a singer of excellent contemporary folk. Guitarist Jen Butterworth presented the trio Assynt with their thoroughly well-deserved award for Up & Coming Artist of the Year.
Iona Fyfe
Sadly, winner of the Award for Services to the Scots Language, poet and playwright Janet Paisley, passed away less than a month ago. Singer, songwriter, broadcaster and champion of the Scots language, Freida Morrison was clearly touched to receive the award on behalf of Janet and her family. Actress, director and writer Gerda Stevenson also paid tribute, in a warm and memorable rendition of Janet’s ode tae the red neck – Ah’m shy.
There’s a full list of awards presented below, but NaTrads, of course, is also about the music itself – and never disappoints.
In an evening of amazing music, every artist that took to the stage was proof of how healthy the music scene is in Scotland. After starting with the softly celestial opening of June’s Garden, Kinnaris Quintet carried on to prove just why they’re one of the most successful live acts to emerge recently in Scotland, with an electrifying performance that included Can You Repeat That Please?, and clearly delighted the entire audience – and especially Mr Ali Hutton! Mr McFall’s Chamber are famed for work that links Scottish traditional and classical music, and were joined by singer Isobel Anne Martin for Robert McFall‘s spellbinding arrangement of Faisg Air Gloir and Isobel’s own rousing song about South Harris – Aite Beag Mo Ghraidh.
Before Karine Polwart took to the stage alongside brother Steven and Inge Thomson, It was great to see Ian Green, of Greentrax, return this year to present Elephant Sessions with their award for Live Act of the Year. The Karine Polwart Trio played a brace of unforgettable songs, quietly putting D. J. Trump in his place with I Burn But I am Not Consumed, before paying tribute to the late Roy Bailey with Sidney Carter’s Crow on the Cradle.
We were treated to a tantalising glimpse of the future of Scots/Gaelic music, as Gaelic rapper and musician Griogair Labhruidh provided a tantalising preview of his forthcoming album. He was joined by singer Mischa MacPherson, Malian percussionist Kalifa Koné, Reggae Singer Brina, and Skye funkster and DJ Jamie Shaka. The set opened with the soft pace of Borabu and Mischa’s gentle vocals. Cogah no Sidh merged with Brina’s 2016 debut single Warmongerers By Name’– a modern re-working of Robert Burns’ famous anti-war song; and Griogair highlighted the continuation of the Gaelic Bardic tradition in Aois-dana.
Na Trads always enjoys an energetic finish, and this year was no exception, as the amazing Croft No.5 took to the stage, opening the final fling with Kremlin Road.
Hands Up for Trad’s Creative Director Simon Thoumire said: “What another great year of Scottish trad music! There is so much vitality in the scene right now and it is only getting stronger. Roll on 2019.”
MG ALBA’s Director of Strategy and Partnership, Iseabail Mactaggart, paid tribute to “The richness and innovation of Scotland’s traditional music scene”, and Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland, said “Scotland’s music flows from community folk clubs to the biggest international stages, passed on from artists who have carried our traditions for decades to children who have picked up an instrument for the very first time. All of this is celebrated at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards”.
And what a marvellous celebration it is! Here’s a full list of the awards presented the night. Folk Radio are always delighted to attend these awards, and our heartfelt thanks go to Simon Thoumire and the hard-working team at Hands Up for Trad for their tireless endeavours promoting Scots traditional music – in all its forms.
MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards 2018
Belhaven Bursary for Innovation in Scottish Music
Talisk
Album of the Year sponsored by Birnam CD
Sandwood by Duncan Chisholm
Club of the Year Sponsored by Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (Tracs)
Partick Folk Club
Composer of the Year Sponsored by PRS for Music
Duncan Chisholm
Community Project of the Year Sponsored by Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust
Care for a Ceilidh
Event of the Year Sponsored by VisitScotland
Far Far from Ypres
Gaelic Singer of the Year Sponsored by Macmeanmna
Eilidh Cormack
Instrumentalist of the Year Sponsored by Royal Scottish Country Dance Society
Calum Stewart
Live Act of the Year Sponsored by Greentrax Recordings
Elephant Sessions
Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year Sponsored by Traditional Music and Song Association
Iona Fyfe
Scottish Dance Band of the Year Sponsored by National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs
Susan MacFadyen
Scottish Folk Band of the Year Sponsored by Threads of Sound
Dàimh
Scottish Pipe Band of the Year
Inveraray and District Pipe Band
Trad Music in the Media Sponsored by Skipinnish
Pipeline, BBC Radio Scotland
Music Tutor of the Year Sponsored by Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative
Anna Wendy Stevenson
Up and Coming Artist of the Year Sponsored by Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Assynt
Venue of the Year Award Sponsored by Musicians’ Union
Drygate Brewery, Glasgow
Services to Gaelic sponsored by Bòrd na Gàidhlig
Runrig
The Hamish Henderson Services to Traditional Music Award sponsored by Fèisean nan Gàidheal
Pete Shepheard
Services to Scots Language Sponsored by Scots Radio
Janet Paisley
https://projects.handsupfortrad.scot