SPRING CEILIDH DANCE
Saturday 27 March 2010
Cecil Sharp House
Dancing to:
The Reel Blend
including Murdo MacRae from the Isle of Lewis
with songs from:
James Graham
BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year
‘brilliantly represents a vibrant celtic music scene’
Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent's Park Road, London NW1 7AY
(Nearest Tube Camden Town – Northern Line)
7.30pm – 11.00pm
Licensed Bar
Admission: £15
Contact: tickets@thehisl.co.uk or call 01732 850450
Past Events:
23 January 2010 - A Taste of Burns
A Highlands and Islands Society Hit in London
At the annual Burns Ceilidh and Dance of the Highlands and Islands Society of London, (HISL) there was an extra edge to the usual air of anticipation – felt by organisers of events everywhere – because for the first time it was to be held in the famous old York Hall at Bethnal Green in east London, a venue best known for its boxing events and luxurious Turkish Baths! Neither of these two entertainments was on offer on Saturday 23rd January when the HISL organised the main hall for its Burns supper Ceilidh and Dance! There was, however, plenty other punchy and indulgent entertainment offered in the form of dancing and nostalgia.
The fantastic talents of the three musicians, Stuart Cameron, Simon Moran and Andrew MacPherson who make up the ceilidh band ‘Deoch ‘n’ Dorus’ quickly had people up and dancing and after songs by Sandy Jones, including the lovely ‘Bonnie Wee Thing,’ the moment arrived to bring in the haggis. Led by piper Donald MacRury and with the haggis held aloft by Leodhasach chef Donald George MacDonald, Alasdair McCrae, who proposed the toast to the haggis, brought up the rear. His rendering of Burns’ much loved verses starting with the line ‘Here’s to your honest sonsie face’ brought smiles to all as he intermingled the lines with his own well-rehearsed wry and comical stage ‘asides’ to the audience.
The Victorian grandeur of York Hall with its elaborate wrought-iron railings skirting the balcony, provided a splendid setting for an event which honours a Scottish bard whose respect for the equality of all has meant that his words ‘that man to man the world o’er shall brothers be for all that’ are known throughout the world. Judging by the way that this Burns event drew (alongside many emigrant or holidaying Scots), an international crowd from every continent eager to sample some of Scotland’s famed repast as well as its songs, dance and poetry, HISL has managed successfully to uphold that sentiment.
Frances MacEachann
28th November 2009 - St Andrew's Ceilidh
We held our traditional St Andrew’s ceilidh and dance on Saturday 28th November at a new venue for the Society – York Hall in Bethnal Green in East London.
Dance music for the evening came from the Iain Angus MacLeod Ceilidh Band. The line-up was Iain Angus MacLeod, the highly talented young accordion player from Manish on the island of Harris, Matthew MacLennan, a championship-winning accordionist based in Kiltarlity near Inverness and on drums, Ally MacPherson from Portree in Skye. This was the band’s first appearance in London and they excelled themselves. The dance floor was full as the band provided selections of lively tunes for all the favourites – Strip the Willow, The Dashing White Sergeant, the Canadian Barn Dance and many more.
We also had a most welcome and long overdue return visit from award-winning Gaelic singer Iain MacKay from the island of Lewis. The walls of York Hall have never before echoed to the sounds of ‘Eilidh,’ ‘A Chailinn Alainn,’ ‘Fo ghruaimean cha bhi mi’n diugh’ and many more. A highlight of the evening after the singing of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ was to have Iain leading us in singing ‘Soraidh Leibh is Oidhche Mhath Leibh.’
The Society is very grateful to so many musicians and singers who are prepared to travel long distances to entertain us, so many thanks again to the band and to Iain MacKay.
The young MacRury family and Natalie MacKinnon provided us with some excellent Highland dancing displays, to pipe music provided by Jim MacKay and singing from Anna McCrae, both HISL Committee members. Jim also acted as ‘fear an taighe’ for the evening – we like to keep our Committee busy!
We will have Ally MacPherson’s brother Andrew with us as part of ‘Deoch ‘n’ Dorus’ when they come to entertain us for our Burns ceilidh on 23rd January 2010, again at York Hall. Nothing like keeping it in the family!
We have also made some photos of the event available on Flickr...
26th September 2009 - Ceilidh/Dance
We opened up our 2009/10 season with a lively ceilidh/dance at the London Welsh Centre on Saturday 26 September. Ian Robertson’s Ceilidh Band provided the music and an excellent dance calling service to help an 18 strong group of young London lawyers out on the town for a birthday celebration and experiencing ceilidh dancing for the first time. Mod prizewinners Sandy Jones and Linn Phipps sang in tribute to the late Joyce Murray who had been scheduled to be our guest singer for the evening. Five young members of the MacRury family gave a fine display of Highland dancing to the music of piper Jim MacKay, who also acted as an assured ‘fear an taighe’ for the evening.
9th May 2009 - Ceilidh
After a gentle beginning, Frank Reid and his Band, stepped up the pace and the dancers had to work hard to keep up. (At this point, I’m sure I saw one or two discreetly leave the floor)! To ensure that everyone got a turn at the dance, Frank insisted too that the ‘Strip the Willow’ be danced in the old way of sets of four (a decision with which I completely agree), rather than the more general melée of what is sometimes called the ‘Orkney’ version. Opinions on this, as you will know, vary!
There was a display of Highland dancing from young Nathalie MacKinnon, who, on being asked by the genial MC, Iain MacLeod of the Isle of Lewis, shyly admitted to having won ‘about 76 cups’ but that it was, however, her grandmother, Mairi MacKinnon originally of Vatersay, who kept them polished! Anna McCrae of Barra, always a delight to hear, sang a port-a-beul for one of Nathalie's dances.
The invited guest of the evening was the well-known singer and harpist Maggie MacInnes of Barra. She began with a song in praise of the Isle of Mull and followed it with a variety of songs - some cheerful and some – inevitably – full of longing for faraway lands, islands and lovers. The HISL were lucky to have tempted such a top singer to London just prior to the start of her tour of Scotland. Maggie had copies of her latest CD ‘Leaving Mingulay’ with her and these were very rapidly bought up. Maggie has ancestral connections with Mingulay through her mother, the legendary Flora MacNeil. Cathy Robertson from South Uist hosted Maggie while in London and so, as a thank you, Maggie dedicated her final song to Cathy:
Blair Douglas’s lovely ‘Solus m’aighe.’
It was something of a new venture for the HISL to hold a ceilidh at this time of year. In previous years it has restricted itself to two big occasions: St Andrew’s Night and Burns’ Night. However, as these are winter events, it meant a lengthy period of time from January to November and without an HISL ceilidh to warm our hearts, many of us felt a summer chill!
The ceilidh was held in the London Welsh Centre, the base for the London Welsh Trust which exists primarily to provide those of Welsh descent and those interested in Wales or matters Welsh with a meeting place in London. There is no similar place for Scots in London, so we are grateful to be able to use it. Held in the main hall, under the stirring slogan ‘Cymru am byth’ - meaning ‘Wales for Ever’ – as the ceilidh-goers finally spilled out (quietly for the sake of the neighbours!) into the early summer air of London, a pleasant spirit of Celtic camaraderie lent them its warmth. At least, I think that was the spirit warming them!
Frances MacEachern
24th January 2009 - A Taste of Burns in London
The Highlands and Islands Society of London (www.thehisl.co.uk) has a long-established reputation for offering a much longed for taste of ‘home’ to the diaspora Islanders and Highlanders and their many supporters in London. The ‘Taste of Burns’ ceilidh held at Cecil Sharpe House in Camden, north London on Saturday 24th of January once again provided music, song and dance as well as a ‘taste’ of the haggis (including a vegetarian version!) for the delight and enjoyment of many.
The HISL is a non-profit making organisation so all revenue comes from ticket sales and membership fees, yet a priority is to let people enjoy some of the best music from the Highlands and Islands. On Saturday this was amply supplied by the indefatigable fiddle of Calum Iain McCorquodale from North Uist, the superb drums of Paul MacLean from Grimsay and the accordion of the multi-talented Malcolm Jones of Runrig fame. The trio were joined later by Donald Stewart of Edinburgh on fiddle. The resulting fiddle duet of Calum Iain and Donald was a particular highlight of the evening and its intensity held the audience spellbound as the two men jumped, crouched and stepdanced their way around each other – all the while playing marvellous music! Later, Siobhan Miller, an award winning new young talent from Penicuik, near Edinburgh, provided some lovely singing.
In honour of Burns, there was - of course - a taste of haggis and with a haggis there has - of course - to be a toast and a piper! Hillary Knox of Edinburgh piped in the haggis and Alasdair MacRae of London and Barra gave a delightful and amusing toast. A display of Highland dancing was given by the young daughters of Cathie and Sheena MacRury of South Uist.
One of the remarkable features of the HISL events is the large numbers of young people who come to dance away the evening. Dressed in glorious contemporary tartanry (the young man wearing an imaginative interpretation of trews made from four panels of different tartans, was outstanding!) young men and women flung themselves into the dancing with vigour, or – as Burns put it – ‘they reeled, they set, they crossed, they cleekit’.
Not everyone is lucky enough to be able to live in the heartlands of Scotland, but for so many in the London area, ‘the heart is Highland and we in dreams behold the Hebrides’, so - to judge by everyone’s enthusiastic participation - the HISL continues to provide a vital cultural and social link.
The Highlands and Islands Society of London is accustomed to providing an enjoyable event for the ‘exiled’ Scots of the Gaidhealteachd in London and the ceilidh held on Saturday 9th May was no exception. It was a gathering in the true spirit of the ceilidh, friends, old and new, coming together to sing a few songs and dance a few dances and, of course, indulge in the fine art of conversation.