Local musicians in Perth with True North Orchestra

Jan 15 2010 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

METHVEN’S Ali Hutton is looking forward to playing to a home crowd tomorrow evening when he takes to the Perth Concert Hall stage as part of the exciting 30-strong True North Orchestra (TNO).

Ali, who has been playing the Highland bagpipes since he was seven, is one of the country’s top musicians who was hand-picked by the TNO’s creator and musical director, Jim Sutherland, to form this ‘dream team’ commissioned to play the prestigious opening concert of the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow last night.

Musicians and singers from the worlds of traditional music, classical and jazz have come together under Jim’s baton to perform this commission at just Glasgow and Perth.

Ali is no stranger to playing in large ensembles. He honed his skills as a member of the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band, with which he toured throughout Europe and won the national youth pipe band competition as their pipe major. Through the band he received tuition from the virtuoso piping brothers Gordon and Ian Duncan, and then went on to study Scottish Music at the RSAMD.

The Methven piper, who also plays guitar, whistle, bouzouki and bodhran, is now Glasgow-based with a hectic schedule which includes rehearsing, recording and playing live with top outfits The Treacherous Orchestra and Old Blind Dogs.

“It’s great the True North Orchestra is coming to Perth. For myself and Ross [Ainslie, also from Perthshire and a piper and member of the TNO and Treacherous Orchestra] Perth Concert Hall has been a tremendous venue. Before it opened there had been nothing in Perth promoting traditional music. And the acoustics are great for it.”

Ali (27) looked back at how piping grabbed him at an early age: “I remember when I was really wee and watching the Edinburgh Tattoo on telly and wanting to be the piper on the castle.”

Unearthing some deeply-sown musical genes – Ali’s great-great-grandfather was pipe major in The Black Watch – he joined the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band and, alongside Ross Ainslie, became a protege of the late Gordon Duncan whose groundbreaking approach to piping created a legend and opened new doors to these two young Perthshire fledgling musicians.

“Because of Gordon Duncan encouraging me and Ross we went on to play other instruments and explore other styles and aspects of music,” said Ali.

Those other aspects of music surface in the different bands with which Ali is involved. There is the carefully orchestrated True North Orchestra under Jim Sutherland; the coming together of 13 young, ambitious and talented friends who create their own style as The Treacherous Orchestra; and the more solid and traditional four-man line-up of Old Blind Dogs.

These ensembles all have Celtic Connections engagements, plus Ali is involved in Sunday evening’s Tunes for Gordon concert.

It’s hard work for Ali – but he’s not complaining!

l The True North Orchestra play Perth Concert Hall tomorrow at 8pm when they’ll be joined by special guests, Quartet Originãl – a collaboration between Shetland Fiddler Chris Stout and three Sao Paulo musicians. Tickets from Horsecross box office, telephone 01738 621031.