CD launch at Fiddle Tree event

Jan 29 2010 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THE Fiddle Tree and the Birnam Quartet join forces at Birnam Arts Centre next Saturday (February 6) when the band will officially launch their new CD ‘The Music of Burns’ and the Fiddle Tree will unveil their 2010 concert series.

The event starts with a tunes workshop led by Angus Grant and Luke Plumb from 3-4.30pm. The workshop is suitable for all ages from 10 years upwards. Participants need to bring just their instruments and their enthusiasm.

The evening’s festivities begin at 7pm with the joint Birnam Quartet CD/Fiddle Tree 2010 programme launch. Complimentary wine and soft drinks will be on offer.

The Quartet will give a performance, including music from the new album, in the main hall starting 8pm.

The Birnam Quartet are Anna-Wendy Stevenson and Angus Grant on fiddle, Luke Plumb on mandolin and Jamie Jauncey, piano.

The group was born after one of the legendary Monday night sessions in Birnam’s Tap Inn. With Angus and Luke about to leave the snowy Scottish February for an Australian summer, the Birnam Quartet embarked on a two-night, after-hours recording session in the inn.

Selecting music from the collections of airs Robert Burns used for his songs, their shared love of a beautiful melody and the interplay which can come from careful arrangement produced a collection of demos.

Since then, Anna-Wendy has moved to Benbecula to teach fiddle at the Gaelic College, Jamie has written two award-nominated novels, and Angus and Luke continue to travel the world with the band Shooglenifty.

But in 2009 the four came together once again for the year of Homecoming and with assistance from the Scottish Arts Council, the Birnam Quartet has now revisited the music created on those two snowy nights in February 2006.

Tickets are £5 for the afternoon workshop – call 07971 511952 or email: jamie@jauncey.co.uk; and £5 for the combined launch and concert (under-18s £3 or two for £5). Cash or cheque payments: Birnam CD 01350 727158, Zigzags 01350 728666; card bookings at www.thebooth.co.uk

The Fiddle Tree is a not-for-profit organisation based in Birnam and producing concerts in Highland Perthshire.