The cream of traditional musicians gather for A National Treasure V concert in Perth Concert Hall

Sep 23 2011 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

AT the time when the career of Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis was launching itself into the stratosphere, so the world of traditional music lost the immense talent of Gordon Duncan, who was just 40 when he died in 2005.

Julie never knew Gordon, but like all her contemporaries, she knows the huge influence the Pitlochry piper had over traditional music when he was alive and how much his legacy continues to be felt at home and abroad.

And Julie told PA Arts how she is delighted that she and her band can find a window in their hectic schedule to appear at tomorrow’s A National Treasure V – the fifth annual concert in celebration of the groundbreaking Perthshire piper.

Julie and her band are among top names from the world of traditional music who will gather in Perth Concert Hall for this fundraising (and fun-raising!) event dedicated to the memory and music of Gordon Duncan.

Organised by the Memorial Trust set up in his name by friends and family, the proceeds from the concerts support young Scottish-based traditional musicians to further their talents as performers and writers.

The fifth National Treasure boasts the best line-up yet, including Wolfstone and the reigning BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year, Orcadian fiddler Kristan Harvey.

“It was a great honour to be asked to join the line-up and we’re really looking forward to it,” said North Uist’s Julie.

“I had been asked before by the organisers but I was never able to make it because of other commitments so I’m glad to have finally been able to say ‘yes’.

“We’ve had a very busy summer, far busier than I had planned, but fortunately we were able to come to Perth before we go on tour.

“Initially the organisers of A National Treasure V asked me and Eamon (Eamon Doorley, Julie’s husband) but we’re now preparing with the band to go on tour so we felt our Perth performance with the full band line-up would be a good taster of what we will be performing on the tour.”

Julie described Gordon Duncan’s contribution to music: “While I never knew Gordon personally I have always been a huge fan of his music.

“His tunes have spread like wildfire, and while tunes by other composers can take a generation or two to travel, Gordon Duncan’s just seemed to fly which shows just what a successful composer he was.”

Pitlochry forms a neat link between Gordon Duncan and Julie Fowlis. The Highland Perthshire town was Gordon’s home and was also where Julie recorded her most recent album on which her performance tomorrow and subsequent tour will be based.

“Our ‘Live at Perthshire Amber’ album was recorded in one night on stage at Pitlochry Festival Theatre last October during Dougie MacLean’s Perthshire Amber Festival and was launched at Celtic Connections in January,” explained Scotland’s top Gaelic ambassador who is now based near Inverness.

Julie’s latest major project was her special commission of ‘Heisgeir’ – a new musical work combining newly composed and traditional material influenced by Heisgeir (or The Monach Isles) at the far edge of the Outer Hebrides – which was premiered to rave reviews at this years Blas 2011 Festival in Beauly.

Then among Julie’s increasingly varied diary dates is her blossoming career as a broadcaster – including as a regular BBC Radio Scotland present and her BBC Radio 2 one-off ‘Bob’s Ballad Bases’ as part of the network’s celebrations of Bob Dylan’s 70th birthday.

And let’s not forget Julie and Eamon’s daughter, Éabha, who is rising two and already rooting about in her parents’ musical paraphernalia.

“Having Éabha means life is a constant juggle and we rely heavily on family members, although she comes with us most of the time,” said Julie, who described her return to Perth Concert Hall as “long overdue”.

“Perth Concert Hall is a gorgeous venue, and even though it will just be a short set for us tomorrow it will feel lovely to be able to kick off our tour there,” she added.

Tickets to see Julie Fowlis and her band (Eamon Doorley, Tony Byrne, Duncan Chisholm and Martin O’Neill) plus the rest of the programme brimming with top-drawer acts at A National Treasure V tomorrow from 7.30pm from the concert hall box office, telephone 01738 621031 and online at www.horsecross.co.uk

Details of the six-date tour by Julie Fowlis and her band, which takes in Dunfermline on October 1 and Edinburgh on October 2, can be viewed on her website www.juliefowlis.com

Stellar Line-up

AMONG the stellar line-up for tomorrow evening’s A National Treasure V concert is The ScottishPower Pipe Band – a leading Grade One pipe band which was recently placed third at the World Championships.

Chris Armstrong, Pipe Major for the ScottishPower Pipe Band, said: “The band are proud to be involved in this concert to celebrate traditional music, as well as a man who was dedicated in his support and encouragement of young pipers.

“Gordon Duncan is renowned as a skilled and professional musician who contributed a great deal to the piping world throughout his career of performing, competing and recording, bringing an individual flair to traditional highland piping.

“The band has had a busy and successful season with only a couple of events remaining, and with the proposed line-up for the concert, it’s sure to be a fantastic event to round-off an exciting couple of months.”