Dundee Guitar Festival
The Island Tapes - A Review by Peter Gilmore
This concert featured five Silent Films recording life in the Scottish Isles in the 1920's and 1930's superbly accompanied by three guitars and a Gaelic singer. The musicians in question were the creator of the Island Tapes concept, guitarist David Allison, Guitar Festival Director Allan Neave, and the ex-Clannad fingerstyle maestro Ian Melrose. The singer was the Lewis born Alyth McCormack. (She was called Alyth after her Grandmother who came from Dundee!)
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The first film was about a family on holiday in the Outer Hebrides, so the song accompaniement was very fitting. The second film was about the Orkney Hand-ball game which takes place at Christmas and New Year. The third film was from Shetland , the subject being the "makin'o' a kishie". (Answers on postcards, please).
The fourth film followed the journey of a cargo boat from the Broomielaw to the Western Isles and St Kilda. The final film covered the emigration of the Scots to North America. The music was all contemporary, including some wonderful pieces by the Orkney born Peter Maxwell Davies.
The films were interspersed with solo pieces from each of the participants. There was also some very clever bits of techno-kit which allowed the audience to watch the guitarist on the big screen, whilst he was playing.
All in all a wonderful evening's entertainment combining classic Scottish film clips with music of the highest quality.
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