Plockton Band Wins Radio 2 Award

Bodega, formerly known as Fiddle Dee Fiddle Dum, captured the coveted award at The Sage, Gateshead, on Friday night. They triumphed over the other five finalists, which included another two Scots, Huntly’s Shona Donaldson and Matheu Watson of Dingwall. Their prize includes slots at the BBC Radio 2 Cambridge Festival and Towersey Festival, and a session for Radio 2’s Mike Harding Show.

The band consists of Gillian Chalmers, 17, from Fraserburgh (pipes/fiddle/whistles); Ross Couper, 18, from Shetland (fiddle); Tia Files, 16, from Oban (acoustic guitar, bass); Sandie Forbes, 18, from Kirkcaldy (fiddle/vocals); Norrie MacIver, 18, from Lewis (vocals/accordion/guitar/djembe); and June Naylor, 18, from Skye (clarsach/piano).

The band formed earlier this year after meeting at the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music in Plockton, in 2004. Aberdeenshire-born Gillian has won many competitions and is studying for a B.A. Scottish Music (Piping) at the RSAMD in Glasgow. Ross is enrolled on Newcastle University's B.A. Folk and Traditional Music course and has been playing with Fiddler's Bid. Tia has played in many festivals and competitions and is still studying at Plockton. She is currently involved in Donald Shaw’s "Harvest" for Celtic Connections. Classically-trained Sandie started to play traditional music at 14; she is studying for a B.A. in Applied Music at Strathclyde University. Norrie has won Gaelic singing prizes at The National Mod and Seo Seinn and is studying for a B.A. in Scottish Music at the RSAMD. Despite only playing the clàrsach for five years, June has already won many prizes and is studying for a BA in Applied Music at Strathclyde University.

Despite now being fairly widely spread around the country, the band see themselves staying together for quite some time to come. They are looking forward to the gigs which come with the Award, and are anticipating that more offers of work will arise from their success.

Sandie Forbes said: "Our success has come as a complete surprise! We are all extremely pleased with the result, but it wouldn’t have been possible without all the support we’ve had from our tutors, friends and family. We do hope our success in the folk scene will encourage other young musicians to develop an interest in this great style of music."

Dougie Pincock, Director of the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music, said: "We are immensely proud of the guys’ achievement. This band was something they put together themselves, with very little direct input from me or the Centre’s tutors. They are a great example of our philosophy of empowering young musicians to create their own sounds and bring their own ideas to fruition. Everybody at this Centre wishes them every success for the future."

The band can be heard (as Fiddle Dee Fiddle Dum) on the new CD of the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music, "Duck!", which is available by contacting Dougie Pincock on 01599 544706 or dougie.pincock@highland.gov.uk.

Notes To Editor:

The National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music was established at Plockton High School in Wester Ross in May 2000. It is the only Centre of Excellence in Scotland exclusively devoted to traditional music, and is open to all secondary school age pupils resident in Scotland who already play to a high standard and would like to improve. The Centre is residential and the instruments offered are accordion, bagpipes, clarsach, fiddle, guitar, piano, whistle, flute and both Gaelic and Scots song. All places are fully funded by the Scottish Executive in Partnership with The Highland Council.

The BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award annually uncovers some exceptional talent. This year, 47 acts comprising a total of 79 musicians entered from across the UK. Fourteen acts were selected by competition organisers to go through to the semi-final, a weekend of workshops, sessions and socializing centred around the Saturday evening competition concert, which took place on October 14th-16th at Kendal's Brewery Arts Centre. Six acts won through to the final, which took place at The Sage, Gateshead, on Friday December 9th. The judging panel included Northumbrian piper and fiddler Kathryn Tickell, and Scots traditional musician and entrepreneur Simon Thoumire.