Photo by Martin Forry
Virtuoso musicians Simon Thoumire (concertina) and Dave Milligan (piano) made their first album – The Big Day In – in 2001 when they got the opportunity of a spare day in a studio with a piano – hence the title. Since then we have performed throughout the world. We have made three albums – the aforementioned The Big Day In, Third Flight Home and our latest album – Portraits. We play a mixture of reels, jigs, strathspeys and airs mainly from the Scottish tradition but some different tunes too. Below you can see us playing the classic Freedom Come All Ye live at Celtic Connections festival. Interestingly our version of this on Soundcloud has had over 1.2million listens.
We would love to play at your club or festival. To perform we need a real piano (not a keyboard). We can play acoustic if need be but we prefer a PA. Simon’s concertina needs two mics and we both need vocal mics for speaking. Contact us here to chat about fees etc.
Listen to our second album below on Spotify,
Simon plays his concertina with pride,
His fingers moving deftly side to side,
The notes ring out with a lilting sound,
A melody that spins those gathered around.
But then comes Dave, with his grand piano,
Fingers deftly tap the keys in staccato,
Each note ringing out with depth and power,
A melody that takes hold and doesn’t cower.
As Simon and Dave play side by side,
A new sound emerges, one that can’t be denied,
The concertina and piano, so different in style,
Complement each other and blend all the while.
Together they create a harmony so sweet,
The audience is captivated, swaying in their seat,
As the concertina and piano intertwine,
A beautiful music, a moment divine.
We would love to play at your festival or club. If you would like to return the gesture please contact us here! Find out more about Dave Milligan‘s beautiful music on his website.