This is a live video recorded at Ardkinglas House in Argyll on Saturday 20th April 2024. Louis DeCarlo’s 70th Birthday Strathspey is a tune written by Simon which features on our album Portraits. Find out where you can listen to it here https://simonthoumire.ffm.to/portraits
Find out more about Simon Thoumire and Dave Milligan at https://www.simonthoumire.com
Simon Thoumire and Dave Milligan have each performed at Ardkinglas before in different duos but this is a welcome chance to hear them together. They have an intuitive musical understanding of each other’s great talents, having recorded three albums together. Since winning the BBC Radio 2 Young Tradition award in 1989 Simon Thoumire has built a unique place for the English concertina in the world of Scottish
traditional music and beyond. His music has encompassed folk, jazz, improvisation and his own compositions, and he is also a tireless advocate for traditional music with the organisation Hands Up For Trad and the Scots Trad Music Awards. See www.simonthoumire.com
Dave Milligan is a musician of remarkable versatility. As well as his own bands and projects he has worked with a wide array of musicians including Art Farmer, Larry Carlton, Trilok Gurtu, Mark Knopfler and the McCrary Sisters to name just a few. See www.davemilligan.co.uk
Places (£15.00, students £7.50) must be booked in advance from Ardkinglas Estate Office
Tel. 01499 600261 email: info@ardkinglas.com
Please give a contact phone no. when booking.
If you are not already on our mailing list, or have friends who would like to join, please
send details to the Estate Office. If you wish to be removed from the list please inform us.
Sitting in the beautiful Wiston Lodge, I thought a minor version of Largo’s Fairy Dance would be suitable. http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
Myself and Dave Milligan have got a couple of gigs coming up! We are performing at
Ardkinglas House – Saturday 20th April
The Square, Cairndow
PA26 8BH
Argyll
01499 600261
Also at Edinburgh Tradfest Festival on Saturday 11th May at 6:30pm
Traverse Theatre
10 Cambridge Street
EH1 2ED
Edinburgh, UK
I thought you would like to see this photo of my concertina after Steve Dickinson, concertina repairer took it away from West Country Concertina Players in Somerset and did some work on it.
I’ve never given my concertina away before so it was slightly daunting however when I showed it to Steve he said that he could take it away for a week and fix a few things on it. It was quite a sight! The thumb straps were wrecked as I hadn’t got round to replacing them – just added more tape, I had a red hanky stopping one of the sides from clicking as they rubbed together, my top Bb was missing completely and the button levels were all higgledy piggledy (is that how you spell that phrase?). It still sounded beautiful of course!
As you’ll see from the photo it is now looking beautiful. I’ve got a bit of practice to be doing to soften the thumb straps and get used the instrument in its new state. But that’s an exciting prospect in itself. I’ll have to get on to writing the music for my new piece a’ dol fodha na grèine and having the concertina all fixed up will make a difference.
Found this interesting post on the history of Wheatstone Concertinas!
I’m always looking for new subscribers to my Patreon! Feel free to join!
I’m very happy to tell you that me and Dave Milligan will be playing at Celtic Connections festival on the 2nd February 2024 in the City Halls, Recital Rooms. It would be great to see you and we will be playing a mixture of new and classic material from our new album Portraits and older tunes. You can find out more here
https://www.celticconnections.com/event/1/simon-thoumire-dave-milligan
Hi there! Ciamar a tha thu? What’s happening? Sorry for the long break between these podcasts. Sometimes life just gets in the way… Anyway we are back now with the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards Album of the Year Podcast 2023! Starting of with the winner Duncan Chisholm! If you would like to support this podcast please check out our Patreon www.patreon.com/handsupfortrad.
Black Cuillin by Duncan Chisholm
Track – On the winds of chaos born
https://www.duncanchisholm.com
Tempus by Skerryvore
Track – Everything You Need
https://skerryvore.com
Dialogues by Su-a Lee
Track – Stroma featuring James Ross
https://sualee.bandcamp.com/album/dialogues
Awakening by Ìmar
Track – Bangers
https://www.imarband.com
Fàs by Breabach
Track – Eadar an Da Bhraigh
https://breabach.bandcamp.com/album/f-s
Dusk Moon by Rura
Track – Think of Today
https://rura.bandcamp.com
DIAD by Tim Edey & Ross Ainslie
Track – LUNNY
https://rossainslie.bandcamp.com/album/diad-2
I See A World by Peatbog Faeries
Track – The Sister of Moses
https://peatbogfaeriesofficial.bandcamp.com/album/i-see-a-world
Decemberwell by Decade by Mike Vass
Track – Prisms on the dark sea
https://mikevass.bandcamp.com
Haar by Lauren MacColl
Track – Haar
https://laurenmaccoll.bandcamp.com
Here’s a new tune played by me and Ian Carr and written by Simon Thoumire and Alana NicAonghais with financial help from TASGADH (Traditional Arts Small Grants) and Creative Scotland.
The title is to remind me and Ian where we sit on the stage! It’s full title should be Ian on stage left…
This is a new composition of Ian’s that we recorded in Sweden in September 23. It was originally written in 2021 during the height of lockdown and we made a version of this from our two house. At last we managed to play it in the same room. Find out more https://simonthoumire.ffm.to/invisible
Hi everyone! Myself and Dave are performing at Stirling Tolbooth this Saturday 7th October 7:30pm and we would love to see you! We will be performing music from the new album Portraits and some of our older material. If you would like to come you can find out more here!