Dol Fodha Na Grèine Crowdfunder

Filed Under: News, Newsletter

I’m excited to introduce “Dol fodha na grèine” (Gaelic for Sunset), a musical suite blending centuries-old Scottish tunes with new compositions. This project is created as a companion piece to Aly Bain’s groundbreaking “Follow the Moonstone,” celebrating its 30th anniversary. It’s a crowdfunder to raise £5000 to help with rehearsal costs to pay the musicians.

https://igg.me/at/dol-fodha-na-greine

Our new work brings together renowned musicians Dave Milligan (piano) and Alana MacInnes (bagpipes, whistle), along with a string quintet. Your support will directly fund the crucial rehearsals for our premiere performance at the Celtic Connections festival in January 2025. By contributing, you’ll help bring this unique celebration of Scottish culture to life, ensuring our musicians are fully prepared to showcase our rich musical heritage on an international stage, while honoring a pivotal work in Scottish traditional music.

What We Need & What You Get:

We’re aiming to raise £5,000 to support the final stages of our project. Here’s how your contribution will be used:
– £3,500 for musician fees during our rehearsal period in January
– £1,000 for venue rental and equipment
– £500 for promotional materials and documentation

Perks:
£10: Digital download of a single track from the rehearsal
£25: Early access to a rehearsal video clip + Your name listed as a supporter on our website
£50: All £25 perks + Digital sheet music + Digital booklet about the project’s music
£75: All £50 perks + A real postcard from South Uist, signed by Simon
£100: All £75 perks + Behind-the-scenes digital photo album + Personalized thank you email
£250: All £100 perks + Access to exclusive online Q&A + Digital certificate of appreciation
£500: All £250 perks + Signed digital poster + Virtual meet-and-greet with musicians

The Impact:
Your support will:
1. Create new Scottish music that respects tradition while being innovative
2. Give work to skilled Scottish musicians
3. Make a lasting piece of Scottish cultural heritage

https://igg.me/at/dol-fodha-na-greine

New album! Glasgow Concert by Simon Thoumire and Dave Milligan

Filed Under: News, Newsletter

I’ve just released a new album with pianist Dave Milligan. The second one in two years! Recorded in 2020 at Celtic Connections festival, just before lockdown was a thing and we all became distracted. It took til 2024 for the album to arrive. Both Dave and me are massive Moscow Art Trio fans and one of our favourite albums is their Hamburg Concert. We decided to name the album Glasgow Concert in homage to them.

The thing I like about this album is it features live versions of the tracks that were on our first two albums – The Big Day In and Third Fight Home. Typically when we record a new album the tracks haven’t been performed before and they start to change as soon as we play them live! These are these live versions plus 2 tracks which haven’t featured on any other albums!

The album has 9 tracks and last approx 35 minutes. You can read about the tracks here. (download). You can listen to the album on the link above and here.