News

Fèis Rois Cèilidh Trail 30 June 08

Hi!
Since I have come home from first at Sabhal Mòr, I have been working at Fèis Rois as the Cèilidh Trail Co-ordinator. There are 10 of us in the band so it will be a fun summer. Here are all our gigs:

Monday 21st July: Session in the Cèilidh Place, Ullapool with Anna Massie and Calum MacCrimmon, 9-11pm.
Thursday 24th July: Session in the Arch Inn, Ullapool, 9.30-11pm.

Wednsday 30th July: Concert in RedPoppy Restaurant, Strathpeffer, 2.30-4pm.
Thursday 31st July: Concert in The Storehouse, Evanton, 2.30-4pm. Cèilidh Dance in Ardross Community Hall, 8-11pm.
Friday 2st August: Cèilidh Dance inThe Stables, Cromarty, 7.30-10pm.

Monday 4th August: Session in The Arch Inn, Ullapool, 10-12pm.
Tuesday 5th August: Anta, Fearn, 1-3pm. Cèilidh Dance in The Seaboard Memorial Hall, Balintore, 8-11pm. With guests Duncan & Iain MacGillivray.
Wednesday 6th August: Concert in Inverewe Gardens, Poolewe, 1-3pm. Cèilidh Dance in Poolewe Village Hall, 8-11pm.
Saturday 9th August: Tartan Heart Festival, Belladrum!!

Thursay 14th August: Concert in The Beinn Eighe Visitor Centre, Kinlochewe, 1-3pm. Cèilidh Dance in Torridon Community Hall, 8-11pm.
Friday 15th August: Coigach Community Hall, Achiltibuie, 8-11pm.
Saturday 16th August: Concert/Session in The Cèilidh Place, Ullapool, 1-3pm.

It will be a busy summer! Im also doing solo gigs too, playing in Gairloch Community Hall this Friday (4th July), its a Cèilidh Dance, everyobody welcome! Im playing with Coralea McKay (fiddle) and George Bremnar (drums)!

Bye for now!xx

8 April 08

Hi everyone! Just back to college from the Easter holidays which for the first week I was working for Feis Rois in Ullapool for the Junior Feis. I was helping out with Gaelic and also a bit of accordion too, which was good fun. I was Guest Artist last Wednesday at the Dingwall Accordion and Fiddle Club and it went very well. It was totally packed and it was a great audience too so I really enjoyed that. Have also been doing some private gigs like birthday parties etc which are always good fun. Its exam time right now at Sabhal Mor Ostaig so busy with lots of college work.
I recently got asked by Nicola Morrison, an accordionist from Lewis to play 2nd accordion on her cd which Im very delighted to do. I think we are recordiong the album in Lewis in May/June and also its an all girl band which will be fun with Nicola, myself, Violet Morrison on piano and Heather Frsaer on drums so it was be awesome.
Bye.x

10 February 08

Has been a busy month with college etc. Was also playing solo as Guest Artist at the Highland Accordion and Fiddle Club which was a great night so thanks to everyone who came along, I enjoyed it. This week on Friday night, I was playing at Hootanannys with Coralea McKay (Fiddle) and Heather Fraser (Drums) which was good, gigs there are always good craic. Just keeping busy with music and college this month so take care.x

Happy New Year!! 11 January 08

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a good xmas and New Year! That’s me just arrived back from the cruise which was totally amazing!! We had crazy weather for a few days when it reached force 12 but it was a good laugh. We were playing everyday so we were really busy but we still managed to get off at all the places we docked at which was cool. Heather and I made loads of friends, they were all great craic, it all passed too quickly!!!

Im Guest Artist at the Highland Accordion and Fiddle Club this month on Monday 21st Jan. It shall be nice to be back at my local club again! On Friday 8th Febraury, I will be playing in Hootanannys at night with my dudes so everyone fell free to come along, should be good fun!!

Im heading back upto Skye this week to carry on doing Gaelic, looking forward to seeing all the cool dudes again up in Sleat!

Take Care!
Roya x

Cruise 10 December 07

Hi everyone!!

Have been really busy with lots of gigs lately inlcuding private gigs, Hootanannys, the Wick, Shetland and Lanark Accordion and Fiddle Clubs which all went great. I was playing at the Scot Trad Awards 2007 in Fort William on 1st December with Feis Rois, it was excellent with lots of cool dudes there too!!!

I’m very excited becasue I’ll be playing on a cruise over Christmas and New Year around the Meditteranean for 3-4 weeks. I’ll be playing with Alan Roy (accordionist), his wife Jan Roy (singer) and Heather Fraser (drummer)! We are leaving this Friday (14th December) so I’m very excited!! We will be playing on the P & O Cruise, “Aurora” which is massive!!

So I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Nollaig Chridheal agus Bliadhna Mhath Ur!!

Roya x x x

The Jim MacLeod Busary and MacDonald Hotels Musician of the Year Award 27 September 07

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven’t updated this in a while, have been really busy. I am now studying at Sabhal Mor Ostaig (Gaelic College in Skye) which is going really well, currently on my fourth week already.

Have a had a good summer, lots of solo gigs all over, including Orkney…good fun!! I did the Feis Rois Ceilidh Trail run by Rita Hunter which was once again, very good. We played through Ross-Shire for three weeks and had a great training week in Ullapool with amazing tutors: Annie Grace, Mike Simpson, Ronan Martin and Martin Green. We also played at the Belladrum Festival and Beat the Drum which were both great, and two Blas Festivals along with Flook and The Ghillies…great experience.

I was fortunate enough to be part of Donald Shaw’s Harvest, playing at the Blas Festivals in Aviemore and Fort William, it was fantastic to be part of such good concerts and to be playing along with so many talented and well known musicians!!!

On Saturday 22nd September, I was playing in The MacDonald Hotel in Aviemore for the Jim MacLeod Memorial Concert. I was very lucky to recieve the Jim MacLeod Bursary for the first year running and win “The MacDonald Hotels musician of the year award” which was very exciting!!! I played at the concert on Saturday evening as well as many other well known musicians including Stuart Anderson, the accordionist! Jim MacLeod was a very popular dance band leader so it was a pleasure to recieve the bursary and award – it was a great night!!

Take Care Dudes
Roya

Update 7 May 07

Yo Dudes!!!

Sorry I haven’t updated this is ages, been really busy. I’m still up in Plockton, school has finished but now exams are beginning. We are starting to record the music school album tomorrow which should be good fun. I was guest artiste at the Keith and Blairgowrie Accoridon and Fiddle Clubs which was great, had good audiences! Thanks very much to the clubs for inviting me.

I’m playing at the Skye Accordion and Fiddle Club Festival on Friday 25th May with Megan Henderson in the Royal Hotel, Portree. Feel free to come along, we are also having a session on the 26th in the Royal Hotel, so bring your instruments and have a tune!

At the beginning of June, I’m going to Italy with the music school. A few of us are going to check out some accordion factories which should be really interesting. While we are in Italy, I will turn 18 and so will Amy Henderson from the music school!! So excited, soon to be an adult!

During June, the Music School are touring Fife. Will update later with dates and venues. At the end of June, I’m fortunate enough to be part of the Ceol nam Feis Tour which is all the Feisean Ceilidh Trails touring round the Cities of Scotland, great stuff!!

Tioraidh mo charaidean!x

Shetland/Perth 6 November 06

I had a brill time at Shetland – finally learned the famous Boston Two-Step which was great!! I met lots of cool people and would like to thank everybody for making me feel so welcome. I’d love to go again one year although when I arrived back home I had to catch up with severe lack of sleep!!!

Last weekend I was competing in the All Scotland Accordion & Fiddle Championships in Perth. I only entered traditional classes this year due to the busy time I’ve had recently. I got 3rd in the Senior Pipe and 1st in the Trios along with Alison and Graham MacKenzie. The day finished off with the festival dance which was great craic! So it’s back to the grind at Plockton now!!!

8 October 06

There was a problem with the “Your Comments” page over the last few months so I’m sorry to everyone who left a comment which did not appear. The problem has now been sorted.

Last week I played at the Scottish Parliament with some Feis Rois Ceilidh Trailers for the launch of Highland 2007, we also got a tour of the parliament which was great.

I was performing at the Ceolraidh concert last Saturday in Dingwall, organised by Feis Rois. The Ceilidh Trail performed with Back of the Moon (winners of ‘Best Folk Band’ at the Scottish Trad Music Awards 2005) which we all thoroughly enjoyed. I also performed with Donald Shaw which was really cool. It was a great day.

I will be flying up to Shetland on Wednesday for the Accordion and Fiddle Festival to do a couple of solo spots. It should be a crazy few days!!!!

9 August 06

Hi!
I’m currently on the last week of the Feis Rois Ceilidh Trail, finishing off with the Tartan Heart Festival at Belladrum on Saturday!
Recently found out that I’m performing with Donald Shaw at the Ceolraidh Concert in Dingwall on Saturday 30th September, which should be great :-) Tickets are available from the Feis Rois office on 01349 862600.