Mac Ìle: The Music of Fraser Shaw – Trad Awards Nomination 

We are absolutely thrilled that Mac Ìle: The Music of Fraser Shaw is up for album of the year in the Scots Trad Awards! The album consists of a plethora of Scotland’s top musicians playing Fraser’s fantastic tunes. If you haven’t heard it yet, you can purchase a copy here.

Heralded as the most prestigious award ceremony in the traditional music calendar, the winners will be revealed during a glitzy award ceremony on Saturday 2nd December, at Paisley’s Lagoon Centre as Paisley bids for UK City of Culture 2021. It would be brilliant if you could take the time to vote for Mac Ìle, and please spread the word – there are also a number of other talented acts up for awards, including some members of the Islay Sessioners! Voting closes on Friday 24th November.

‘…there’s a real sense of joy and celebration of life within the album. Not just a celebration of Shaw’s life, but a celebration of life itself.’ – Bright Young Folk

Click here to vote for Mac Ìle

Mac Ìle Launch at Islay Sessions

The Fraser Shaw Trust are delighted to announce that Fraser’s much anticipated tune book will be launched at Islay Sessions, a festival which he played an integral role in setting up. Mac Ìle: The Music of Fraser Shaw will contain 30 original compositions with chords, 10 pipe settings, stories, tributes and photographs. Lori and Innes Watson have been hard at work putting it all together, and we can’t wait to share it with the world! Get your pre-order here.

“We’d like to thank everyone involved in bringing the book to completion: for your advice, images, contributions, stories, revisions, proofreading, and encouragement. This has been a very important project for us: both wonderful and painful in equal measure as we listened to recordings of Fraser playing his tunes for hours to finish the job we started together. We are very proud of him and his brilliant music and hope you enjoy learning and sharing his tunes, and the photos and stories too. Fraser wanted to make this book to raise funds for the Lochgilphead MS Therapy Centre, so please support them by getting your copy and spreading the word to music players and learners, and appreciators of Fraser Shaw. ” – Innes & Lori Watson

“The tunes in this collection have a style of their own – a real identity – the hallmark of any great tunesmith. The tunes range from emotive and plaintive to rhythmical and driving, and they will be a joy to play for any instrumentalist. This is a wonderful legacy of Fraser – piper, musician and true gentleman.” – Fred Morrison

 

Special thanks to Creative Scotland’s Tasgadh fund administered by Fèisean nan Gàidheal for supporting this project.

The launch will take place in Bruichladdich Hall, November 18th, 8pm at the big Saturday night Islay Sessions concert. Acts on the night include Tannara, Joy Dunlop and Jenn Butterworth & Laura-Beth Salter, and the book will be celebrated in style with some fine music, drams and cheer. Tickets will be available on the door, or via www.islaysessions17.eventbrite.com

The Trust are also honoured to sponsor the Islay Sessions workshops, in line with one of their purposes which is to help with the advancement of the arts and culture of Islay. Workshops will be led by fiddler Emma Tomlinson (The Routes Quartet) and can be booked by emailing islaysessionseducation@gmail.com

Mac Ìle: The Music of Fraser Shaw – Tune Book

We’ve had an incredibly exciting few months launching Fraser’s CD on Islay and in Glasgow, raising funds for the Trust and celebrating the life of the man himself through music.

We also ran our annual fundraiser, Shawfest in September, which took place in Partick to huge success, raising £1200 in total.

The Trust are absolutely thrilled that the much anticipated Tune Book is nearly finished, and will be ready for launch at The Islay Sessions, a festival that Fraser played an integral role in setting up six years ago. Pre-order your copy of the book here!

Lori and Innes Watson have been hard at work putting it all together, and we can’t wait to share it with the world! The book contains 30 original compositions complete with chords, 10 pipe settings, and lots of stories, tributes and photographs.

“We’d like to thank everyone involved in bringing the book to completion: for your advice, images, contributions, stories, revisions, proofreading, and encouragement. This has been a very important project for us: both wonderful and painful in equal measure as we listened to recordings of Fraser playing his tunes for hours to finish the job we started together. We are very proud of him and his brilliant music and hope you enjoy learning and sharing his tunes, and the photos and stories too. Fraser wanted to make this book to raise funds for the Lochgilphead MS Therapy Centre, so please support them by getting your copy and spreading the word to music players and learners, and appreciators of Fraser Shaw. ” – Innes & Lori Watson

Special thanks to Creative Scotland’s Tasgadh fund administered by Fèisean nan Gàidheal for supporting this project.

Mac Ìle – Glasgow Launch at Piping Live!

On Monday 7th August, the Fraser Shaw Trust was delighted to celebrate the Glasgow Album Launch of Mac Ile. The event took place in the beautiful venue of St Luke’s, in Glasgow’s East End, as part of the internationally acclaimed music festival; Piping Live!

The launch took the form of a gig, with an enormous amount of talented musicianship on show. The first half included a combination of solo, duo and group performances from musicians who recorded the album, as well as a couple of Fraser’s close pals. Musicians took the opportunity to talk about some of their times with Fraser – unsurprisingly often including a few drinks, a good laugh and a touch of calamity!

The second half was a full live performance of the album. It was an outstanding, uplifting and moving display and, for those who had heard the recorded version, a chance to enjoy the power of the live performance. Perhaps the most emotive of the tracks was Air Chall, a stunning piece including an old recording Fraser had sent to his pal a few years back.

Whilst of course a special night for all Fraser’s family and friends, it was a delight to see people who didn’t know him or his story come along and enjoy the evening so much. A truly gorgeous evening of music and friendship: a fine tribute to a very fine man.

The Trust would like to thank our sponsors; Ardbeg and McCallum Bagpipes. Also thanks to Frankie Burr for her wonderful backdrop!

Mac Ìle – Islay Album Launch Party

The village hall of Bruichladdich opened its doors to friends and soon-to-be friends of Fraser Shaw’s music, for it was the night of the Mac Ìle album launch. The first launch that is, which took place on June 27th on the Isle of Islay. A second launch is scheduled to take place in Glasgow in August. The fact that it was a Tuesday night did not hinder the audience attendance, with a buzz of excited chitter chatter encompassing the hall awaiting an evening on enthralling music. It was an evening of two halves; of drams and gin provided kindly by Bruichladdich Distillery, of incredible music and musicianship and of a term you are likely to hear frequently regarding Fraser, that term being friendship.

The evening was kicked off to an enrapturing start by pipers Calum MacCrimmon and Angus MacKenzie, a traditional start to any concert or ceilidh. This was followed by a different blend of musicians for each set, all delivering snippets of their tales and time with the man in title and offering heartfelt performances. Local singer Alasdair Currie also delighted the crowd with a beautiful collection of gaelic songs, setting the equilibrium number of songs to tunes. After a short interlude allowing both listeners and musicians to refresh their glasses it was on to the second half, during which sentiment grew with every set.

The emotion emanating from the stage, I’m sure could be felt by each person in the crowd familiar with Fraser’s story or not. Music has an inconceivable way to convey emotions, perhaps emotions that wouldn’t be visible to a passing stranger but in this context they can be felt very nearly first hand. The busy audience was filled with friends of Fraser’s and also many people that wouldn’t have had the pleasure of knowing him. It is most likely the latter were visitors to the island discovering this little pocket of first class traditional music unexpectedly. As the musicians closed the concert it was the end of an incredible nights music, but to these perfect strangers who happened upon ‘A night for Fraser’, it is just the start of a new journey discovering his music, introducing it to friends alike and being almost ‘passengers’ of his legacy.

The Islay Sessioners hosted an evening Fraser would have reveled in – an evening of music, friends (old and new), drams and these fine things in life continuing into the night at the much cherished Port Charlotte Hotel. I think it is safe to say the Fraser Shaw Trust is doing exactly what it set out to do, if not more.

– Ciara MacTaggart

Sunset on the eve of Fraser’s album launch matched the artwork perfectly.

Fundraising

The Fraser Shaw Trust have been overwhelmed with support the past two years, and would like to extend a grateful thank you to all our donators. The work put in to making our work possible still continues, and we are extremely proud of Natalie Somerville, one of our Trustees, who recently ran the London Marathon in aid of the Trust. Speaking to us about her experience Natalie says, “It was my first time at the race and it has to be said that everything they say is true! It really is a phenomenal affair. The scale of the event is mind-blowing with thousands upon thousands of volunteers and almost 40,000 runners. The support from the Londoners was also superb – really showcasing the best of what the city has to offer in terms of hospitality, music and humour. For me, the hardest thing about the marathon was the training. Lots of long, cold, dark runs on my own around the streets of Glasgow – often a mental struggle just to get out the door! However, the race itself was amazing and the miles seemed to pass relatively quickly (until mile 23…!). If you ever find yourself questioning humanity – go and watch the London Marathon. The strength of some people, particularly those participating with disabilities, is just incredible. I laughed and I cried – and, of course, I thought about my mate, Fraser. A fabulous £1870 has been raised so far, and those funds will go towards supporting people living with MS as well as musical projects for young Ileachs. Thank you to everyone who sent support and I look forward to seeing who will run the London Marathon next for the Fraser Shaw Trust!”

Natalie is greeted at the finish line by her husband John and son Findlay.

Natalie is not the only one accomplishing a great feat to raise money for good causes – Lesley Shaw, another good friend of Fraser’s has decided to take on the challenge of the Ben Nevis Night Hike this August, to raise money for MS Society Scotland in memory of Fraser. Lesley says, “Training for the challenge has been good fun. I’ve started going back to the gym, running, trying some circuits and yoga and of course lots more hill-walking. The better weather definitely helps and over the past wee while I’ve climbed Schiehallion, Ben Narnain, Ben Chonzie, Ben Luibhean and the local smaller Donald, Tinto a few times. Nothing beats a flask of tea and sweet treats with an amazing view when you get to the top. The support so far has been amazing and I can’t wait to join the rest of the team at the MS Society Scotland for the challenge. I’m almost at 75% of the target donations so massive thanks to everyone who’s sponsored so far.” You can sponsor Lesley’s hike at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/LesleyShaw2017

Pre-Launch of Mac Ìle – The Tunes of Fraser Shaw

Pre-Launch Success of Mac Ìle – The Tunes of Fraser Shaw

We have had a very exciting month with the arrival of Mac Ìle – The Music of Fraser Shaw – the album.

May 16th, saw Fraser’s friends and family meet together in Glasgow to raise a dram to the man himself and celebrate the completion of the CD. Produced by Duncan Lyall, the album showcases a flavoursome variety of Fraser’s tunes, alongside compositions by Lori Watson, Adam Sutherland, Laura-Beth Salter and Calum MacCrimmon. Packed with glorious performances from a selection of Scotland’s finest traditional musicians, a particularly special feature of the album is Fraser himself playing whistle for his slow air ‘Air Chall’.

This informal gathering embodied everything that was special about Fraser; with music, stories and the imbibing of large Islay whiskies continuing into the small hours of the morning. The high regard in which he was held was obvious to all, through the warmth with which friends old and new regaled tales of their own personal memories of Fraser. As music from Mac Ìle floated above over the bustle of the pub, we celebrated the life of Fraser Shaw and the wonderful gift of that he gave us through his music.

Slàinte mhòr, mhic Ìle!

 

Pre-order CD

Tickets for Launch Events

The CD will be officially launched on Tuesday June 27th in Bruichladdich, Islay (buy tickets for Islay Launch). A second launch in Glasgow will take place August 7th in St Luke’s as part of Piping Live! (buy tickets for Glasgow launch)

The Tunes of Fraser Shaw – CD Launch

Fraser Shaw was a wonderful piper, whistle player and composer from Glasgow who resided on the Isle of Islay. After his passing in May 2015, a group of friends and family started a Trust in his honour. The foremost aim of the Fraser Shaw Trust is to raise money for the relief of multiple sclerosis, particularly in Argyll, Scotland, through a series of projects and events celebrating Fraser and his music.

A few years before Fraser’s passing, he had it in mind to release a book of his own compositions, the proceeds of which would go towards the MS Care Centre in Lochilphead, Scotland. Unfortunately, due to his illness, this never came to fruition. Over the last year and a half, the Trust have been working hard to bring this idea to life and release Fraser’s much anticipated tunebook, along with an album comprised of Fraser’s music. In November 2015 a group of musicians gathered on Islay, to play a special memorial concert at Fraser’s festival, The Islay Sessions, thus laying the groundwork for the album. In January 2016 at Celtic Connections this same group of musicians, “The Islay Sessioners” as they called themselves, performed this music as part of Islay Night, a concert that both celebrated the music and culture of Islay, and the tunes of Fraser Shaw.

In September 2016, recording began for the CD in Castlesound and Carrier Waves Studios. Many of the arrangements heard at Islay Night have been recorded, along with a few additional tracks. Playing on the album are; Adam Sutherland, Eilidh Shaw, Gráinne Brady, Lori Watson, Innes Watson, Angus MacKenzie, Calum MacCrimmon, Kevin O’Neill, John Somerville, Laura-Beth Salter, Jenn Butterworth, Ross Martin, Tina Jordan Rees, Duncan Lyall, with very special guests; Kathleen Graham, Mhairi Hall and Ross Couper.

Produced by Duncan Lyall, the album showcases a flavoursome variety of Fraser’s tunes, alongside compositions by Lori Watson, Adam Sutherland, Laura-Beth Salter and Calum MacCrimmon. Also included is a beautiful rendition of the traditional Scots song “Frienship”, and Calum MacDonald’s “Clachan Uaine”, played by former fellow Cluanas members, Kathleen and Mhairi. A particularly special feature of the album, is Fraser himself playing whistle for his slow air “Air Chall”.

The Fraser Shaw Trust are delighted to announce the release of Mac Ìle – The Music of Fraser Shaw, on Tuesday June 27th 2017, with a big launch of the new CD on the Isle of Islay to mark the occasion. The event will take place in Bruichladdich Hall, with a concert featuring the musicians on the album. A second launch in Glasgow is set for Monday August 7th in St Luke’s Church as part of Piping Live! (www.pipinglive.co.uk).

Hard copies of Fraser’s CD will be available exclusively at the pre-launch party which will take place in The Sparkle Horse, Glasgow on Tuesday May 16th. Tickets for launch concerts and pre-orders will be for sale online from May 16th through the Trust website – www.FraserShawTrust.com.

The tunebook will be released this autumn, further updates to be found on www.frasershawtrust.com. Proceeds of the tunebook will go directly towards the MS Care Centre in Lochilphead. Proceeds of the album and further donations will be used for the advancement of education, arts and culture and for the relief of those living with multiple sclerosis in Scotland, particularly on the Isle of Islay.

www.FraserShawTrust.com
www.facebook.com/TrustFraser
www.twitter.com/TrustFraser

String Parts

We had a really nice day recently of recording string parts for a couple of the tracks on Fraser’s CD; Strings & Blowy Things/Fraser’s Trip to Glasgow, and Air Chall. Both were played at Islay Night at Celtic Connections and can be heard here.
The main melody and accompaniment of the Strings & Blowy Things track had been recorded in Castlesound in September. Along with this, Adam, Innes, Lori and myself overdubbed some lovely string parts. Duncan was engineering on the day with the help of Andrea Gobbi.
​The second track to be recorded was Air Chall, meaning “Lost”, which featured Duncan on double bass along with the fiddles. This track is a particularly special one as we are playing along with the man himself, Fraser on whistle. He wrote this slow air over a period of time a few years ago, about the loss of his dad, and a friend.

More Recording in Carrierwaves

We got another spot of recording done this week in Carrierwaves Studio with Duncan. This was the day for our “Cairn’s Set” which features Adam, Laura-Beth, Jenn, Calum, and guest musicians Ross Couper and Steve Forman. Cairn’s is a bar on Miller Street in Glasgow in which Fraser ran a weekly Sunday Session for a number of years. On the day, Calum also put some (more!) highland bagpipes on the Pipe Set with Eilidh, Ross and Angus.

The Cairn’s set begins with a tune written by Adam, which was commissioned by the trust for the auction at Shawfest 2015. The winner, Grahame Allison, named the tune “Memories of Fraser Shaw”. It’s a lovely G minor strathspey which Adam, Laura-Beth, Calum, Innes and Duncan played at last years Islay Sessions and it went down a real treat! The Cairn’s group followed this tune with a Fraser composition “Get her Goin’ ” and a Fraser session favourite “The Coast of Austria”.

​The album is really starting to shape up, with most of the sets recorded and a few more overdubs to do. There are dates in place to record some strings in November, and we are planning a very special “Day at the C-Side”, the details of which will be announced soon! Keep up to date on the latest news via Facebook or Twitter.