Grace Stewart-Skinner’s “Auchies Spikkin’ Auchie” effortlessly intertwines field recorded conversation with her new compositions to create an ethnomusicological postcard of her wee home village, Avoch.
Featuring Grace on clàrsach, Rose Logan on fiddles, Rhona MacDonald on double bass and Ewa Adamiec on percussion. Complimented by visuals by Michiel Turner.
“I want to capture a feeling of sitting in an Avochie sitting room and just soaking in the words and stories, oh and there just so happens to be a four piece band in the corner!”
Avoch is located on the Black Isle and was once one of the oldest north-east Highland fishing communities with her own unique lingual and cultural heritage. Recent decades have given way to a drastic decrease in Avoch’s fishing industry, mirrored by a fading away of the Avochie dialect. Avochie is a truly special dialect of Scots with clear links to Gaelic, demonstrating a wonderful example of the fluidity and preciousness of Scotland’s languages.
The rediscovery of an old recording of Grace’s Boba (grandad) reciting original poetry in the Avochie dialect prompted Grace to delve into the dialect’s wider profile outwith the village and she was shocked and disappointed to find little to no trace of it in the archives. She decided there was only one thing for it and set out making her own field recording of Avochie locals speaking Avochie.
As a musician and composer, it made sense to Grace to create something musical with these recordings and share them with as many people as possible. Grace has composed an album of original Traditional Scottish music which weaves in and out of the Avochie voices she has captured, guiding the listener through a sonic journey of Avoch’s past and the days of the herring fishing.
Auchies Spikkin’ Auchie received a Wee Grant from Hands Up for Trad towards the commission.
https://www.cca-glasgow.com/programme/auchies-spikkin-auchie-album-launch