One of Scotland’s most popular musicians, Skye’s Blair Douglas – the man who brought us Kate Martin’s Waltz, Nelson Mandela’s Welcome to the City of Glasgow, The Gugahunter, Solus m’ àigh and much more has released a new album with a great selection of tunes all with stories behind the names.
Available now as a download only. If you wish a physical CD order the ‘CD+mp3’ option and you’ll be able to download the album now. Macmeanmna will send you the CD when it becomes available in the second week of December. Buy it here.
Track Listing
- Glasgow The Caring City [3.18]
- Moscardini’s Salute (Saluto di Givanni) [3.14]
- Maighstir Seumas MacNeil/Niall MacNeil of Leanish/The Maestro’s March [4.47]
- The Vital Spark [3.14]
- The Poet’s Lament [2.56]
- John Nicolson’s March to Freedom/The Leper’s Bell/Kenny MacDonald of Cromwell Street [3.44]
- Lorna Kay [3.18]
- The Doctor’s Dream/Clarence the Conqueror/Pierre’s Salute to the South Uist Guards [3.16]
- Michael Marra [3.52]
- Bon Ton Cèilidh [3.58]
- Marion Douglas’s Waltz [3.27]
- Beneath the Wings of Grace [3.53]
- Laoich Festubert (The Heroes of Festubert) [4.09]
Laoich Festubert (The Heroes of Festubert) [4.09]
More about Blair Douglas
As would be said in Gaelic, Blair Douglas ‘did not need to buy’ his musical ability, he inherited it from both sides of his family. But genetics alone cannot explain this rare talent. What Blair has done over the years to hone and perfect his talents through good times and not-so-good times by dint of sheer hard and often thankless work. His musical expertise is a distillation of the tuition he received and the influences to which he was exposed, the years of playing and composing, and his recording and producing experience.
Blair was born and brought up in Skye. On his mother’s side he has strong connections with North Uist while his father’s people had moved to Skye from the Border country around 150 years ago.
Blair was inspired to buy an accordion after hearing the playing of the late, lamented Niall Cheòis of Lewis. In 1973, having quickly mastered the instrument he teamed up with Calum and Rory MacDonald, fellow Skyemen with North Uist connections. Together they formed the Run Rig Dance Band, later to become Run Rig, with whom he played for several years.
His first solo album, Celtology, came out in 1984. Subsequent CDs – Beneath the Beret, A Summer in Skye, Angels from the Ashes and Stay Strong are all remarkable not only because of their quality but also because the material featured is Blair’s own. These CDs are now classics and speak eloquently of Blair’s huge musical talents.
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