SANDY BRECHIN AND GREGOR BORLAND
Sandy and Greg have been performing together for over twenty years. For ten years of that time, Greg played fiddle in Bùrach with Sandy, as well as bass guitar in The Sandy Brechin Band, touring all over the world. Now, as a duo, they still play sets from both bands, along with tracks from Greg’s debut album, Bowstroke, featuring a mix of traditional tunes and many of Greg’s own compositions.
Sandy and Greg have toured Sweden (2014), New Zealand twice (2011 and 2012), and America (2011), where they both taught and performed together at Boston Harbour Scottish Fiddle School.
ABOUT GREGOR BORLAND
Greg grew up in Abriachan, near Inverness, in the Scottish highlands and started fiddle lessons with Donald Riddell at the age of nine. After several years with many successes in fiddle competitions all over Scotland, he went on to study with Hector MacAndrew, an acclaimed fiddler in the north-eastern tradition. Both teachers inspired and influenced his great love of highland pipe marches and stirring strathspeys.
Later qualifying as a piano technician, he lived and worked in Edinburgh for many years. During that time he was fortunate enough to play and record with many great bands and artists, including Kathryn Tickell, Davy Steele, Jim Malcolm, Sandy Brechin and Bùrach, to name just a few. He toured extensively all over the UK and as far afield as Colombia, Australia and Russia.
Greg began teaching while still in Scotland, and after moving to Spain with his Spanish wife and young family ten years ago, he continues to run annual Scottish workshops in Hatton Castle, Couper Angus and Foyers Lodge, near Loch Ness, as well as a Spanish teaching week near Alicante. He is passionate about passing on his musical heritage to the next generation of fiddle players and continues to tour and teach in other countries.
For more information on Sandy, follow this link to his homepage: www.sandybrechin.com
REVIEWS
“Gregor Borland’s pedigree is definitely impressive – he was taught by two absolute legends of Scottish fiddle – but it fails to convey his own skill, the jaunty way in which his fiddle dances and sings, captivating the listeners. He makes it look easy, almost effortless. It’s impossible to keep your toes from tapping.” – Northern Advocate
“If you want to hear what an accordion can do in the right hands, put it in the right and left hands of Sandy Brechin.” – The Living Tradition
“An accordionist with attitude as well as loads of talent.” – fRoots
“Brechin is an amazing accordion player.” – Dirty Linen