SANDY BRECHIN AND RONAN MARTIN
Sandy and Ronan have been playing together for over 20 years, and in that time have toured all over the world, both as a duo and also as members of the bands Bùrach and The Sensational Jimi Shandrix Experience. They recently completed their second tour of New Zealand together in May 2014, performing there for the first time as a trio with singer/guitarist Bob McNeill. Other countries visited in recent years include Australia; Libya; Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman in the Middle East; Norway (where they played in the town of Trømso, above the Arctic Circle: a concert for the local folk club, and a ceilidh for the traditional dance club); Germany and Spain.
Twice the blazing box and fiddle duo have been invited by Prince Charles to perform at private charity ceilidhs, once in Holyrood Palace and the other for the opening of the newly refurbished Dumfries House, where guests included First Minister Alex Salmond, author JK Rowling and businessman Tom Hunter.
The lads are also well-known international teachers of their instruments and both Sandy and Ronan have taught at the Boston Harbor Scottish Fiddle School in Massachusetts, USA, and have held workshops in Australia, New Zealand and many other countries.
Ronan Martin is widely regarded as one of Scotland’s finest fiddlers. Brought up in a musical family on the Isle of Skye, and with a fiddle in his hands by the age of three, he plays the classic dance music of the north and west, with toe-tapping energy and an uplifting and joyful style. He is in hot demand at home and abroad as a solo fiddler, and has performed with many of Scotland’s finest musicians, including fiddler Jonny Hardie and piper Fred Morrison. A regular guest at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections, he has been invited to perform alongside other top fiddlers from the tradition at prestigious events, such as the Annual Fiddlers’ Gathering in Donegal, the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention and the Niel Gow Festival. As well as touring the world with Sandy, Ronan has performed in such exotic locations as India , Ukraine and South Korea with other bands.
In 2008 Ronan released his debut solo album to great critical acclaim. The album was a celebration of Highland traditional fiddle music and featured the fantastic playing of Jonny Hardie from Old Blind Dogs on guitar. Fiddler Magazine (USA) called it “astonishingly crisp and powerful” and “a masterful work of splendour that will endure”. He has appeared on radio and television programs worldwide, including the BBC and ABC news.
For more information on Sandy, follow this link to his homepage: www.sandybrechin.com
REVIEWS
“a lovely, graceful fiddle player with a fine sensitive touch” – BBC Radio Scotland Bruce MacGregor
“an uplifting and joyful style” – Fiddle On Magazine
“in the old style, with knobs on” – The Living Tradition
“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