Scottish traditional music legend Andy McCormack honoured at fiddle rally
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A LEGEND on the Scottish traditional music scene has bowed out after 52 years.
Andy McCormack retired from Elgin Strathspey and Reel Society after dedicated service as a player, leader for many years, committee member and all round go to person.
He was guest of honour at the recent rally in Elgin Town Hall where he was presented with a special musical gift to ma Whether it was organising and selling tickets for concerts, playing anywhere and everywhere with the society, or providing transport Andy was always there and everything was done with humour and fun.
Andy, from Dufftown, admitted he was “taken aback” with the presentation.
“It was so nice and a beautiful way of recognising my service with the society,” he added.
“I have enjoyed every minute of my time playing with the society.”
He has played all over the world both with the society and various other bands in places as far afield as New Zealand and the Falkland Islands, not to mention Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Ireland.
Along with Louise McLean, Andy organised the society’s annual fiddle festival from 1997 to 2016 and he also regularly organised a concert up in Dufftown for the society, The Dufftown Extravaganza, which was always a sell-out.
Another of his success stories was starting up the very popular Monday night Stramash in Dufftown which is still going strong after 25 years.
Society president George West said: "The society simply could not let Andy’s fantastic service go without recognising it in some way so we were delighted to invite him, family and friends as our guests of honour to our annual rally.
"Thanks to members Louise McLean and Jim Hogg, I was delighted to present him on stage with a certificate honouring his service along with a book, signed by all the members, of 12 tunes which have been specially written for him by various people over many years, but also with some of them written very recently indeed.
"Unfortunately Andy’s wife Isobel was unable to attend the rally due to health reasons but we send all our best wishes to them both for the future."
