TIGHNAMARA
Tighnamara are Hugh Rice and Jim MacDougall. Hugh is a fine
singer also playing harmonica, bodhran and tin whistle and Jim is an
excellent guitarist. For more than twenty years, Tighnamara have
been renowned for their integrity and generosity of spirit as part
of the musical community of Scotland.
That generosity and dedication to the best sound created their
ethos of accepting other musicians on stage with them as part of
Tighnamara at different times. Jane Donnelly on mandolin, fiddle and
guitar has had “a ball” gigging with Hughie and Jim for many years.
Heather Innes met Hugh and Jim at Lomond Folk Festival in 2009.
After spending a day at the festival singing at a variety of
sessions they became firm friends and met up from time to time on
the Glasgow folk scene. When Heather moved nearer to Glasgow she
asked them to gig with her on the folk club circuit. Now she is
enjoying performing with them and three other excellent musicians
Billy Robertson, Liz O’Shea and Kate Kramer as a slightly larger Tighnamara!
The band name “Tighnamara” comes from a guest house on the Isle
of Arran – Hughie will tell you the rest!
Hugh and Jim made their debut in front of an audience at
Cumbernauld theatre and their reception was enough to be invited to
return on several occasions. Since those early days they have played
in many Scottish Folk clubs and festivals in their own right and as
support slots to Gaberlunzie, the McAlmans, Ian Bruce, Sheena
Wellington and the Whistlebinkies amongst others.
When they played at Kirkintilloch Town Hall at a show hosted by
Alistair MacDonald, the sloping stage almost had Hughie sliding
towards the black void of the orchestra pit, blinded by the
spotlights and without a safety net!
Hugh and Jim have a broad repertoire of Scottish traditional
songs and tunes, sea shanties and blues and have ‘played in’ the New
Year under a full moon at the foot of the Wallace Monument in
Stirling, in a farmyard barn at a wedding in Aberlour, on a boat
sailing up Loch Lomond, at a dinner for the Scotland Rugby Squad and
at an SNP presentation ceremony – the list goes on.
In a concert folk singer Heather Innes takes you through the
gamut of emotions, from powerful ballad to gentle lullaby, with a
timely sense of humour in between. She sings with great feeling and
delicacy and her singing has been described as peaceful and calming
to listen to.
Heather has sung in pubs, folk clubs, festivals, and concerts
worldwide from a wee Celtic tearoom in the Queensland mountains of
Oz to a mardi gras in Denmark. She is also a regular visitor to the
recording studio with a number of solo albums and combination albums
with other singers under her belt.
Billy Robertson is an excellent guitarist and brings variety and
a strong sound to Tighnamara, He also plays mandolin and adds vocals
to the band. Billy has played for sixteen years on the pub circuit
in the central belt of Scotland and plays all styles of music with
his roots in folk.
Kate Kramer is well kent on the folk scene as a storyteller and
for playing fiddle and touring with Hamish Imlach in the last year
of his life. Hailing from North America, Kate has lived in Scotland
for twenty years and played in a number of bands and duos. She
currently plays in ceilidh band Macapella and Tighnamara adding her
unique versatile fiddle style and occasional viola and vocals to the
band.
At the age of nine Liz O’Shea fell in love with the accordion and
played continental music for most of her life until recently
discovering folk music when she began listening to and learning folk
tunes with a passion. Her sensitive accordion backing is perfect for
Hugh, Heather and Billy’s vocals in Tighnamara.
