Judges
Colin Dewar
Colin started playing the accordion at the age of 4. At the age of 9, he started playing for a Scottish Country Dance Class in Kirkcaldy and continued to play there for approximately 9 years. This gave him a great grounding for strict tempo playing and allowed him to build a vast repertoire of sets for Scottish Country Dancing. Colin competed at various music festivals across the country including Perth, Auchtermuchty, Kinross and Musselburgh and became all Scotland Junior Champion in 1982.
Colin joined Grace MacLeaver and the Lochearn Dance Band to play lead accordion at the age of 14 and it was in this band that he performed his first "Take the Floor" broadcast. During that period he also played regularly with George Fleming’s Scottish Dance Band for Scottish Country Dancing in Scotland, England and abroad.
He formed his own band at the age of 17, recorded his debut band broadcast in 1984 and has appeared annually on this programme since. The Colin Dewar Scottish Dance Band also featured on Phil Cunningham’s ‘Scotland’s Music’ television programme on BBC2 in 2007.
Colin recorded his debut solo album in 1980 on the Ayrespin label. Since then he has recorded a number of band albums for the RSCDS and at least 10 CDs in his popular "Special Requests" and “Ruthven Collection” series. Colin has also published 2 books of his own compositions.
Douglas Lawrence
Douglas hails from Buckie, Banffshire where he first started playing the violin at school aged nine and was fortunate to receive tuition from Hector MacAndrew whose family had direct links to the Gows via James Mackintosh of Dunkeld
After four years of study and gaining a performer's diploma at RSAMD, now "The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland", Douglas went on to play with the Scottish National Orchestra for twenty years and toured all over Europe and America, making countless recordings in the process.
Nowadays he spends a lot of time helping to pass on the invaluable techniques passed on from MacAndrew to his own pupils, many of whom have won acclaim at the highest level. As well as winning all the major competitions for playing, most notably The International Clan Gathering in 1977, Douglas is also a composer and has adjudicated at the Glenfiddich, Musselburgh, Elgin, Kirriemuir and Banchory festivals.
More recently Douglas has given workshops, master-classes and been teaching at fiddle camps in the USA and New Zealand and in 2011 recorded his second CD, “The Farewell”.
Sandy Lindsay
Sandy started playing the 3 row Button Key Accordion at the age of 9. Initially he was taught by Peter Bruce and then by his dad Jimmy Lindsay. Sandy has competed at various Accordion and Fiddle festivals and has won in Traditional, Pipe, Button Key and Musette.
At the age of 15, he was broadcasting on BBC's "Take the Floor" with his dad's band and in 2005, made his debut broadcast with his own Scottish Dance Band. He has also broadcast with Dennis Morrison and friends, paying tribute to Ian Powrie. In 2007 Sandy released his debut accordion album ’Fields of Home’.
Alongside Scottish music Sandy has an interest in Continental and Jazz which he has performed at various venues including Perth Concert Hall and Theatre as well as composing music for Perth Theatre. Sandy has appeared in various shows and concerts including Bill Wilkie’s Variety Show and Celtic Connections.
He also plays piano and was resident pianist at Edinburgh's Roxburghe Hotel. As well as solo piano work, he performs with his Jazz Trio.
Robert Black
Robert Black has been playing the accordion now for over 42 years and during his illustrious career has amassed a wealth of diverse musical knowledge and experience. He has won the coveted Scottish Accordion Championship no less than 6 times and his accompanying and directing skills have been employed by most of Scotland's top artistes: Andy Stewart, Kenneth McKellar, Jimmy Logan, Bill McCue, Moira Anderson, Moira Kerr, Colin Stuart, Peter Morrison, Johnny Beattie, Valerie Dunbar, Alan Stewart, Andy Gray……… and the list can go on.
He moved to London in 1987 to further his classical studies with distinguished accordionist and teacher John Leslie, founder of the Accordion Academy. Moving to the "Big Smoke" enabled Robert to develop his craft, not only in the classical field but in other styles of accordion music: French Mussette, Cajon and Jazz. This ultimately led him on to play and tour in such musicals as "Fiddler on the Roof", "Irma Le Deuce", "Oliver", "Bitter-Sweet" and "Le Cage aux Folles". It was in London where he would further cultivate his appetite for composing and arranging.
Circumstance dictated he should move back to Scotland in 1990 and using Edinburgh as his base, continued to work in London and all over the UK as well as performing further afield in France, Belgium, Germany, USA, Canada, South Korea and Hong Kong. He released his debut CD “Breaking New Ground” in 1991 which was endorsed by the world renowned accordionist Jack Emblow.
In 1993, Robert was invited to play the accordion and act the part of "George" in Brian Friel's exciting new play "Wonderful Tennessee" which marked Robert's debut as a thespian. The World première was in the same year at Dublin’s historic "Abbey Theatre" where it ran for six months and from there went on to New York to run at the Plymouth Theatre on Broadway to critical acclaim.
His radio broadcasts and recording credits are too numerous to mention, suffice to say he has played, broadcast or recorded with such luminaries as Ian Powrie, Jimmy Blue, Alex McArthur, Bill Black, Jim Johnstone, Iain MacPhail, Duncan Black, Ron Kerr, Simon Howie, Jim Lindsay, Ian Muir and many, many more.
He is currently in his 16th year as producer/musical director in the long established "World Famous Taste of Scotland Cabaret Show" at Prestonfield in Edinburgh.
Despite his own achievement's he would always like to be known as a humble and modest individual who is still completely in awe of the world's greatest accordionists
Jim Cleland
Jim started playing at eight years old and took all the exams with the British Association of Accordionists where he achieved honours in all including the diploma. All this classical training culminated in Jim becoming the under 16 British accordion champion (many years ago). Soon afterwards he won a talent contest at Dunblane Hydro, where he was spotted by the late Jim MacLeod and the rest is history. He played with the Jim MacLeod band for over 30 years, travelling the world as well as filling the resident spot in the Hydro. Jim is also a much respected composer and an experienced adjudicator of classical and continental music