Iron Broo Ceilidh Band

Tag: charlie abel

  • Celebrating a Scottish Wedding Ceilidh by Lake Como

    Celebrating a Scottish Wedding Ceilidh by Lake Como

    On 13th September 2025, the Iron Broo Ceilidh Band brought the joy of a Scottish wedding ceilidh to the shores of Lake Como. Accordionist Charlie Abel and fiddler Sandy Mathers travelled to Laglio, Italy, to perform for the wedding of Mark and Kate — and what a celebration it was!

    The ceilidh was held at the breathtaking Villa Regina Teodolinda, right on the lakeside at Via Vecchia Regina. Guests from across the world joined hands for reels, jigs, and Strip the Willow, filling the villa with the laughter and energy of a true Scottish ceilidh. The stunning views of the lake and mountains made it a night to remember.


    Villa Regina Teodolina

    And yes, we couldn’t resist pointing out that the ceilidh was just yards away from George Clooney’s house. The locals told us: “George drinks here all the time.” Sadly, he didn’t pop in for a Gay Gordons, but we like to think he was tapping his foot along from his balcony!

    For me, Charlie, this trip carried extra meaning. Having been married in Italy myself — to my Italian wife — this was the third Italian wedding ceilidh the band has played. It felt like coming full circle: celebrating love and marriage with ceilidh music in the country where we also tied the knot. ( see my video below)

    We stayed at the welcoming Hotel Bersagliere in Laglio and, between wedding festivities, managed a ferry trip to Bellagio. Exploring colourful streets, soaking up the views, and enjoying Italy’s famous cuisine added to the magic. From delicate carpaccio and bresaola to handmade ravioli, wood-fired pizza, and crisp local white wines, every meal was a feast to remember.

    Hotel Bersagliere

    Performing for Marc and Kate’s Lake Como wedding ceilidh was an honour and a joy. Guests embraced Scottish ceilidh dancing with enthusiasm, many for the first time, proving again that ceilidh music is universal in its ability to bring people together.

    If you’re planning a destination wedding ceilidh — whether in Italy, Scotland, or further afield — the Iron Broo Ceilidh Band would love to help make your big day unforgettable.

    We’ll treasure the memories: ceilidh tunes echoing over Lake Como, the warmth of Italian hospitality, and the running joke that George Clooney is probably still waiting at the bar for his pint.


    Villa Regina Teodolina, Laglio.

  • Afternoon Family Ceilidh at the Cowdray Hall – 30th September 2023

    Join renowned Aberdeen ceilidh band Iron Broo for a rousing afternoon of Scottish music and dance suitable for all the family. If you’ve never ceilidh-ed, or you’re feeling a bit rusty, don’t worry, all the dances will be explained by the musicians.

    Saturday 30 September 2023, 1.30pm – 3.30pm

    Location Cowdray Hall Aberdeen.

    Tickets
  • Music Lyric Video of Up the Noran Water.

    Music Lyric Video of Up the Noran Water.

    ‘Up the Noran Water’, it’s a song I heard first from the late Jim Reid. He had put the melody to the words of a poem written many years earlier by Helen Cruickshank (1886-1975). The poem was called ‘Shy Geordie’ and features a young Angus mother who is pregnant out of wedlock. It was first published in her collection of poems called “Up the Noran Water” in 1934.

    Helen Cruickshank was a Scottish poet though not a very well-known one. She was a suffragette and was best known for her Scottish resistance and political activism. She was also a Scottish Nationalist. Born at Hillside, near Montrose she grew up in Angus and later moved to London for work, 1903-1912 and then she returned to Edinburgh where she spent the remainder of her days until she passed in 1975.

    Jim Reid (1934-2009) was one of my favourite Scottish singers and I was glad to have had the privilege of his company on a few occasions. Even sharing the bill on stage with him at a concert on a few of the occasions. He was a well-kent face in Scottish traditional music. As well as being well known for his ceilidh work with the Foundry Bar Band he was eventually awarded Scottish Singer of the year in 2005 in recognition of his talents and contribution to Scottish traditional music.

    Herald article on Jim Reid

    Independent Article https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/jim-reid-folk-singer-who-celebrated-the-culture-of-northeast-scotland-1755610.html

    A Virtual Recitation by Helen Cruickshank

    I came across this fantastic video on Youtube by Jim Clark.

    All rights reserved on this video recording copyright Jim Clark 2012

    There’s a lot of details on Helen Cruickshank in the following YouTube video’s description if you want to learn more about Helen.

    Up the Noran Water
    In by Inglismaddy,
    Annie’s got a bairnie
    That hisna got a daddy.
    Some say it’s Tammas’s
    An ithers say it’s Chay’s
    An naebody expectit it,
    Wi Annie’s quiet ways

    Up the Noran Water
    The bonnie little mannie
    Is dandlit an cuddled close
    By Inglismaddy’s Annie.
    Wha the bairnie’s faither is
    The lassie never says
    But some think it’s Tammas’s
    An ithers think it’s Chay’s

    Up the Noran Water
    The country folk are kind
    An wha the bairnie’s faither is
    They dinna muckle mind.
    But oh! The bairn at Annie’s breist,
    The love in Annie’s ee –
    Wid mak me wish wi a’ my micht
    The lucky lad was me!

    But oh! The bairn at Annie’s breist,
    The love in Annie’s ee –
    Wid mak me wish wi a’ my micht
    The lucky lad was me!

  • Free Sheet Music Library

    Free Sheet Music Library

    I have been told a few times recently that I’m not good at selling myself. The truth is it’s because generally, I don’t like people who are good at selling themselves. It’s something ingrained in the northeast of Scotland psyche. Naebody likes a big heid. I’ve always been conscious of this.

    I really enjoy creating music. Here I am giving away free sheet music.

    I have started a small free sheet music library on IronBroo.scot and as I create new tunes I will build it up. You can download the PDFs for sheet music for free if you want to learn any of my tunes. I would love to hear them being played or recorded by other people.

    I really enjoy doing what I do with music. Here’s one I made earlier…

    The free sheet music library is on the Iron Broo website https://ironbroo.scot/sheet-music-library/

    It’s a pretty modest library at the moment ( more of a shelf ) but it takes a long time for me to write out and record the tunes and make the videos. If you want updates you can follow this blog or find us on Facebook, subscribe on YouTube and visiting ironbroo.scot. Leaving positive comments is encouraging. 🙂

    Scottish Music Videos

    The tune in the video above is one of my own compositions and the pictures and video are all my own, taken on Lochnagar in Aberdeenshire. I used an iPhone and a Canon Camera. Scotland is such a stunningly beautiful place with such a variety of scenery, it is a source of endless inspiration.

    Buy me a coffeeBuy me a coffee

    You can also buy me a coffee, that would help inspire more activity and improve my inventory for music creation!

  • Doric Film Festival

    Doric Film Festival

    Doric Film Festival Iron Broo
    Charlie, Duncan & Fred at the Doric Film Festival

    “Awa we Gaed tae Aikey”

    Our entry to the Doric Film Festival 2019


    Directed and written by Duncan Harley. An Iron Broo film. Music performed by Charlie Abel & Fred Wilkinson. Narrated & edited by Charlie Abel. Doric supervisors Alison Abel (my ma fae Turra) and Grace Banks.

    Our Doric Film Festival Entry.

    Iron Broo - From ceilidh band to the big screen
    Iron Broo – From ceilidh band to the big screen

    It’s the day after the 2nd of July 2019 and today we can release our shortlisted entry to the first-ever Doric Film Festival. The awards and presentations took place yesterday afternoon in the Belmont Cinema, Aberdeen.
    There were around 240 guests packed in to screen 1 to see the awards and the entries shown on the big screen. There were over 30 entries and there were 3 categories. Schools, individuals and community groups. We were were in the community groups section and were shortlisted to the final 4, only one of which would get the coveted Doric Oscar. The winner of our group was from Torry Community Group. I was curious to find out if any of the participants stayed on OSCAR ROAD 🙂 (that’s an aptly named street in Torry)
    Their film was an excellent piece on the history of Torry.
    Every film I saw on the day was a winner so it must have been difficult for the judges to sit through 30+ films and choose a winner. Each film had something very special about it. From the old footage of Aberdeen Harbour and old Torry, to the Fishing Boats of the Bloo Toon with Meethill Primary. There wis family poems and stories with actors, the whole thing was very moving for any doric person. It warms the heart to hear the familiar turn of the doric tongue on the big screen. Communicating sentiment with messages that the english language could never do for us. To my knowledge, It’s the first time our culture has been celebrated in a film festival. This was art.

    Onyhoo…


    We were fair tricket to be shortlisted into the final 4 in the Community category. The Doric festival was a great success and brought in talent from across the northeast with some fantastic short film entries from schools, individuals and community groups. We thoroughly enjoyed working on our film about Aikey Brae with real northeast doric language and music.
    When I was at school I remember being told off and even excluded from lessons for speaking doric in class, it happened a few times but now it warms my heart to see so many people celebrate oor mither tongue. A creative and descriptive language reekin o’ history and hard toil.

    Thanks Duncan Harley – Director

    The film was Duncan Harley’s concept, and I would personally like to thank him for inviting myself and Fred to join him in the creation of the film. We learned a lot of tricks in the process and are looking forward to our next project. We hope the Doric Film Festival will continue and become an annual event. It’s sair needed in oor toon.
    A big thanks to Frieda Morrison and her team for making the whole thing happen.

    Entries will be available online I believe, very shortly https://doricfilmfestival.com/
    If you are interested in Aberdeenshire history, please check out Duncan Harley’s recent book “The Little History of Aberdeenshire”
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-History-Aberdeenshire-Duncan-Harley/dp/0750989297

    Iron Broo duo play at the Doric Film Festival
    Iron Broo duo play at the Doric Film Festival

    Iron Broo ( Charlie (me) & Fred ) played at the Doric Film Festival awards ceremony. We played little ditties as the folk came up for their awards and we performed our version of the song Aikey Brae, used in our film.

    Aikey Brae – oor track(s)

    We released the music track “Aikey Brae” online. It’s on Amazon, iTunes, Spotify etc. A radio edit and the version of the full verse with the doric monologue as written by the original author G.S. Morris.
    You can download the tracks for pennies. Less than a bug o tattie crisps. Please dae as we sair need the siller.
    Here’s a CdBaby link https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/charlieabel3

    Our website https://www.ironbroo.scot
    my website https://www.charlieabel.scot
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CeilidhAberdeen/

    Aikey Brae digital download artwork
    Aikey Brae digital download artwork
    Aikey Brae panorama
    Aikey Brae panorama

    The standing stones at Aikey Brae, up above where the horse cowpin’ went on, are believed to be around 5000 years old. There are many standing stones around the area and many share similar features. Aikey Brae is one of the most nearly complete ones left. Many stones were moved and were used for building other things over the centuries.

    Aikey Brae Stone Circle information
    Aikey Brae Stone Circle information
    Aikey Brae Standing Stones
    Aikey Brae Standing Stones
    Aikey Brae Stone Circle
    Aikey Brae Stone Circle
    Aikey Brae ( sacrificial stone?)
    Aikey Brae ( sacrificial stone?)
    Aikey Brae from on top of the sacrificial stone
    Aikey Brae from on top of the sacrificial stone
  • The Left-Handed Fiddler

    The Left-Handed Fiddler

    The Left-Handed Fiddler is a well-known traditional Scottish tune written by James Scott Skinner, who is an iconic Scottish fiddle player from Banchory. (1843-1927) Skinner rose to fame during his time and left a vast legacy of music with his own compositions and collections that are still played widely to this day. Skinner gave himself the nickname “The Strathspey King”. He was quite a character and there’s a good article on him here for further reading. https://www.folkworld.de/25/e/skinner.html

    Skinner’s Tune – for George Taylor.

    My neighbour David Cumming had heard that Skinner wrote a tune for a relative of his. It was called “The Left-handed Fiddler”. Because he was not familiar with the tune I learnt it for him and recorded another YouTube video. I was pleased Dave liked it and he sent it to his relatives around the world.

    The Left-Handed Fiddler

    The next day, a relative of his asked if his name was ever mentioned in music scores, “George Taylor”. So I had a quick Google and discovered quite a few things.

    George Taylor was a left-handed fiddler who also had a son called George who was also a left-handed fiddler. The author of the tune, Skinner had a father who was also a left-handed fiddler due to an accident that meant he had to relearn and play left handed. There are some who thought that Skinner wrote this tune for his father, but that has been dismissed by reliable sources on the internet who agree it was for George Taylor.

    J. Murdoch Henderson’s tune – George I. Taylor.

    The next morning I then also discovered that there is another tune written for George Taylor, though I’m not clear if it is for the same person, It may be that the father is George Taylor of the tune “Left-Handed Fiddler” and George I. Taylor is the son. In either case, it’s quite exciting in my mind to find this extra gem of musical history.

    George I. Taylor – Strathspey

    The tune “George I. Taylor” was written by J. Murdoch Henderson, from New Deer (1902-1970) and moved into Aberdeen to teach Maths. He loved to play fiddle but had some difficulties in playing as he injured both wrists in a childhood accident. He collected and wrote many tunes and published them. One of Henderson’s books I am aware of is called “The Flowers of Scottish Melodies”. It’s out of print now and I don’t seem to be able to source a copy. It’s the sort of book that will be lying someone’s house, hidden in a piano stool or in a second-hand shop. George I. Taylor is in this book.

    The same time I discovered this tune I become aware that there is an online trend I was not aware of, it was #playastrathspeyday. Well, George I. Taylor is a strathspey. David, of course, wants to hear the tune so I drop what I am doing and learn the tune and upload it to the net. The morning after the official play a strathspey day, but, better late than never. 🙂

    If you like the videos remember to visit the rest of my website and the clips pages.

    You can also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and Facebook Pages. Look for Charlie Abel or Iron Broo.

  • New Cd launched today

    New Cd launched today

    I’m excited to announce a new album release today. Available on CD from CharlieAbel.scot or download on the usual platforms.
    iTunes, CdBaby, Amazon etc.

    The album contains 16 tracks of Celtic music and songs. Some of my own original pieces.

    Please give it a listen and if you like it I hope you will buy the CD from my website or online or download from any of the available outlets.

    The next Iron Broo CD is in the pipeline and will be coming soon…

    Happy St. Andrews day.

    Charlie.

  • Burgess Charlie Abel

    Burgess Charlie Abel

    Charlie Abel Burgess

    Dean of Guild, Colin Taylor welcomes Charlie Abel
    Wow.
    I was very honoured to be received as a Free Burgess and Guild Member of the City and Burgh of Aberdeen on the 15th of August 2015.  I’m told it’s the highest honour the city can bestow on a citizen so I’m really really humbled.  I look forward to being an active member of the Burgess and doing all I can to help the city I love dearly.
    Don’t think I’ll be required to bear arms and shoot invaders from the city gates anymore… But I’ll do what I can with my trusty squeeze box and i look forward to driving my cattle or sheep down Union Street. 😉

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_the_City_of_Aberdeen