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…
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.
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
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.
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
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 informationAikey Brae Standing StonesAikey Brae Stone Circle Aikey Brae ( sacrificial stone?)Aikey Brae from on top of the sacrificial stone
Today I had the pleasure of accompanying Fred Wilkinson, my musical pal of many years, down to the Town House. Where he was then admitted into the Burgesses of Guild of the City and Royal Burgh of Aberdeen. The Burgesses of Aberdeen are one of the oldest civic institutions in Scotland dating back to before 1124.
Most of Aberdeen’s history stems from the actions of the early Burgesses who were charged with guarding the burgh with its laws and customs.
Fred’s musical career has touched many genres. However, he is perhaps most noted for his punk rock career which started in the early 80s with Toxik Ephex. Later he joined the band Iron Broo Ceilidh Band around 2003.
Fred, known locally as a musician, has made a considerable contribution to local music in different forms, raising funds for charities and good causes, and encouraging others to express themselves in the arts.
Fred has long been a great defender of Aberdeen as one of the founders of the ‘Aberdeen Voice‘, an online free news publication which gives local people a place to air their concerns and opinions through local citizen journalism.
City Council Chamber during the ceremony.
A-political by design, AV has to date published over 3700 articles representing a wide range of socio-political views.
Aberdeen Voice’s Facebook page has become a place where local people can get a chance to exchange views. Sometimes inviting comments directly with city councillors in a public forum, keeping the local debate alive.
I’ve known Fred for more than twenty years and I am very happy to see him recorded in our cities history as a Burgess for his efforts. Very well deserved and well done Fred.
Here’s a live ceilidh video clip we were given by a friend of ours who was at a wedding we played at in Nairn, on the 10th April 2015. It was at the Newton Hotel. It was a great night. The guests were excellent. Excuse the slight distortion on the audio. The set was for a Gay Gordons after the first dance at a wedding.
Buy me a coffee
