Auchencairn based fiddler Gavin Marwick’s ‘Quarterdays’ EP series has been nominated in the Original Work of the Year category at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, to be held in Dundee this year. The Awards are now live and everyone is encouraged to get involved and go online to vote for their favourite trad artists.
2023 has been a busy year for Gavin. The Quarterdays project is his musical response to the lore and cultural history of the old Scots Quarter Days (Candlemas, Whitsun, Lammas and Martinmas), with four EPs of his original compositions. Each EP is recorded in a duo format, with a different musical partner for each one, which gives each Quarterday its own sound and character.
He worked with fellow Galloway musicians Aaron Jones (cittern), Wendy Stewart (harp) and Ruth Morris (nyckelharpa) on the first three, and with accordionist Phil Alexander on Martinmas, which was officially released on Martinmas – 11th November.
He and long term partner Ruth Morris got married this year, and together they have been touring the UK and Finland with their group Firelight Trio, as well as going to Japan with Galloway theatre show The Village and The Road, and being invited to play at Glastonbury, Edinburgh Fringe and other festivals. You can see the ‘Quarterdays’ show live at Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow on 2nd Feb 2024.
Other Galloway musicians involved in the Trad Awards nominations include Aaron Jones again (Aaron Jones and Rachel Walker, up for Best Folk Band), Claire Hastings (up for Scots Singer of the Year) and Tom Spirals of An Dannsa Dub (up for Live Act of the Year).
Let’s show our support and help these talented local musicians be recognised on this prestigious national platform! To vote, go to www.scotstradmusicawards.com and then click on ‘Vote now’.
You can listen to the ‘Quarterdays’ recordings on Gavin’s Bandcamp page, gavinmarwick.bandcamp.com.
Voting closes on Sunday 19th November. The awards are announced on Saturday 2nd December and will be live on BBC Alba.
‘Breathtaking melodies – absolutely fabulous’ – FolkWales re Candlemas
‘Original compositions that dance through spring and early summer with a perfectly judged lightness of touch. It’s wonderfully expressive and uplifting music’ – RnR re Whitsun
‘More minimalism than folk, and you can lose yourself in every shimmering note. Simply delightful’ – Fatea re Lammas
‘I’m thinking once all four EPs are available it would make a very nice Christmas present’ – FolkLondon re Whitsun
