Haborlite Music: Ceol Na Sia
Scot’s Gaelic for “Music from the Six”
New up and coming Ceilidh Band Ceòl Na Sia is made up of 6 multi-talented friends: Fiona McNeill, Alison McNeill, John Roy Garrod, Paul McShane, Phil Gemmell and Scott McLean.
These friends share the love of traditional Scottish, Celtic and Folk music. They have played at many venues including the Glasgow University Union, Hafton Castle, the Glynhill Hotel and Clarkston Town Hall to mention a few.
Ceòl Na Sia is a great, vibrant young band and their aim is to please and can taylor their music to the needs of the people. They have played at multi-cultural events such as Bangladeshi/Scottish and Egyptian/Scottish dinner dances to much acclaim. They have also played at many weddings and birthdays parties.
Ceòl Na Sia rehearse regularly in Gourock and gales of laughter can be heard from the studio as well as fantastic music of course!
Fiona McNeill is a theologian by day and musician by night.
Twenty year old Fiona, from Gourock, is in her third year at Glasgow University where she is a member of the Kelvin Ensemble (who recently toured Ireland) and also, the Glasgow University Celtic music group.
Fiona has been a member of many different orchestras including the National Youth String Orchestra Of Scotland, West of Scotland Schools Symphony Orchestra and a former member of the Inverclyde Senior Strings Orchestra.
Fiona is heavily involved in a multicultural event, held bi-annually, to promote the works of Robert Burns (Scotland’s national poet) and Bangladeshi national poet Kazi Nazrul. She has written her own music to Nazrul’s poetry and appeared on Bangladeshi television.
As a singer/songwriter, Fiona has supported Ivan Drever, Duncan Chisholm, The Groanbox Boys, The Wherries and Jill Leighton.
Fiona, John Roy Garrod, along with Alison McNeill take music into local schools, especially Highlanders Academy in Greenock where they promote Scottish traditional music as well as classical music for the children. Also, in Highlanders Academy, Fiona supported the Dutch music group Duo Cajon.
Fiona likes to dabble with many different instruments. She plays the violin, guitar, mandolin, tenor banjo, drums (full kit) and the Celtic Bodhran and she recently took up the bass guitar.
Fiona, Alison McNeill and Scott McLean delighted the punters when they played in the Port Charlotte Hotel on Islay and hope to return again soon.
Fiona and her sister - Alison McNeill (www.alisonmcneill.com) - frequently play music of all kinds together and have been invited to many occasions. Some of these occasions were guest appearance for the Glasgow Philharmonic Male Voice Choir in Princes Square in Glasgow, Mitchell Library in Glasgow, Hafton Castle in Dunoon, to mention a few.
Fiona teaches violin and, is also, a keen amateur photographer.
Alison McNeill, Scottish Soprano and Fiddler, graduated with honours from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 2008. In her glittering career she has taken part in many prestigious events including the Opening of the Scottish Parliament, performing at the Finale of the Burns ‘n’ a’ That Festival alongside the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and singing “Flower of Scotland” at Scotland International Rugby Games.
Her technique, musicianship and ability to charm her audiences has taken her all around the UK, Spain, America and Mexico. Alison has sung as a soloist with many prestigious orchestras including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the Glasgow Chamber Orchestra and the Cantelina Chamber Ensemble on the beautiful Hebridean Island of Islay. Alison has played with the Mugenkyo Taiko Japanese Drummers, was solo fiddler with the South West Texas Symphony Orchestra and was guest leader of the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra in the Royal Concert Hall. She has performed at many corporate events for companies such as ExxonMobil and British Aerospace and performed in Glasgow City Chambers for the Provost and Bailies on the night Glasgow was awarded Host City for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Alison has she appeared on BBC Scotland, BBC Radio 3, Bangladeshi, Spanish and Mexican Television.
She has performed and adjudicated at many Burns Events including International Burns Conferences, Cultural events for the Nazrul/Burns Centre where she appeared on Bangladeshi Television and has received standing ovations in Stirling Castle, Fernie Castle, Hafton Castle and Edinburgh Castle. Alison has been accompanied on many of these occasions by Clarsach player Eleanor Holley with whom she recorded her debut Album “Celtic Magic” which has received 5 star reviews from All Celtic Music.
“Another young graduate from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama, the soprano singer & fiddler is already making her mark around the world and looks to be heading for a big career as another good cultural ambassador.”
Alison is in great demand as a fiddle and voice teacher and has for the last 5 years directed her own Easter and Summer Fiddle Workshops for Adults and Children which have had people returning every year. Alison has also led Fiddle Workshops in Islay House, Islay and at the Cowel Fiddle Workshop, Dunoon. Alison's own Fiddle Workshops have featured in the Box and Fiddle and FiddleOn Magazines.
“Alison is a demon - in every sense of the word. She plays superbly in a variety of styles and sings like an angel. She has a natural ability to teach, finding that very clever balance between not letting you get away with anything shoddy whilst avoiding too much pressure and seriousness . . . . Your inhibitions seem to melt away as a result of her patience, firmness and humour.” Elizabeth Gower, FiddleOn Magazine, Summer 2005.
John Roy Garrod (20) is a passionate young musician currently studying at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama aiming to complete his Bachelor of Music degree on the flute and composition in 2010. Aside from the flute, John also plays piano, guitar and sings.
He has played as part of many musical groups/events such as The West of Scotland Schools Symphony Orchestra, the RSAMD Junior 1st Orchestra, RSAMD Junior Choir, Inverclyde Schools Senior Choir, Inverclyde Schools Concert Band, Inverclyde Voices, Celtic Connections and he has also performed as part of a pit-orchestra for many amateur theatre productions (such as The Wizard of Oz in the Citizen’s Theatre, Glasgow).
John has also played under the instruction of many renowned musicians such as Gary Walker, James MacMillan, William Conway and many more.
The BMus Degree is concentrated mainly on orchestral performance criteria, however, John has another musical desire, which is to perform on stage in musical theatre shows in the West End and Broadway!
John has been a member of Kayos Youth Theatre for over 2 years, in which time he has performed the leading roles in Les Miserables, West Side Story and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, all of which are renowned for their success.
When he is not studying or performing, John also enjoys his teaching job at the Inverclyde Music Centre on a Saturday morning where he teaches children of varying ages to play the flute individually, and as part of a group.
As well as all the above, John enjoys being as a flautist, pianist, guitarist, Dance Caller and singer for the Gourock/Greenock based Ceilidh Band Ceòl Na Sia.
Phil Gemmell plays bass guitar.
Phil started playing acoustic guitar when he was a teenager after developing a love of Latin American guitar music. Progression to the bass soon followed. While still at school Phil played in the school orchestra and joined a rock band, where he was introduced to fellow Ceilidh band member Paul McShane.
Over the last 12 years, Phil has played in various different bands in venues around Glasgow and Paisley. He has most often played with Glasgow based singer/songwriter Andy Craig who is still a close musical friend.
Phil's love of live music and Whisky led him to Ceilidh music and the present situation, although the distortion pedal had to be retired.
Phil's favourite musician is J.S. Bach and his favourite bass player is Jack Cassidy from 1960s band Jefferson Airplane.
Phil uses an early 1980s Westone bass, Trace Elliot amplification and Rotosound strings.
Scott McLean
Scott is an up and coming young drummer who has been described by many who have seen him play as just pure genius. Having started drumming at the age of eight, Scott has widened his talent in percussion from Full Drum Kit to also include: Roto Toms, Concert Toms, Cuban Timbales, Double Bongos, African Djembe Bongos, Indian Tabla Drums, Bodhran, and the Peruvian Cajon. He has this incredible ability to play just about any inanimate object and transform it into a percussion instrument producing some unbelievable sounds.
Currently, Scott has started playing with Ceòl Na Sia Ceildh Band and is enjoying the experience immensely. Since the young drummer started performing, he has been involved in many projects most notably the South West Arts & Music Project (SWAMP) which saw him perform at the Arches in Glasgow. He also was a finalist in the 2006 gP Factor in Glasgow where he performed solo on stage armed only with his drum kit.
Other associations have seen him entertain at St. Andrews Cathedral Glasgow where he performed alongside various gospel musicians for the Annual SEN Celebratory Mass. He has also played as part of ARTOS at a number of local venues in Inverclyde and at the Burns-Nazrul events in Glasgow. Scott also has links with Sunny Govan Radio where he participated in music and song writing with some of the members of the 80’s band SCHEME.
The Myths and Legends Festival in Inverclyde (November 2007), saw Scott perform in the Alison McNeill Ceildh Band. He later accompanied Alison in other performances at Hafton Castle Dunoon and at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD).
The future of percussion can only be enhanced by individuals such as Scott who have the beat constantly pulsating through their body, only wanting to express it in music through drumming for the enjoyment of all.
Paul McShane: Guitar, Mandolin and Bouzouki
As a young child Paul had enthusiasm for (and talent in) the arts, and has excelled in whatever he has been involved in, whether this be acting, theatre or creating music. Paul is a qualified Architect and designer by profession, which allows him, in his spare time, to focus on music - his real passion.
Paul is a self taught guitarist, mandolinist and is currently learning bouzouki. In all three instruments he has developed an individual style of playing which is always based upon on the principle of a strong melody. In recent years, Paul has recently returned to the roots of folk music, where he feels at home: “Good Folk music has a purity and quality that is unsurpassed by any electric guitar or the sound of a produced band or sound.”
Paul’s interest in folk music began in 2005 when he played at a series of Robert Burns nights with the Celtic folk band Fonn, founded with local musical director Mark MacDonald. With Mark, he has collaborated to write new music and different arrangements to the poems of Robert Burns and it has been well received by audiences in the Largs and Greenock area.
In 2007 friend Andy Craig approached Paul with an invitation to join his band “Four Minute Mile” as lead guitarist. Paul collaborated closely with the band writing and arranging accompaniments to Andy’s songs, which are available to listen to at www.myspace.com/4minutemile. Four Minute Mile’s sound has been described as “Snow Patrol”-esque.
Paul is enjoying his time with Ceol Na Sia and has great expectations for the future of the band. He has been with the band since its formation in August 2008 and now performs as lead guitarist and Dance Caller. Paul is very much looking forward to developing the repertoire of traditional songs to bring them into the modern era, with a hope to making Ceilidh/folk music more appealing to a larger market. Paul also plans to introduce bouzouki to the sound and to emphasise that Ceol Na Sia are a ceilidh band with a difference!
