Aly Bain

Phil Cunningham and I do a concert with the RSNO every year on St Andrew's Day. Playing at the concert is the highlight of the day for me. I don’t do anything different on St Andrew's Day than what I would normally do; I am always playing somewhere.

St Andrew's Day means a lot more to me now than it used to. Being from Shetland, I don't remember it as a big event when I was younger. It’s not traditionally celebrated there. More happened with St Andrew's Day when I moved down to Edinburgh. In the last few years it has grown a lot and I think it will continue to grow.
 
In the last 20 years Scotland has become more aware of its musical identity and Scottish music has been recognised as part of Scottish culture. St Andrew's Day is not as big an event in Scotland as St Patrick's Day is in Ireland. But people are becoming more aware of how important it is to keep their identity, so days like St Andrew's will become more important in the future.
 
At Christmas I will be at home with my family, cooking and eating. At New Year I will be at Edinburgh Castle appearing on the BBC TV Hogmanay Programme as I have been doing for the past 30 years. I enjoy working at New Year. It's a special time for me as it is for most Scots.

I love Scotland because it's beautiful, it's small and I like the idea of living in a small country. You can jump on a bike and in no time at all be surrounded by lochs and mountains. I love the scenery and the people.
 
I've lived in Edinburgh for almost 40 years now. It's a beautiful, modern city and it's a great place to live; I would not live anywhere else. I think we're very lucky; we have a great quality of life and a reasonable climate too!
 
I also love touring the Highlands. It's such a pleasure to travel surrounded by beautiful scenery; it can't be compared to any other country.
 
Scottish music is known all over the world and that is something that has changed over the past 20 years. I have played, recorded and travelled a great deal but my favourite place in the world to work is here, Scotland. Over the past five or six years I've been trying to work less abroad. I’ve enjoyed working in countries such as Spain, Italy and France, and have done over 70 tours in America and Canada. I liked working there very much, but I prefer it here.

My greatest achievement is having been able to make a living as a fiddle player for 40 years. When I first started I did not think it would be possible. I think it's great that I am able to do something I love.
 
When I am on tour I miss Scotland a great deal. Most of my life I have woken up looking out of hotel windows and for a few moments not known where I was. I missed Scotland because it's familiar and I understand it. When you spend as much time as I have travelling abroad, it’s disorientating. It's great to get home to somewhere familiar.
 
I don't really have any other big ambitions. I am always looking for new projects and ideas, and finding something which would give me the chance to work with people from abroad. My ambition is really to keep playing.
 
After the New Year, Phil and I are doing concerts in February with fiddle and accordion players from Sweden and Louisiana, America. The tour will run for six days in Scotland and it will be called 'Bellows and Bows.' We are all good friends so it should be fun.

Aly Bain, MBE

Aly Bain began playing the fiddle when he was 11-years-old. Apart from his solo albums, Aly has also appeared on albums, such as ‘Hue and Cry’ by Eddie Reader and was involved with the 'Shetland Sessions' and 'Transatlantic Sessions 1 & 2'. Since 1988, he has worked and toured with accordionist Phil Cunningham. Aly comes from Lerwick, Shetland. 

Information correct at December 2007

Find out more about Aly at www.philandaly.com.