Scottish folk meets international anthems on the Fringe
The Whistlebinkies, one of Scotland’s longest-established folk bands, will celebrate the Fringe’s international nature when they appear at artSpace@StMarks in Castle Terrace on Saturday August 23.
Formed in the late 1960s in Glasgow, The Binkies, as they’re affectionately known, were the first folk band to champion the playing of the Scottish tradition’s “three graces” - fiddle, pipes and harp. They also went on to become the first Scottish band to play in China during an international career that has included tours across Europe and the U.S.
“We like to give audiences a real flavour of the Scottish tradition, especially at the Fringe,” says the band’s flute player Eddie McGuire, who is also a respected and prolific composer of works for various ensembles. “But we also enjoy playing music from other countries and will be including the South African national anthem, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, and a piece from Catalonia, Muntanyes de Canigo, among the reels, marches and strathspeys.”
The Binkies arranged the South African national anthem for this year’s celebration of Nelson Mandela Day and performed it in Glasgow City Chambers.
“It’s a stirring piece,” says McGuire. “It was composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a Methodist mission schoolteacher, and it became a popular church hymn that was adopted as an anthem at political meetings. We don’t sing but it was taken up as an act of defiance during the Apartheid years and I think you can hear why it became so popular through the strength of its melody.”
The group’s own history is varied and eventful. As well as working with the innovative American composer John Cage and celebrated Scottish composer James MacMillan, they have contributed to pop and rock recordings by David Essex and Cutting Crew.
They also recorded McGuire’s music for the first adaptation in Scots of McBeth for BBC Radio Scotland and have a long connection with Edinburgh during the Festival and Fringe, having performed McGuire’s specially composed The Fiddler’s Farewell for Sir Yehudi Menuhin when he visited the Edinburgh International Festival in 1985.
“We always enjoy playing to the Fringe audiences,” says McGuire. “We particularly like artSpace@StMarks as it’s an ideal size to accommodate a good number of people and yet allow a feeling of intimacy. We’re really looking forward to being back there again.”