Phil and Aly
Biographies
Special guests
Phil & Aly take their Bellows and Bows tour around Scotland with Tune Up in February.
Dr Phil Cunningham MBE and Dr Aly Bain MBE are one of Scotland’s best-loved traditional duos.
Multi-instrumentalist Phil Cunningham played accordion with leading Scots band Silly Wizard from 1976-1986, and has worked extensively in television and film as a composer, musical director and producer. His compositions are covered by musicians all over the world and he continues to swell his prolific repertoire with new compositions. He has written orchestral suites for symphony orchestras and Celtic instruments and his most recent suite, Ceilidh, was written for and performed by Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Phil teaches regularly and is working to establish a traditional youth orchestra in the Scottish Highlands. He was awarded the MBE in 2002 for services to Scottish Music, and voted Best Instrumentalist in the inaugural Scots Trad Music Awards in 2003.
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Phil has toured and recorded with long-time friend and musical partner Aly Bain since 1988. Aly, from Lerwick, began playing fiddle at the age of 11. He headed to mainland Scotland in his early twenties, where his dramatic playing, great tone and technical ability brought him early recognition as an outstanding musician of the folk music revival. |
He embarked on a life of intensive playing, recording and touring, simultaneously pursuing a solo career in collaborative and television projects whilst working with band Boys of the Lough. Aly’s extensive travels have led to an appreciation and mastery of many kinds of music, which he has applied to the production of several networked television series, bringing traditional music to a constantly wider audience.
Aly has received numerous honours for his services to music, including four Doctorates and an MBE, as well as Honorary Citizenships in the USA. He continues to be an ambassador and advocate for traditional music in Scotland and abroad.
Together, Phil and Aly were awarded Best Duo in the annual BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2005. They have recorded five albums, released on Aly’s label Whirlie Records. They will celebrate their twentieth touring year throughout Scotland in February, as part of the Scottish Arts Council’s Tune Up touring scheme.
Joining Phil and Aly on their tour are The Savoy Doucet Cajun Band and Björn Ståbi and Bengan Janson.
| Michael Doucet and Marc and Ann Savoy create and interpret authentic old-time Cajun music, from popular dancehall tunes to soulful ballads. All native to southern Louisiana, they draw upon each other’s rich historical connection with that region. |
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Swedish folk fiddler Björn Ståbi pairs up with virtuoso accordionist Bengan Janson for the Bellows and Bows tour. The two have collaborated many times over the past ten years, developing a genuine folk music style of their own. |
| For more information on the Bellows and Bows tour, visit the Tune Up website. | |