Gillian Frame

Hamish Napier

Ali Hutton

Findlay Napier

Findlay Napier uses Moon Guitars

Findlay Napier uses Elixir Guitar Strings

BIOGRAPHY

Findlay Napier is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama BA (Scottish Music) course and was among the first ten to graduate. He studied Scots Song under Andy Hunter and Alison MacMorland.

His love of Songwriting has led to his own songs being broadcast and recorded by other artists. He is currently co-writing in a highly successful partnership with producer Nick Turner. Their album, which will be called 'Queen Anne's Revenge', will be released in winter 2005 (read more).

In the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award 2002 Findlay was one of the eight finalists. It was during this that the idea of a non-competitive stage for young musicians led Findlay to come up with the highly acclaimed 'Master and Apprentice' and 'Young Tradition' concert series. The concerts, held at Celtic Connections in Glasgow, showcase the best young talent in Scottish music today and have received fantastic reviews across the board. Now approaching their 4th year, the series have grown out of their original small venue and into the Concert Hall in Glasgow.

Findlay has accompanied and sung with performer Margaret Bennett at the Celtic Connections Festival and abroad. He features on Margaret's album 'In the Sunny Long Ago' which was produced by the late Martyn Bennett.

His teaching experience covers a number of different areas. He has taught workshops in guitar and song at festivals and has been a tutor at numerous Feisean, at the Aberdeenshire based Gordon Gaetherin' and at The Sunshine Coast Fiddle Camp in British Colombia, Canada. Also across the Atlantic Findlay performed at the Juno awards in Calgary, Canada with fiddler Gillian Frame and cellist Christine Hanson.

PRESS REVIEWS

23 Jan 06, Back of the Moon at Celtic Connections.
"...he is emerging as a truly awesome talent."


16th October 2005, Sue Wilson.
"...Findlay takes the Laurels, both for a magnificent rendition of the classic Glenlogie, and for the poignant, self-penned Ship in a Bottle."

Alex Monaghan, Issue 66.
"Findlay Napier's voice has grown and matured into a powerful instrument indeed, and he makes good use of it..."

DISCOGRAPHY

Queen Anne's Revenge View them at MySpace.com Watercolour Music, WCMCD031, 2006. Buy now at Watercolour Music>

	This is the songwriting partnership of Nick Turner and Findlay Napier. Eponymous fist album. Recorded and produced by Nick Turner at Watercolour Music, Ardgour. Scotland. Crew: Writing: Findlay Napier and Nick Turner Performing: Findlay Napier, Nick Turner, Davey Cantannach, Duncan Lyle, Featuring: Douglas Miller, Rick Taylor, Ryan Quigley, Chaz Stewart & Gillian Frame.
Singing: Findlay Napier, Catherine MacLennan, Mary Ann Kennedy and Gillian Frame. Recorded and produced by: Nick Turner at Watercolour Music.

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Songhunter - The Spirit of the Land
Greentrax Recordings, G2CD7004, 1999.
Buy here>

From an idea submitted by singer/songwriter Jim Hunter to The Highland Festival was born the Songhunter project, attracting a staggering 430 competition entries from Highlands and Islands songwriters. The incredibly difficult task of reducing that figure to a touring repertoire of some twenty songs was undertaken by a panel, while Jim Hunter formed the Songhunter Band which included members of Wolfstone and the Old Blind Dogs. The album is a sample of the great breadth and quality of songwriting in the Highlands and Islands which, until this time, had

been vastly underrated. The album redresses the balance and confirms the 'spirit of this land' is strong! Heather MacLeod & Shona Arthur (vocals); Jim Hunter (vocals and guitars); Andy Thorburn (keyboards, piano & accordion); Andy Murray (electric & acoustic guitars plus vocals); Graham Flett (bass guitar and double bass); Jamie Ash (drums & percussion); Fraser Fyfileld (saxophones); Jonny Hardie (fiddle and mandolin); Caitlin Mann (cello). With songs by John Holliday, Karel Fialka, Alan McLeod, Niall Gordon, Christine McLenaghan, Bob Dunsmore, Debby Oliver, Findlay Napier, Robert McDonald & Craig Anderson, Steve King, Richard Golding, Fiona Cameron, Bill McMillan, Anne Lupton and Ken MacLennan, Michael Hutchings & Jack Aldam.

"Nostalgic and sentimental, but with a keen ear for the lithe beauty of some of Scottish trad's song repertoire, Margaret Bennett, native of the Isle of Skye is a throwback to another time. When accordion and fiddle did the two-step and 'Sweet Forget Me Nots' rang from the wireless. Still, this is a lovingly honed collection; one that would be labelled 'Old Timey' if a U.S. label released it. (Unsurprisingly, she lived for 9 years in Newfoundland, a folkie's paradise). Bennett's soprano is startlingly crystalline, close harmonies provided by Gillian Frame and Hamish and Finlay Napier. Beautiful, gentle tiptoeing music." Siobhan Long In the very impressive Ceol Irish music exhibition in Dublin’s Smithfield, there’s a Singing Room where visitors find themselves smack in the middle of a traditional singaround using space-age technology. On a smaller scale this album sets out six chairs – one for the singer, four for the backing musicians and one for the listener. Margaret Bennett grew up in Skye and Lewis and she was just

leaving her teens when she emigrated to Newfoundland, which she describes as paradise to a folk musician. The informality of this recording is intentional, for singer and musicians attempt to recreate the kitchen sessions when old favourite songs were sung and exchanged. The recording venue this time, however, was An Tobar in Mull and the musicians are from the younger generation, comprising Findlay Napier on guitar; Gillian Frame, fiddle; Hamish Napier, accordian and flute; and Margaret’s son Martyn Bennett on fiddle, viola, flute and whistle. A bonus too, is that all the musicians sing and there’s a standout vocals-only track “An t-oighre og” Naturally, there are Scots and Irish-influenced songs but there’s a native Newfoundland input, too, in the shape off “Sweet Forget-me-nots”, “Pat Murphy’s Meadow”, a line from which provides the album’s title. Margaret is in fine voice and you’ll find it very difficult not to join in the songs you know. It’s a very pleasant album and the listener can’t help but feel that Margaret really enjoyed reminiscing about the Newfoundland sessions – and that perhaps the youngsters wished they’d been there too. Alan McIntosh Brown