FAE FISHIE TAE AIKEY
Auld Intae New
A Song, Tune and Story Project

HUNNERS O RECORDINS HIDAWA

In the 1960s and 70s hundreds of recordings of old songs, tunes, stories, children’s rhymes, and riddles were made in Fetterangus and at Aikey Fair. Our project is howking them out of archives tucked away in Mississippi University and in The School Of Scottish Studies, Edinburgh, and sharing present-day performances of the same stories, songs and tunes.

ROONABOOT PEOPLE AN PLACES

The best-known local singers and musicians of that time were Stewarts, who were born in Stuartfield but moved to Fetterangus.
Jean led the well-known Jean Stewart Dance Band playing accordion, her brother Ned played very fine fiddle and penny whistle, and her daughter Elizabeth played piano and sang in the band. Jean and Ned were very active in the Fettercairn Strathspey & Reel Society.
Jean's sister Lucy looked after the house, and knew hundreds of old songs and much more old lore. and Elizabeth's sister Jane was also musical.
This website would be much drier and less detailed if it were not for the powerful work done by Elizabeth Stewart, with the support and efforts of Alison McMorland, in writing her 2012 autobiography, Up Yon Wide and Lonely Glen.

Another musical branch of the Stewart clan also lived in Fishie and were widely recorded - Christina Stewart, her daughter Jane Turriff and Jean’s husband Cameron.

WHA RECORDED THEM?
American academic Ken Goldstein spent a year in 1959/60 recording people around northern Buchan, but especially in Fetterangus. Scotland's best-known folklorist, Hamish Henderson, brought Goldstein to Fishie and taught him what riches could be found there. And the two went and recorded some of the goings-on at Aikey Fair that year. Singer and folk organiser Arthur Argo, then a P&J cub reporter, wrote a series of articles about Goldstein's collecting work.
Recordings were made by Goldstein [1959/60 and 1972], Henderson [1954 on] Argo, Porter and others [various dates].
[For more about K Goldstein see goldsteinandscotland.com.]

AULD INTAE NEW

We want you to hear and enjoy not just those old recordings, but how they are performed by present day singers, tellers and musicians .

'Fishie' is the local name for Fetterangus, as 'Critchie' is the old local name for Stuartfield / Stewartfield.

This website draws heavily on Elizabeth Stewart's book co-written with Alison McMorland, 'Up Yon Wide And Lonely Glen.'

Colour photos are by Andy Shanks.

B&W photos are from Elizabeth's book.

Photo of FS&R Society fiddlers from Mintlaw Memories.
Jean in centre, Ned far right.