Glasgow born Alan Reid has been taking Scottish folk music all over the world since 1975. He joined the fledgling Battlefield Band in 1969 while studying at Strathclyde University and subsequently recorded almost 30 albums with this hard-working and enduring band, in that time garnering a reputation for his keyboard work and his singing. His groundbreaking keyboard work helped cement the band’s reputation as one of the most influential Celtic bands of its generation. With the band Alan toured the world, bringing Scottish traditional music to audiences in five continents and playing in many prestigious music festivals and venues. In November 2016 he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame along with his former Battlefield Band colleagues, a recognition of their service to the performance of traditional music.
He began composing songs and tunes in the 1980s and from 1990 was the band’s principal songwriter. His songs are noted for their strong storytelling element whilst being firmly grounded in Scots history and tradition. His songbook ”Martyrs, Rogues and Worthies”, was published in 2001 and in 2009 he was nominated in the ‘Composer of the Year category at the Scots Traditional Music Awards. In 2010 he left the ‘Batties,’ to concentrate on his duo with guitarist/singer Rob van Sante. He composed all the music for the duo’s third album, ”The Adventures of John Paul Jones’, on the life of the Scots born mariner who was a hero for the American colonists during the American Revolutionary War. A presentation of the album with drama was performed at the 2012 Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival and at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival. The duo also developed a multi-media show telling Jones’ story which they showcased at Mystic Seaport Sea Festival in Connecticut in 2015.
2014 saw his music featured in the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of the musical “The Glasgow Girls” while his singing and speaking talents were featured in “The Life and Times of Scrooge”, the solo album of Finnish rock star Tuomas Holopainen of metal band Nightwish. Alan and Rob’s fifth album “The Dear green Place” was released in September 2017. The duo regularly tours in Europe and North America. In April 2017 Alan and Rob guested for the second time at the Australian National Folk Festival in Canberra. Alan has also performed with singer and multi-instrumentalist Bob Zentz from Norfolk Virginia, USA.
In recent years Alan has taught Scots Songs during Traditional Song Week and Celtic Music Week at the prestigious annual “Swannanoa Gathering” in North Carolina, USA. He was also a guest artist in the Linn Records mammoth 12 CD recording of the works of Robert Burns, Scotland’s beloved National Poet whose poems, songs and music have endured over the centuries. As well as the recordings with Battlefield Band and with Rob Van Sante, Alan has released two solo albums, “The Sunlit Eye” and “Recollection”.
Door sales only:
General Admission: $20.00
Concession: $15.00
Doors open at 7pm
for further details:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Reid_(musician)
https://www.youtube.com/watch'v=3oSzctEVC1c
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Battlefield-Band/105622982804501'fref=mentions
or 027 454 3885
