Phil Cunningham & Aly Bain

Aly Bain

Aly Bain is the best known and most significant fiddle player in the Celtic tradition. He is rightly regarded as Scotland's supreme traditional-style fiddler – arguably the finest of all time.
Born in Lerwick, a small town on the Shetland Islands, he began learning the fiddle at the age of eleven, being tutored by Tom Anderson, one of the true masters of Shetland music. Over the years he developed a unique playing technique, becoming recognised for his highly dramatic style and emotion.

Alert to the musical potential of dynamic interaction between Irish and Scottish tradition, Aly helped establish Boys of the Lough – possibly the most famous of traditional folk bands to date. Additionally, Aly has recorded two albums with the world famous accordion player and composer Phil Cunningham.

In 1994, Aly was awarded an M.B.E. in recognition of his services to music. He was further honoured in 1999, receiving the degree of Doctor of Music from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

See also Aly Bain's Fiddle Albums

Phil Cunningham

Phil Cunningham was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1960, and began learning the accordion at the age of three, with the violin being added a few years later.

Between 1976 and 1983, Phil was a member of the highly acclaimed Scottish band "Silly Wizard", developing into a musical force renowned not only in their native Scotland but also the rest of Europe, Canada and the United States. In 1983, Phil left "Silly Wizard" to pursue a solo career and to work as a composer and performer for television, radio, film and stage.

In 1988 Phil worked on a series of six television shows with Aly Bain for Channel Four, and this was the beginning of what has now become a well known performing partnership. Since 1989, Phil and Aly have toured together in Scotland on an annual basis. Their first album "The Pearl" was released in 1994.