Fergie MacDonald - The Ceilidh King
Traditional Scottish Ceilidh Music Played on The Button Accordian

Fergie MacDonald, who play the button accordian, has given the world ceilidh music. He has a background in crofting, hunting, poaching, fishing, whisky making, fighting peat cutting and also talks Gaelic. Geals define a ceilidh as a meeting of a few friends in a thatched croft house. Music, singing, dancing and romance are the main ingredients. Traditional ceilidh music is at the heart of everything that Fergie MacDonald is about, but he also has a great sense of humour as he demonstrates in his off the wall calendar for 2012. His albums Ciilidh House, Jiggy Jig, A Blast From The Past, The Ceilidh King, Live from Lochinver and Live from Achiltbuie are available to buy and either download or receive an autographed copy via post. His latest album Connections is also now available online. Fergie MacDonald and the rest of the band can be heard at anytime via cd, or when you visit scotland remember to look him up and experience his type of ceilidh music live.

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Fergie MacDonald - The Ceilidh King
Traditional Scottish Celidh Music Sold On This Site
Played By Fergie MacDonald
Autographed CDs Available

The Ceilidh King Photos
Featured Ceilidh Single
The Shinty Referee
The Shinty Referee
Release Year: 2013
Format: Digital & Physical
Featured Sheet Music

All postal albums and books are autographed
by Fergie MacDonald - The Ceilidh King

AS HIGHLAND AS IT GETS

Fergies latest single
With the man himself singing

Entitled
'The Shinty Referee'


It's going crazy

Please Note
This is a postal purchase only
and is not downloadable.
I totally agree with the old cliché that music never stands still.
 
Scottish music in particular has been in "fast-forward" gear for many years.
 
The younger generation love it, but the older age group don't really know what to make of it! 



FERGIE MACDONALD
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY!
The one that got away!  John Macdonald (Clanranald) was a swordsman in Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite Army at Culloden.
 
Having survived the battle, he returned to Moidart.  In the period that followed, Moidart was alive with Cumberland's Redcoats, seeking out soldiers who served in the Jacobite army, and of course Prince Charlie himself. 
This period of mayhem changed Moidart's culture forever.  Killings, deportation, rape and violence continued for a long time.  Yet, the destruction of a culture had a more devastating effect.  The clamping down on Gaelic, Tartan, Music and of course the clearances changed Moidart forever.

 However, John Macdonald escaped the pursuing Redcoats, and therefore the John Macdonald (clanranald) family line goes down to the present day.  Fergie's son John continues to maintain this link to one of history's most dynamic and controversial periods in the history of the Highlands.

  This however is Fergie's own background! 
His own life sounds more like fiction than reality.

 How about this:-
1)Soldier (Physical Training Instructor) in the British Army.
2)Crackshot. 14 Scotland International caps for shooting.
3)Qualified Physiotherapist.
4)Deer Stalker.
5)Highland Games Athlete.
6)Hotelier.
7)Local Gaelic Historian.
8)Gaelic Speaker (first language).
9)Addicted Salmon Poacher. Interesting! Although being caught on camera by the gracious and highly respected owner of the Kinlochmoidart River, Mrs Stewart, she refuses to have him convicted.  She terms him "a delightful rascle who just wants one for the pot".
10)Gardener.
11)Crofter.
12)Newspaper columnist.
13)Writer.
14)Music Composer.
15)Bitton Accordian - a story in itself!



Being the creator and originator of Gaelic Ceilidh Music, the priority was to the change the style and sound from pure Scottish Country Dance Music to a West-Highland relaxed village hall style of dance music.  This entailed an overall line-up change of instruments including lead accordion.

Over the years I have played the three-row British Chromatic Marino Button Key Accordion and the two-row Saltarelle Button key Melodeon.  Both instruments have their own very distinct sound and place in the world of traditional music.

The older generation have made it clear to me that they prefer the "Fergie" style and sound of the three-row button "box" to that of the two-row Melodeon. 

This album features recordings old and new and has been compiled and produced specially for the "Fergie" fans who associate a large period of their lives to listening and dancing to the distinct sound of "Fergie" playing the three-row Marino Button Key Accordion.

This CD would not have been possible were it not for the help and input from my fellow friends and directors in the music recording industry.  Their contribution has been immense.  Sincere thanks to: Ronnie Simpson, Lismor Recordings, Iain Green-Greentrax Recordings, John Hunter-Grampian Records, Addie Harper-Harp Recordings, Rannoch Recordings and BBC Scotland.

Cheers Fergie