Celtic Harmonica

27 August 2004 

In the last concert of the Summer, Lismore was treated to the virtuoso harmonica playing of Donald Black. Once a forester in Benderloch, Donald was “discovered” by composer and musician Phil Cunningham playing in a Glasgow bar in 1992, and, as a result, he is now a well known name on the Celtic Music circuit in Scotland and world wide. Donald’s love of the west coast and its music was in every note and seldom can a moothie have produced such a range of sounds, emotions and musical invention. Whether whipping it up in jigs and reels or treating us to more plangent airs, the breadth and depth of his tone had his many harmonicas evoking a great range of other instruments. While most of his repertoire is west coast music, he also included the odd Irish, Cape Breton or Shetland number.

Donald normally plays with Malcolm Jones, the Runrig composer, guitarist and accordionist, but we heard him with the very musical guitarist Donnie MacKenzie from Lewis and they were joined by the mod gold medallist singer Norman MacKinnon from Campeltown. 

The concert started with 4 Gaelic songs from 11 year old local boy  Joe Derham, a mod silver medallist, and Joe also started the second half with a group of violin solos. 

Celtic Harmonica have been on a tour of the west coast’s out of the way venues, taking the music back to the people to whom it belongs. And Lismore was chosen because Donald has roots here.