Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham 2023

Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham 2023

9th March 2023 | 7:30pm | The Maltings 

Having toured together since 1986 to packed concert halls all over the world, Aly and Phil continue to charm audiences with their stunning music, and on-stage charisma that defies description.

Witty and humorous banter sits alongside tunes that tug the heartstrings, and joyous reels and melodies that have feet tapping along at their ever popular concerts. The pair have recorded many highly acclaimed albums in their thirty years together including two ‘Best of’ collections.

Ay & Phil have won numerous awards including the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards – BEST DUO Award and have been nominated in the Scottish Traditional Music Awards for ‘Live Act of the Year’. 

ALY BAIN is rightly regarded as Scotland’s supreme fiddler- arguably the finest of all time. AS a founder member of Boys of the Lough, Aly has toured extensively in America, Europe and the UK. In 1994 he was awarded an MBE in recognition of his services to music and in 1999, received the degree of a Doctor of Music from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. In 2013, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Aly launched the popular BBC TV series ‘Transatlantic Sessions’ in which he and Phil appear, including its live shows, and has featured on recording by the likes of Eddi Reader and Richard Thompson.

Phil Cunningham is a world famous accordion player and composer and was nominated in 1996 by The Scotsman as one of ‘Scotland’s most influential people’. In recent years Phil’s work-load has included many commissions for TV and film and an increasing amount of work as musical director for television and theatrical events. HIs ‘Highlands and Islands Suite’ and other collaborations have been a highlight of Glasgow’s Celtic Connections Festivals. In 2002 Phil received and MBE for his contribution to Scottish music. His musical documentaries are regularly seen on TV screens invariably involving his passion for the accordion. He has produced and recorded with top musicians including James Taylor, Rosanne Cash, Midge Ure and Mark Knopfler.

Together, they are simply the best traditional musicians you are ever likely to hear.