Donald John MacIntyre

(Bagpipes)

DJ MacIntyre was born in the piping heartland of South Uist. He was taught by his father but also received tuition from the famous Pipe Major John MacDonald ex Glasgow Police and at school was taught by Pipe Major Roddy Gillies. DJ`s father was Pipe Major of the 4th/5th Cameron’s in the 1950s and DJ followed in his father‘s footsteps by joining the Queens Own Highlanders (Seaforths and Camerons) in 1982. He completed his Pipe Major's Course at the Army School of Piping in 1988 gaining a distinction in both Theory and Practical playing of the great Highland bagpipe. His instructors at the Army School of Piping were Major John M Allan MBE, Queens Own Highlanders and Pipe Major Gavin Stoddart MBE BEM, Royal Highland Fusiliers. DJ won the Dunvegan Gold Medal in the same year at the Skye Gathering and went on to a successful competing career for many years following that success. He also competed with Pipe Bands up to and including grade 1.

He is a qualified assessor with the Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board and is involved with judging round the Highland Games circuit.  DJ has gained his Piping experience from travelling the globe and was recently a Piping Instructor to the Royal Oman Police across in the Middle East.  He is employed by the University of the Highlands and Islands as their Gaelic Language Officer.

Gillian Frame

(Scots Traditional)

Gillian graduated with a BA (Hons) in Scottish Music from the Royal Conservatoireof Scotland.

An Arran-born fiddler and singer, Gillian is a captivating performer whose richly diverse musical experience, since winning the inaugural Radio Scotland Young Musician of the Year contest in 2001, shines vibrantly through her mix of tunes and songs, old and new. Her recent release “Pendulum” received high praise from fans and critics alike and was described by Mike Harding as ‘one of the best albums of recent times’.

Gillian has worked with many acts and was a founding member of the band Back of the Moon with whom she toured for seven years, seeing them win various accolades including Best Up and Coming Act followed by Best Folk Band at the Scots Trad Music Awards.

The list of other freelance work is extensive including working for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Celtic Connections, Fèis Rois, Aberdeen International Youth Festival and most traditional music organisations in Scotland as well as numerous music camps and festivals throughout North America and Europe including Vancouver, Philadelphia, Calgary, and Lorient .

In 2012, she was awarded Music Tutor of the Year at the Scots Traditional Music Awards.

Living Tradition called her  “an enviably talented performer that has the gift of

transporting the listener straight to a Scottish fireside “  and Rock Society commented that “As a fiddler Gillian has grace, presence and style with her voice sublime throughout and her sense of interpretation superb.”

Margaret Tomlinson

B.A., L.R.A.M, L.G.S..M, F.L.C.M., F.E.S.B.  

(Speech)

Studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ). After teaching speech and Drama in both primary and secondary schools, she lectured at Moray House College of Education and then at Jodanhill College of Education where she was very involved with in-service development and organised courses in Zurich, Hamburg, Italy, and of course in Scotland.  

She worked for the British Council in Malawi and Zambia and then was awarded the prestigious Page Scholarship by the Educational Institute of Scotland and the English Speaking Union to study educational practice in the USA.  

She is very involved in theatre as director and adjudicator, and for 30 years served on the Board of Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre.  

Her work as an examiner for the English Speaking Board took her round the U.K., Ku-wait, Singapore and many times to Spain.  

Adjudicating too has taken her round the U.K., Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and for over 20 years to Hong Kong.  

It is some years since Margaret visited Lochaber Festival and she is looking forward to her visit very much.

Joan Foster

(Vocal and Instrumental)

For 13 years, Joan was ‘cello teacher and lecturer in String Teaching at Birmingham Conservatoire. She has been a seminar/workshop leader for several LEAs and for the European String Teachers’ Association in UK and Denmark. Joan is a former Director of the St Cecilia Chamber Music Trust and was the cellist in the Lydian Trio. She currently teaches strings and piano and is Director of the Alverton Singers. As well as being an Adjudicator for The British and International Federation of Festivals, she is a grade/diploma examiner and trainer for ABRSM, nationally and internationally.

John Grant

(Brass & Woodwind)

John Grant was born and brought up in Ayrshire, Scotland and began his formal musical studies at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) in 1977 where his achievements included winning the Governors' Recital Prize, the Chamber Music Prize and the Subject Prize for Flute. Having already been a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, John continued to establish himself as an orchestral musician by becoming a founder member of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, with whom he later appeared as a soloist.

In 1981, John began his professional career first freelancing with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Ballet and Welsh National Opera, then holding posts with the Hallé Orchestra, Scottish Opera and from 1987 to 2000, was Principal Flute with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. During this time, John also made many solo appearances, performing concertos by Mozart, Bach, Nielsen and Ibert and was a member of a number of chamber ensembles, including Paragon, the Chamber Group of Scotland and the Allander Ensemble. He also played as guest principal with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Throughout his time with the RSNO, John also taught at the RSAMD

Following studies with Maestri Jorma Panula and Benjamin Zander, John now dedicates his working life to conducting and music education, giving him the opportunity to work with many orchestras and bands, including the London Soloists Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Caledonia, West of Scotland Schools Symphony Orchestra, the National Children's Orchestra of Scotland, the Strathclyde University Symphony Orchestra and the Kelvin Ensemble.

John is also an adjudicator member of The British and International Federation of Festivals.

Linda Gaul

(Scottish Country Dancing)

Mrs Gaul, who lives in Pitlochry, Perthshire has been a Scottish Country Dancer for most of her life and has taught classes of all levels at Branch Classes, Day Schools and Weekend courses all over the world.  She has both taught and directed the Society's Summer School in St Andrew's and Winter School in her home town.

Linda has served on many of the Society's committees, culminating in two years as Chairman from 1998 – 2000.  She is currently on the Management Board and assisting with the editing of dance books.  In her spare time, Linda enjoys being a granny, singing and learning to play the clarinet.