About Us
Everyone will get a chance to get up and dance when Tarmachan plays for your ceilidh. Our experienced caller will keep everyone right, whether they're completely new to ceilidh dancing or they simply need a reminder of what to do.
The band is named after the classic walking route just north of Killin and Loch Tay. The usual line-up includes Marieke McBean on guitar, vocals and calling, Willie Chisholm on accordion and Ewan McBean on fiddle. They play a wide range of folk music, from haunting slow airs and traditional ballads to foot stomping jigs and fast-paced reels.
The band is based on Loch Tayside in Perthshire and is available for ceilidhs as well as background music. Do get in touch to discuss the various options.
Willie Chisholm
Willie has been squeezing from as young as 11. He remembers his dad bringing a hohner 8 bass button piano accordion down from the loft, and it was pretty obvious even at that stage that he fell in love with it. The accordion remains in great condition and is now living in Killin!
Willie is no stranger to the ceilidh scene, having played in many sessions and festivals up the West Coast, Wales and Ireland. He has been taught by both Colin Dewar and Neil Sinclair.
Willie started off as a classically trained pianist, but there aren't many pianos you can fling round your shoulder or squeeze...
Marieke McBean - guitar, vocals and calling
Marieke was an active participant in the Edinburgh session scene for several years. It was at one of those sessions that she met her husband Ewan - the third member of this band. They moved to Loch Tayside in 2008 and can be seen playing music at various venues throughout the area.
Marieke is the founding member of the successful Scottish contemporary folk band Rallion. Rallion has performed at festivals, folk clubs and theatres throughout the world, with memorable performances in Canada, Italy and Norway. They have two cd's available.
In 2009 Dr. Fred Freeman invited Marieke to record a song for "The Complete Songs of Robert Tannahill - Volume 2". She also performed at its launch concert during Celtic Connections in Glasgow. Other recordings on which Marieke has worked are "You & I" by Dithis (2002) and "After the Festival" by Ian Main & Andrew Lyons (2009).
Marieke was born in The Netherlands, but moved to Scotland in 2001 due to her love of traditional Scottish music.
"Marieke McBean sings with the fervour and abandon of a wild banshee." - Mike Wilson's Music Blog
"Dutch-born singer Marieke McBean is proving quite splendid at sounding genuinely local [...] A fine voice!" - Peter McGee, Bluesbunny Independent Music Reviews
Ewan McBean - fiddle
Ewan was born and brought up in Edinburgh, but is now based just outside Fortingall where he lives with wife Marieke and their two young kids. Ewan started playing and studying violin at school.
After a break from playing he has been performing Scottish traditional music for more than 18 years. Early in his playing career he received tuition from Marie Fielding and Mhairi Campbell. Ewan played and travelled widely including performances in America, Norway, Spain and various festivals in the UK.
He also played for three years running at the prestigious music festival T in the Park.
His main influences are Scottish traditional and modern folk music including the Gaelic tradition, piping tradition and Cape Breton style of playing.
