A special night at Bangor Abbey

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Here's a pic of Graeme getting tuned up. We had a marvellous time here last Saturday night - we played for about an hour and a quarter in the most magnificent setting I've ever had the privilege of playing in.

Sir James Hamilton, Founding Father of the Ulster-Scots buried below us, (and also in real life before our very eyes, greeting the audience as they came in!) in the church where the mighty Robert Blair had his Ulster ministry. There's a memorial to Blair's first wife, Beatrix Hamilton, in the vestibule (see pic below).

For me the experience was literally spine-tingling - to play and sing and to read from Blair's biography in the very place where he preached is hard to explain. And the reaction from the people who were there, the Abbey's congregation, choir members, and the organisers of the event was marvellous. To be enthusiastically complimented on our two part "brother duet" harmonies by experienced, trained, choral singers is quite something for us! Buildings this old were designed to be acoustically perfect, and a single strum of the wee mandolin filled the place.

I was very impressed that everyone going in was given a leaflet about Hamilton & Montgomery. It was a joy to be there, and thankfully they've asked us to go back. Next time we'll film the concert and put it up on YouTube!