Brandon buttons up the Scottish accordion championship

27th October 2014

IF you were someone who enjoys a flutter, then you might regard Brandon McPhee as a sure bet to win an accordion competition.

Not sure what odds you would get, because the amazing exponent of the button box has won a string of championships over the years.

The young box ambassador from Castletown underlined his amazing talent, yet again, by carrying off the open Scottish Open Accordion Championship at the Perth Accordion Festival, at the weekend. It's the first time in 27 years that the competition has been won by a button box player. Brandon completed the double, lifting the button box title for the third successive year. Earlier in the year, he won the gold medal at the mod for the third successive year. The icing on the cake, though, was that open success at this year's Perth Festival where he outplayed the cream of Scottish accordionists, mainly piano accordionists.

Brandon started to play the box at the age of 10 having been influenced by his grandfather and six months later won his first competition. He has figured prominently in a string of contests, at both junior and senior levels, since then. The player has his own dance band backed by the popular Dynamos dance band drummer, Robert Cameron and keyboard musician, Manson Grant.

Noel Donaldson, a veteran accordionist, writes: "Brandon is an extraordinary player. He exudes confidence on stage and never seems under pressure, even when tackling the most challenging of tunes. For a Caithness player to put the button box firmly on the accordion map in a Scotland-wide competition, is an extra-special achievement and one I'm sure he will treasure".