Celtic Music: The Tannahill Weavers

The Tannahill Weavers take their name from Robert Tannahill (1774-1810), a poet and weaver from the town of Paisley near Glasgow, the band's home town. Initially their music was heavily influenced by Irish music, but by 1976, when they released their first recording, Are Ye Sleeping Maggie? they were performing almost all Scottish traditional music.

Known to their fans as the Tannies, the band uses the highland bagpipe, flute and fiddle as its core. Their sound has been described as tighter, more intense, and harder driven than other Scottish groups such as the Battlefield Band or Silly Wizard. More than 30 years after releasing their first recording, the Tannahill Weavers are still going strong, still touring, recording, and winning new fans.

Current Members
* Roy Gullane (founding member) - guitar, vocals
* Phil Smillie (founding member) - simple system flute, tin whistles, bodhrán, vocals
* Leslie Wilson - bouzouki, keyboards, guitar, vocals
* John Martin - fiddle, cello, viola, vocals
* Colin Melville - Highland bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, tin whistles

Past members:
* Alan MacLeod - Highland bagpipes, tin whistles, mandola, organ, vocals
* Bill Bourne - vocals, bouzouki, guitar, electric guitar, fiddle, keyboards, bass pedals
* Dougie MacLean - fiddle, mandolin, vocals, guitar, tenor banjo
* Duncan J. Nicholson - Highland bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, tin whistles
* Gordon Duncan - Highland bagpipes, tin whistles
* Hudson Swan - bouzouki, vocals, fiddle, glockenspiel, mandolin
* Iain MacInnes - Highland bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, tin whistles, vocals
* Kenny Forsyth - Highland bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, tin whistles
* Mike Ward - fiddle, guitar, vocals
* Ross Kennedy - bouzouki, fiddle, bass pedals, vocals
* Stuart Morison - fiddles, bones, guitar
* John Cassidy (founding member) - whistles, vocals