THE man who danced arm-in-arm with the King and the Queen Consort is set to perform at the Ardhowen Theatre next month.
On April 3, Brandon McPhee, a multi-instrumental musician from Castletown in the Caithness region of Scotland, will return to Enniskillen for another show at the popular venue.
The Scottish accordion player is a big favourite of the English monarch King Charles III.
“I’ve been lucky enough to perform for him [King Charles] on nine different occasions, with one of those in Buckingham Palace. I must be doing something right because they keep asking me back,” he laughs. “One of the first things he said to me was ‘how do you get your fingers to move that fast’. It’s surreal every time.”
He’s also stepped out on the dance floor with the Queen Consort.
“There was a Dashing White Sergeant [dance] where Camilla was on my left and Charles was on my right. It almost doesn’t sound true, but it is.”
A regular performer on TG4 with the likes of Daniel O’Donnell and Foster and Allen, McPhee is a talented three-row button accordion player.
He also plays the guitar, and sings a range of songs, including a range of Irish, Scottish, Country and Folk music.
“We’re really excited to be returning to Enniskillen,” said McPhee on a visit to the Herald office last Tuesday, “we were in the Ardhowen Theatre a few years ago, and it’s great to be back and bringing the show there.”
While music concerts and performances were cancelled in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the three-time Jimmy Shand Shield winner used the time to develop and enhance his repertoire of music and songs.
“We’re raring to get going. It’s starting to get busy again and we’re trying to branch into different areas, and come over to Ireland a lot. I’ve just finished an eight-day tour in Scotland and it’s just great to be back out,” said the talented McPhee.
“It’s a whole mixture [of music], and in between, there’s a special guest, Manson Grant, who is a real big name in Scotland.”
The recorded artist recently took to the stage at the Grand Opera House in Belfast, alongside the hugely popular Foster and Allen. McPhee said he was ‘so lucky’ to be able to perform alongside the renowned musicians.
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