A packed Scottish pub. Scotch eggs. Four kinds of Scotch whisky. And Scottish music – with a couple of tangos thrown in for good measure.
That’s what the sold-out “Scotch and Strings” fundraiser at Boyd’s Jig and Reel offered participants this past Sunday as a benefit for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. About 90 people — some in kilts — traveled to Knoxville’s Old City (a lot closer than Scotland!) to celebrate and contribute. The $65 price of admission got you tastes of four Scotches plus a bounteous buffet of Scotch-themed edibles. (Thankfully, no haggis!)
A quartet from the KSO performed two sets: Sean Claire, violin; Zofia Glashouser, violin; Joshua Ulrich, viola; and Stacy Nickell, cello.
Boyd’s Jig and Reel is nothing if not authentic. Owner Jenny Boyd, a music lover, wanted a place that would celebrate Scottish, Irish and Appalachian culture. It has one of the largest collections of Scotch whiskies in the world — more than 800. The goal is to represent every distillery — both open and closed!
There’s music almost every night — and some days! — and the friendly and well-informed staff wears tartan plaid. Regulars and guests often show up for “pub night” when folks bring their own instruments and gather round to play and sing. Forgot your instrument? No worries. Just grab one off the wall and join in!
The sponsors of this event helped defray the cost so that most of the admission fees could go straight to the Knoxville Symphony. Sponsors were Boyd’s Jig and Reel, Mardel Fehrenbach, Hickory Construction, Compass Healthcare Consulting, UT Federal Credit Union, David and Ying Ayliffe, Elizabeth Offringa and Empire Distributors of Tennessee, Inc. Thanks, everybody!
Here’s a snippet of the the quartet playing the Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts” from Aaron Copland’s 1944 ballet, “Appalachian Spring:”
And, an even more familiar tune to conclude:
Re: The last one was so smoky that it tasted like drinking ashes!
I LOVE scotch, but Laphroaig is also not my favorite. I usually describe the taste as drinking a vat of liquid in which someone has soaked their very filthy feet while a very bitter cigar is being filtered through the vat. ๐
Sounds like a great evening!
Oh, Ted, that’s hilarious! It makes drinking ashes seem like a compliment!
I felt quite at home! I did not think I liked Scotch, but I tried the tastings and enjoyed all but one.
The music was lovely
Sounds lovely, but shockingly, no Caol Isla? No Lagavulin? You want peaty, those are two to go with.
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