92 Matthew Fitt
children’s poet
Ask a Scottish child between the ages of three and 12 who Matthew Fitt is and they probably won't know. but you can be damn sure they have mauled one of his books during the course of their day. A Moose in the Hoose: A Scots Counting Book. King 0 the Midden — Manky Ming/n Rhymes in Scots. The Smoky Smirr 0 Rain. Tam O Shanter's Big Night Oot and Wee Book 0 Fairy Ta/es. prove that Fitt (along with his collaborator James Robertson) has been prolific in the last few years. His brand of vernacular Scots poetry is unique. addictive and very funny. In 2003 his first selection of poems. Kate O'Shanter's Tale (1995). was finally given a long-deserved pressing. (RH)
91 Craig Annstronq composer
Following his Bafta and Golden Globe-winning score for M0ulin Rouge. Armstrong this year added another film to his already swollen CV. penning the music for Brit flick. Love. Actually. The Glasgow-born composer also created a new piece for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Nonhern Seunds . . . Islands. Inspired in part by the paintings of Mark Rothko and the Orchestral works of Ravel and Debus3y. Armstrong‘s latest composition was primarily an ode to the beauteous landscape of the Western Isles. Although he has worked with U2 and Massive Attack. Armstrong still knows a shapely munro when he sees one. (KA)
90 Cameron Stout
Big Brother winner
Before this year's blistering Indian summer. Cameron was just a God- fearing Orcadian fish farmer whose strongest claim to fame was his fraternal relationship to STV presenter Julyan Sinclair. Capturing the hearts of millions with his folksy charm. loveable Cameron underwent a cosmetic transformation. emerging as the proud owner of a fancy haircut that might have been put to better use tearing the lid from a tin of baked beans. Now providing voiceovers for several home-grown products and filling in for Rabbie Shepherd on Radio Scotland.
14 THE LIST 1 1 Dec 20013 8 Jan 200/1
‘Oor Cam' is making the most of his fifteen minutes of fame. (8D)
89 The Yard Emcees
hip hop band
Edinburgh has long punched above its weight in hip hop circles. If the Yard Emcees have their way. that won't be changing any time soon. The group formed as Scotland Yard in 1990 became the Yard Erncees in 2001 and are now a four piece. with Seanie on the decks and Mr Jinx. Profisee and Necaras on rhyming duties. 2003 has seen Radio One airplay. gigs in Scotland and England and regular performances at Edinburgh nights Soul Biscuits and Lick Shot. The year kicked off with the supremer funky 'Serious' EP. and current 12" 'Streets' will be followed by another single before their self-titled debut album comes out early in 2004. (JSI
88 Nicola Benedetti violinist
Sweet 16 and constantly missed. Well. by her parents anyway. Since the age of ten. when Benedetti successfully auditioned for the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey. the West Kilbride prodigy has been a rare sight in the family home. Performances in London. New York and Russia keep her far from these shores. But her debut outing as a soloist with the Scottish Ensemble this October took the young violinist to venues across
.y . 4“ A €332"?
Scotland. And she‘s reached the quarter finals of the BBC Young Musician of the Year i‘mard. iKAr
87 Kenny Anderson musician and record label boss Anderson is the man behind fence Records. the life-based label putting out some of the best music il‘. Scotland now. Forming a collectiye of (lo/ens of young folk. blues and pop artists. Anderson has created a community spirit among musicians: the cutting edge to their sound is new and exciting. The label has massively increased its profile in 2003. wrth a number of artists being pinched by bigger labels as a result. Innovative and experimental. yet warm and welcoming. Fence (not least Anderson's own band. King ()r'eosote. will be the sound of 2004. (DJ.
86 Siobhan Redmond
actress
Redmond produced a stunning performance as Miss Jean Brodie in the Royal tyceum's brilliant adaptation of Muriel Spar'k's novel back in January Over a number of years we became accustomed to these standards. wrth her performance in I l/ lochhead's l’erfect Days in tflth' the
pinnacle of her career to date. With televrsion. film and London theatre keeping Redmond away from Scottish stages in recent times (she has lived down south for some years nowr. we might hope for a return next year. but it's by no means certain 180
85 Roxana Silbert
theatre and television director
It's 18 months since Srlbert took over as literary director at the 'l’ramrse. after spells at West Yorkshire Playhouse and the Royal Court. A former director of The Fast Show on tele\.'ision. the Argentinian born. [English—raiserl director produced the Ir'a\./er‘se's hit of the 2003 fringe in The People Next Door. and followed it u'rrth a yxitty and astute production of [he Slat) Boys. Srlbert has the drrye to go far. as well as a sensitivity to both text and mo\.'ement that brings a distinctive and very pleasing yoice to Scottish theatre. (SCI
84 Vic Galloway
DJ and musician Vic has fast become one of the
biggest figures on the Scottish music scene. Not content ‘.'.Irth presenting Radio ()ne's Session in Scotland ‘.'.’ltil (‘iill Mills and his own Radio Scotland shew. Air. this year he pushed his one garage band. llaii (Zaesar. to the fore as ‘.'.'ell as running f‘tlllilOtiSO. one of the best club nights in Glasgow there is no better champion of new music it the country and ‘.‘.’|Hl more radio anti tele\.ision work in the pipeline.
(iglll()‘.‘.’£l\, '5; star is ascending, i[)Jr