Scottish Country Dancer Magazine, Issue 36, Spring 2023

Country Dancer SCOTTISH

Editorial

Dancing in Scotland has a fascinating history, and the success of the RSCDS in encouraging participation in Scottish country dancing over the last 100 years is remarkable. In this issue of the magazine, we acknowledge the energy and enthusiasm of dancers over past decades which has led to members of the Society sharing their passion for Scottish country dancing through forming Scottish country dance branches and clubs all over the world.

In her interview, Dorothy Leurs describes her experiences of dancing through many of these decades: an insight into how a Girl Guide was introduced to dancing while a schoolgirl, got to know a local band leader, and went on to travel around the world as a member of a demonstration team, and teach at the St Andrews Summer School. In another article, Wendy West brings the early years of Summer School back to mind, reminiscing over her mother’s influence on teaching there, particularly those classes now known as Highland and Step classes. Wendy has been attending Summer School, dancing, and teaching, since she was 10 years old, the very first junior member of the RSCDS.

Starting young people dancing is a priority for the RSCDS, and Alan Mair has written about Eddie Liddell’s amazing achievements in getting schoolchildren dancing throughout Fife.

It was not long after the formation of the SCDS that emigrant Scots started forming dance clubs worldwide, and these continue to this day, as reported in the Around the World section. The formation of the first branches in North America is described in this issue: how the vast continental distances led to teachers there sharing their knowledge and difficulties with each other and setting up the first RSCDS Teachers’ Association. TAC reaches out to far-flung SCD groups providing music and dance books through TACSound and TACBooks, and organises a very successful summer school, which celebrates its half century this year. Other emigrant dancers came together to form the largest branch of the RSCDS: New Zealand is a country-wide branch and here they describe how they support small clubs by getting together on a regional as well as national level.

Many aspects of the Society have evolved over the decades, and Meryl Thomson has researched in the RSCDS archive to trace how music and recordings have changed. She uncovered records detailing controversies and discussions that illustrate how very important the RSCDS committees felt music was to dancers and how their decisions influenced band recordings. New dance books and recordings continue to be produced today, and just three are reviewed here.

Finally, some members have written to the Editor about their concern over the future of the Society, and Peter Knapman shares his opinions and makes some suggestions for reform. Do you have ideas and suggestions about how the RSCDS should change? Please write and let us know

Fiona Grant, Bristol.

Cover: RSCDS Centenary Ball, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, March 2023

The RSCDS invites you to volunteer as the next Editor of the members’ magazine, Scottish Country Dancer. More details can be found here: https://rscds.org/about/membersmagazine. Read about volunteering on our website, and contact info@rscds.org for more information.

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SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCER MAGAZINEEDITOR

News from Coates Crescent

Education and Training Committee:

Deb Lees (Convenor, Education & Training)

Jim Stott (Schools Director)

Ellie Briscoe, Graham Donald, Amy Drysdale, Eilidh Garden, David Hall, Oluf Olfsen, Rachel Shankland, Lorna Valentine (Members)

Membership Services Committee:

Angela Young (Convenor)

Luke Brady (Music Director)

Ainslie Dunnett, Julia Grainger, Jeremy Hill, Keith Rose, Andrew Smith. (Members)

Youth Services Committee:

Philippa McKee (Convenor)

Abigail Brown, Erica de Gannes, Zoe Hill, Shona MacFadyen, Sarah Oswald, Linda Williamson. (Members)

You can find out more about the Management Board and Committee members online at: www.rscds.org/about/people.

Vacancies and appointments in 2023

The Management Board and Committee vacancies due to be filled at the AGM this November are as follows:

RSCDS Subscriptions

Branch Delegates approved the Management Board motion at the 2022 AGM that for the year from 1 July 2023, the basic full annual subscription be increased to £26 per annum, with other membership subscriptions based pro-rata on this amount.

Management Board: Trustees 2 (for 3 years), 1 (for 2 years)

Education & Training: 2 (for 3 years)

Membership Services: 2 (for 3 years), 1 (for 2 years), +1 Convenor Elect

Youth Services: 2 (for 3 years), +1 Convenor Elect

Nomination forms are available on the website: https://www.rscds.org/about/governance/management-boardcommittees. In addition to completing the form, members must submit a profile outlining the skills and attributes they have to offer. Guidelines on the reverse of the form give an indication of what should be included, but those considering standing for election are strongly advised to read the role descriptions for Board and Committee members. Please contact info@rscds. org if you have any questions. Nomination forms, profiles, and photos should be sent to Coates Crescent by Saturday 9 September 2023.

Deadline for AGM motions: Motions from Branches to the AGM in November should be sent to Coates Crescent by Saturday 12 August 2023.

AGM MOTION RESULTS

The amendments to the wording of the RSCDS Rules and Procedures covering Management Committee remits and the clarifications of 16.1a were approved.

Board and Committee Membership for 2022-23

Following the elections at the 2022 AGM, the current membership list for the Management Board and Committees is: Management Board:

William Williamson (Chair)

Gary Coull (Chair Elect)

Lizzy Conder (Treasurer)

Deb Lees (Convenor, Education & Training)

Angela Young (Convenor, Membership Services)

Philippa McKee (Convenor, Youth Services)

Neil Copland, Trevor Clarke, Stephen Hartley, Helen McGinley, Fiona Miller, Andrew Nolan, Simon Wales (Trustees)

The proposal to introduce from 1 July 2023 non-subscribing junior membership for children under the age of 12 was approved.

RSCDS EXAM DATES: Unit 1

The fixed dates for the Unit 1 written paper are:

21 October 2023

9 March 2024

Please email examhelp@rscds.org if you are interested in applying for Unit 1 or any of the other E&T courses, including the Core Training for Instructors (CTI) programme. You can find more information about teacher training on the Learn section https://rscds.org/learn/teacher-training/teaching-certificate/unit-1 of the website.

PRIVACY POLICY

The Society has updated its Privacy Policy in line with current best practice and to ensure transparency on how membership data is stored and used. The revised Privacy Policy can be found on our website: https://rscds.org/legals-privacy-cookies

ROYAL PATRONAGE

Following His Majesty The King’s accession, the Royal Household is conducting a review of Royal patronage. The RSCDS will be contacted in due time regarding our future patron.

FUNDRAISING FOR THE RSCDS

As we begin celebrating our centenary year, we are looking to build new and sustainable partnerships with companies and businesses across Scotland and beyond. If you know of or work for a company that you feel we should be engaging with, please let us know by contacting jason.dyer@rscds.org

The Friends of the RSCDS has now launched, with people joining from across the world. All friends will receive the exclusive pin badge pictured here as well as regular updates on how being a Friend is supporting the work of the RSCDS. You can find out more about the Friends here https://rscds.org/about/donate (rscds.org)

CENTENARY COMMEMORATIVE BOOK

Next year the RSCDS will publish a special centenary celebration book capturing a global year of events in photographs. This glossy unique pictorial representation of the year will feature highquality images of centenary events and pictures of iconic dance places. We need your help to do this. We would love all members, affiliated groups and branches to send photos of your events: behind the scenes activity, social gatherings, the musicians, the dancers and more. These images need to tell the story of your Centenary year.

While creating DancesThrough the Decades, we have discovered photographic gems in the RSCDS archive where the period is captured through hairstyles, dress, place and the dancers. Now we’re looking for those images that will tell dancers for years to come about the Centenary.

We will be looking out for your photos throughout the year.

COATES CRESCENT STAFFING UPDATE

Ewelina Juzwin

Ewelina Juzwin has recently joined the society in the role of Graphic Design and Website officer. You can view her work on the recent Dance through the Decades CD. Ewelina has a background in animation and illustration and enjoys crafts and photography. She has been seen at the recent Celtic Connections festival with a camera!

Jon Berridge (Chief Operating Officer)

Jon has an MA in Arts Administration and over eight years of senior management experience in the charity sector. He has led Business Development and Fundraising teams at The Royal Osteoporosis Society and the Carers Trust and is a Trustee on the Board of the Wiltshire Music Centre. Prior to working in the non-profit sector, Jon enjoyed a 14-year career in Marketing and Sales in Asia and North America, where dinners and functions often included Scottish country dancing. Originally from Dundee, Jon has recently moved back to Scotland and has settled in Edinburgh.

NEW RSCDS PUBLICATIONS

MedalTestsforYoungDancers, TheSyllabusandtheDances (Book and CD £15.00 each, or £13.15 each for members) contains full descriptions of the dances in the Medal Tests syllabus.

Dance through the Decades, a Celebration of 100 years through Scottish music and dance. (CD £13.50 or £12.15 for members)

Gordon Shand and his Scottish Dance Band have recorded our centenary CD album and the package contains a 6-page booklet with cribs and facts for each dance.

RSCDS Book 53 and its accompanying CDs will be ready in July 2023. The book will contain 12 dances chosen by our branches. David Oswald and his Scottish Dance Band and Nicol McLaren and the Glencraig Scottish Dance Band will be recording this double treat CD. Look out for pre-ordering around May/June time.

MEMBERSHIP NEWS

The Society would like to sincerely thank the 158 branches and their members for their continued effort to grow our mission to promote and develop Scottish country dancing. Membership numbers were more or less steady for the 5 years prior to the pandemic, although like other organisations, we have seen a drop since. Help us reach 10,000 members by 2024!

As we look to the future, increasing membership numbers is a strategic priority. We will work in partnership with branches that are growing to develop best practice guidance to support any branch that wants to attract new members. We are developing new schools’ programmes, re-engaging with universities, and looking outward to partner with like-minded organisations. We are optimistic but not complacent.

Membership figures below, as at end January 2023, and excluding 270 expected renewals not yet remitted by branches for this financial year.

RSCDS MEMBERSHIP

UNITED KINGDOM

England (1975), Northern Ireland (124), Scotland (1875) & Wales (53)

EUROPE

Austria (35), Belgium (9), Croatia (2), Cyprus (4), Denmark (12), Estonia (4), France (192), Germany (212) Hungary (4), Ireland (13), Italy (67), Luxembourg (5), Netherlands (34) Norway (11), Poland (1) Portugal (19), Spain (16), Sweden (76), Switzerland (20), Others (4)

AUSTRALASIA

Australia (606), Hong Kong (1), Japan (434), New Zealand (666), Singapore (2)

4027

740

2583

1709 Canada (1086) and USA (1497)

REST OF THE WORLD

Argentina (4), Barbados (1), Bolivia (1)

Mexico (1), South Africa (30) and Uruguay (1) 38

TOTAL

9097

‘The Syllabus and the Dances’ book

‘Dance through the Decades’ CD

From the Chairman

William Williamson

What a joy and privilege it is to be writing to you at the beginning of the Centenary year of our Society. It’s my sincere wish that every one of you feels part of the celebrations for an organisation that has brought much happiness to thousands of people over the past one hundred years.

The RSCDS Board members have been working hard to set the course for the Society as we move forward into our next century. It is very reassuring that our committees have more members than they have had for a number of years and the enthusiasm of all our Board and Committee members is also on display across the organisation. Wherever I have visited over the past few months, I have been delighted to witness new ideas being tried, increased numbers in some places and everywhere excitement, enthusiasm, and a keenness to encourage new members.

I don’t need to tell you of the problems that exist in the world following the pandemic and the economic difficulties being felt by many people. Similar organisations to our own are struggling to move forward but thanks to prudent stewardship over the years, our Society is in a good place to weather the storm and steer the ship forward. Friends, I can see blue skies and calmer waters ahead for The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. I’m joined on the bridge by First Mate Gary Coull and Purser Lizzy Conder supported by knowledgable Board and Committee members and a hard-working staff team who are always on hand to help you, so do not hesitate to contact them.

Why not become a Friend of the RSCDS?

We often use ‘Fun, Fitness and Friendship’ when describing what we do, and I would argue that it’s the Friendship part that brings us back week after week to dance together. Where would we be without our dancing friends? If you feel that you would like to support the Society a little more financially, then why not become a ‘Friend of the RSCDS’? You might also encourage others who are simply interested in supporting an important aspect of Scotland’s rich cultural heritage. I would like to thank members of local branch committees, their teachers and musicians who reach out, on a regular basis, to instruct, educate and create so many opportunities for us all to enjoy. You are the mainsail of the ship and will play a crucial part in taking the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society forward into its next century.

I hope you enjoy reading the Scottish Country Dancer and that you will continue to dance, have fun, and feel part of an organisation of which you are already a very valued member. Welcome aboard as we celebrate our Centenary Year.

Membership Services

Angela Young

In November, Membership Services were delighted to welcome newly elected member Jeremy Hill while Emily Hall and Gail Inglis have recently been coopted, bringing the committee to its full complement. Thanks to Maureen Daniel and Paul McKnight who contributed to all aspects of MS work in 2022, in particular the new Medal Test and Centenary projects. Our continuing focus is to create and make available valuable resources for dancers, musicians, teachers, branches and the wider Scottish dance community. A number of these projects are already coming to fruition with new products for sale and accessible online resources.

Published in November, MedalTestsforYoungDancerswas a crosscommittee project with the Education and Training Committee. The book combines the updated syllabus with dance instructions, in grade order, ensuring that children’s class teachers have all printed resources they require in one place. Additionally, the new CD brings together bespoke recordings from Ian Muir and Judith Muir, alongside existing tracks by Neil Copland and Maureen Rutherford. As required, the dances are played once through for specific introductory grade dances and twice for all others. These tracks can also be useful teaching tools for all classes.

Excitingly, the first Centenary product has just been completed - the recording of Dance Through The Decades by Gordon Shand and his Scottish Dance Band. This CD launched in February at Winter School with worldwide Zoom sessions sharing the background to the dances, the Society decades, and those involved in our Society’s history through a multimedia presentation. Recorded at Glasgow’s Gorbals Sound, this vibrant CD includes six additional tracks from the band for your listening and dancing enjoyment. We are sure these new recordings will be popular throughout the dancing community, as well as enabling dancers everywhere to join the Centenary 24-hour event, dancing to the same music the world over.

Moving the Index to Formations and Movements in Scottish Country Dancing from print to digital has been a huge piece of MS work. With the support of the Management Board, we will continue to explore providing free online resources. Look out for announcements of digitised sheet music soon.

Work continues across our centenary products and at the AGM we announced that the following 12 branches were successful with submissions for Book 53 in 2023: Belfast, Edinburgh, Helensburgh & District, The International Branch, Northern Virginia, Ottowa, San Francisco, San Gabriel Valley (South California), Isle of Skye, Stirling, Tokyo and Washington D.C. Book 53 will take dancers around the ‘RSCDS Globe’ with these and classic dances including Bonnie Gallowa’, Pinewoods Reel and Meeting of theWaters. And finally, remember we will need your Centenary photos – announced recently in DST, your images could be part of a memorable centenary souvenir volume to be published in 2024.

As always, a huge thanks to all on the committee and at Coates Crescent for their work delivering this vast array of content.

The first Centenary product has just been completed - the recording of DanceThroughThe Decades.

Education and Training Deb

Lees

Over the past year it has been very welcome to see that, worldwide, dance events and classes are being advertised and reported on once again. Teachers, instructors, and group leaders spend a lot of time preparing their classes and workshops and the E&T committee members are working hard to provide resources, training and information to support all our teachers, at whatever stage of development or qualification. We recently sent our first teachers’ newsletter, available on the website if you haven’t already seen it (www.rscds.org/learn/ teaching-scottish-country-dance/rscds-teachers-blog ). Our second Virtual Teachers’ Conference was online in February, with five video presentations on different topics. My thanks to all who have given their time and shared their experience and ideas to the benefit of us all.

We recently sent out our first teachers’ newsletter.

The Schools Director, Jim Stott, and his team are busy with the Summer School preparations, and a fantastic group of teachers and musicians are ready to provide classes at all levels and lots more besides. Do book your place if you haven’t already and encourage your friends and class members to join you if you are already booked. We have a new appointment period for the Schools’ Director post, with each Director in post for two years, the first as Director Designate before taking on the full role in the second year. Sue Porter is the next Schools Director, and we will shortly be advertising for the next Director to work with Sue next year.

Training new teachers and instructors is essential work, and exams for the teaching certificate are held regularly around the world, including at Summer School. Several people have now completed their CTI (Core Training for Instructors Course), with new people enrolled on the course. And there is also the Basic Teaching Skills course, which can be run locally, to equip dancers with skills to support classes in their area. To train as a teacher or instructor, we need experienced teachers to support that training, as tutors, mentors, examiners, and CTI trainers. We have just completed a review of the Unit 4 Mentor role, with improved guidance and access to information on the website. Hopefully, this will encourage more people to take on the role of mentor if approached to do so. We have now started work on the Tutor role, to develop our pool of tutors and to ensure that we appropriately support and value the enormously important work that they do.

Developing our younger dancers is also essential work and I am delighted that the new Medal Test syllabus and recorded music is now available. As classes have started back up in many places, now is a good time to think about preparation for Medal Tests with your children’s class. Or if there isn’t a class in your area, perhaps you could consider starting one, or maybe working with your local school.

Please do get in touch with us if you would like any more information about the options and resources for training and developing teachers or how you can support teaching in your area.

Youth Services

Philippa McKee

Since November, we have welcomed new committee members Erica de Gannes, Shona MacFadyen and Zoe Hill and I am grateful for the contributions they are already making. We also confirmed Sarah Oswald on to the committee who had previously been co-opted. It is great to have a full committee and I hope we can achieve some very positive outcomes over the next while. There is much experience, insight, enthusiasm, and creativity within the group, and I find it an encouraging and optimistic team. Our links with the Coates Crescent staff, primarily with Lyndsay Walker as our support, are fundamental to the smooth running of our committee.

We have been working behind the scenes with Katie Haigh, Child Wellbeing and Protection Officer, and helping navigate how some of the new guidance translates into events and classes in Scotland. I am aware that Katie is mindful of the need to produce meaningful guidance that can be used alongside local regulations, wherever you are dancing worldwide. The Spring Fling committee in Edinburgh have been able to respond to the developing guidance, something which I realise has been challenging for them, but it is such an important thing to get right. I am grateful for their efforts and adaptability.

By the time you read this, Edinburgh Spring Fling will be imminent and Toronto Spring Fling hot on their heels, so I’d like to wish them every success and thank the organisers in both locations who have put a lot of thought and effort into these events. We are aware that scholarships are an important aspect of supporting youth and as I write this, we will soon be meeting to assess the applications for this year’s Spring Flings and Summer School.

We continue to support Junior Summer Camp, a non-residential summer school for 8 - 11 year-olds, and I hope that this year will be another successful experience. Linda Williamson and Abbie Brown will be leading the class and, as in previous years, we hope to have musicians and volunteer contributors to create a positive, dynamic, and enjoyable time for all our young dancers. Although the youngsters were non-resident, last year’s extra-curricular social activities were a big hit. These were well supported by the families of the young dancers, and I certainly found it a useful opportunity to talk about what we offer to young dancers and how we can offer support beyond the weeks of summer school. The vote which passed at the 2022 AGM introducing the new category of Junior membership for under 12s is one which I hope will be responded to positively. On a personal note, I plan to establish/re-establish a young dancers’ class through my local branch. Perhaps when I write next time, I might be able to share some good news but currently, I am mindful of the challenge that this presents and if there is anyone out there trying to do the same, you have my encouragement and understanding. Perhaps sharing your experience of the organisational process, administration and success is something that would be useful and benefit others. I would be very glad to hear from anyone who is able to comment on junior member activities. Please get in touch regarding this, or any other matters relating to youth by emailing ysc@rscds.org

We continue to support Junior Summer Camp.

Dorothy Leurs – Miss Edinburgh!

Dorothy Leurs, now in her 90s, is a greatly respected Edinburgh teacher. She was awarded the Society’s Scroll of Honour in 2001. Born and brought up in Edinburgh, for many years Dorothy was School Secretary at Mary Erskine’s school, one of the City’s famous Merchant Company Schools. Dorothy recently appeared on TV with Darcey Bussell in the series of programmes about the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. In this interview with Jimmie Hill she reminisces about her long and varied experience as a dancer and teacher of country dancing.

Dorothy, you have a very rare surname. Can you tell us a bit more about it?

My family came from a town near Brussels called Vilvoorde, where I still have cousins. My grandparents came over from Belgium in the early 1900s, settled first in Staffordshire, then they came up to Edinburgh. They had a small-holding near Merchiston on the south side of the City. My father turned it into a covered garage where people could keep their cars. In those days many people didn’t keep their cars at home, but garaged them in a special garage. I am pretty sure I am the only Leurs in Edinburgh!

When did you first meet country dancing?

It was at the Girl Guides at my church when I was about 12. My first teacher was Miss Helen Edwards – she taught at James Gillespie’s High School for Girls, where Allie Anderson was Head of PE. Helen taught the Guides, and every Saturday night there was a social dance in the church. In those days I cycled a lot. We used to go youth hostelling and youth hostels often had dancing in the evening. The Edinburgh youth hostel was out on the south side at Juniper Green, so we used to cycle out there and join in. I also remember dancing at the Cavendish Ballroom at Tollcross. Tim Wright, the bandleader, owned the Cavendish, and played both the piano and organ. There was dancing every night of the week, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays it was Scottish country dancing. I used to get in free because Tim garaged his Bentley in my father’s garage!

When did you join the Society?

I remember it was 1952 because we had the Coronation State Visit in June the following year.

We all got a certificate from Edinburgh Branch to thank us for taking part. This means I have been a member for 70 years. In one of my notebooks, you can see a record of each lesson I attended, including my first! Usually four dances each night, just like today.

Edinburgh Branch thanks Dorothy for taking part

You must have known Allie Anderson for a long time. Yes, I knew her from 1952 until she died in 1986. Before she died, she gave me the adjudication sheet for the time the Branch team won the Cusson’s Cup. Miss Milligan had been the adjudicator, but Allie had the result sheet. Everyone called it the ‘soapy trophy’ because Cusson’s was a soap manufacturer and they had donated the trophy. The last time it was in the bank it was valued at £50,000. It was a gold cup, and we were the first team to win it.

I remember Bob Grant telling me that Allie could appear a wee bit frightening. Yes, she could be. She was a Shetlander, and she was fierce! There were about 40 in the demonstration class. Her class was rigid. It was hard work. She held the class in the gym at Gillespie’s school and she would start with us hanging off the wall bars! But there was a lot of kindness behind the fierce exterior. She was really friendly once you got to know her. Her bark was worse than her bite! And then there was the controversy between her and Miss Milligan about which step to use in ‘set and turn corners.’ Allie maintained it should be skip change for the turn and Miss Milligan insisted on pas de basque. They were two very similar people –

Dorothy being presented to Her Majesty after a demonstration at Holyrood Palace

The Programme of the Coronation StateVisit when 22 Branches danced for Her Majesty

both very strong-willed and each determined to get their own way! But they were both so kind and friendly. Miss Milligan used to call me ‘Miss Edinburgh’. I remember I was in her class in the Younger Hall, and she wanted to point something out to me, but she couldn’t remember my name, so she shouted out “Miss Edinburgh”! That became my nickname after that!

So which one of them was right about that turn?

I remember watching a really super team in a festival once. They used pas de basque in set and turn corners. It looked so ugly! It looked as if they were pulling each other round, and all that leaping! With skip change, the movement is so much more elegant, so I would side with Allie on that.

I remember Alex Gray teaching that if the corners advance on the second setting step, the turn is centred and much easier when using pas de basque.

I can see that. You mentioned Alex, and I will never forget going to Algeria with him in the team. I think it was about 1964 or 65. It was one of the best trips I have ever done. This is quite a story! A group of Algerian folk dancers were meant to come to Edinburgh for a dance festival one July, but they got their festivals mixed up, so arrived for the main Edinburgh Festival in August. They arrived and had nowhere to stay. The Press got hold of the story and advertised for people to put them up. Bill Fraser, who had served in Algeria during the war, was one of Captain Bain’s dancers, so he contacted the Algerians, and he got us all to accommodate them. It was mainly the Juniper Green dancers who put them up and we entertained them for a week. They had a great time, so they invited us to Algeria the following year. Captain Bain organised it and we managed to get enough dancers to go. I think there were 16 of us. It wasn’t an official trip, but before we left Edinburgh, the Lord Provost had given us some gifts to take with us for the Mayor of Algiers. We had Jim Newson to play for us and we brought a piper along too. We had a fabulous time dancing for about 10 days. The final event was the most exciting night I have ever had. We had been putting on shows in hospitals and churches, but the final evening show was in a theatre along with the local folk dancers. The men did the Hebridean Weaving Lilt in trousers and woolly jumpers in 80 degrees! As a finale, we had composed a dance called Alger La Blanche, which ended with the ladies making the star and the men forming the crescent, as in the Algerian flag. The whole theatre erupted! We got a standing ovation. We were all in tears on stage. Then we all joined hands and sang Auld Lang Syne. After the show we discovered that the dignitaries in the front row had been the British Ambassador and the Embassy staff! We had no idea they were there, and they had no idea we were coming to Algiers. They were so impressed they invited us all up to the Ambassador’s residence that evening. It was palatial and we danced again in the floodlit gardens. It was unforgettable.

Did you fly to Algeria?

Oh no, we took the train to London, then train and ferry across the Channel, train to Paris and across France. We stopped for a night at Avignon – where we danced in the town square – before continuing to Marseilles, then a boat to Algiers! On the ferry back to Marseilles, we were asked to dance on deck! Utterly unforgettable! And the whole trip was organised by Jimmy Bain and the Juniper Green dancers.

I have heard about Captain Bain. Who was he?

Captain Jimmy Bain was an incredible man. He was retired from the army and was a founder member of the Juniper Green and Clermiston Country Dance Club. He had a big children’s class and inspired generations of young people. He really encouraged them. He used to enter around 10 teams for the festivals. It didn’t matter that the children were not brilliant dancers; the main thing was to encourage them to take part. Above all, Jimmy made dancing

fun for the children. There are still a lot of adult dancers around who started with Jimmy Bain. I remember teaching in Calgary and meeting a woman who told me she was from Edinburgh and immediately I asked if she knew Jimmy Bain. “How did you know I knew him,” she asked. “Because you dance just like him!”, I said. He had a style of dancing all of his own. (Ed. Captain James Bain held the Military Medal and he was awarded the MBE).

When did you qualify as a teacher?

I got my certificate in 1958. I did my first certificate in the January and my full certificate in the June. You could do that in those days. I was taught by Allie Anderson and examined by Jean Milligan. Did you teach at St Andrews?

Yes, I taught at Summer School for 25 years. I first attended as a dancer in 1955. I’ll never forget being there in 1957. I had driven to Barcelona for a holiday – as one did in those days! – and arrived back in Edinburgh on a Saturday. I then drove up to St Andrews the following day! I think it was the late 60s when Miss Milligan asked me to teach. In one of my early years there, I had just finished teaching in the Younger Hall when Mary Stoker came up to me and told me it was one of the best classes she had seen.

From Mary that really was praise! I remember when classes were more fun and there would be some banter between the teacher and the class.

Yes, it’s all very serious nowadays. I used to stress the social side of dancing more. To me, Scottish country dancing is social dancing and people are more likely to come if it is fun. I taught the Duddingston class for 44 years with 5 or 6 sets every night. People kept coming back because I made it fun, so I knew I was doing something right. I remember going to a class with 20 minutes of exercises first and I kept wondering when we were going to do some dancing! You can overdo technique when it is, after all, a social activity. Making a mistake doesn’t matter – the main thing is to enjoy yourself. Get in, demonstrate, then let them do it, with as little talking about it as possible. And use the music as early as possible. Too much walking through is not what it’s about. Musicians don’t want to sit doing nothing!

I remember you telling me a story the year Miss Milligan taught Book 19 at St Andrews.

Ah yes, that was 1957. Some of us had gone to Summer School during the first fortnight and were taught the new book, then the following fortnight some others went from Edinburgh. When we got back home, we compared notes and discovered that Miss Milligan had changed her mind between the fortnights! The Society then had to publish a big sheet with explanations. If you have an original edition of Book 19, you will find the supplement in it.

You must remember the 60s, 70s and 80s when lots of new dances started to appear.

Yes, people like Roy Goldring and John Drewry used to send me their dances to try out before they published them. I would teach them and send them back comments. People began to realise they could print their own dances, and every branch decided they could publish books. They didn’t have to depend solely on the Society for new dances. As soon as I started going to classes and dances, I used to write down what we danced and the instructions for the dances in my wee red notebooks. They are a good record of the repertoire at the time. You can see from them when new dances started to appear, or when a new RSCDS book was published. I put an index at the beginning of each book, so that I could look up dances I had danced. There’s a lot of dances in them which have never been published. If I went to a day school with someone like Jackie Johnstone I would come back and write down what he had taught.

Continued on page 10 w

Dorothy Leurs – Miss Edinburgh!

Continued from page 9

I see a dance here called ‘Dunedin Ha’? That was the Morningside Club. They used to meet in the Dunedin Hall in the Morningside area of Edinburgh. The music was done by the chap who played the piano at the class. A lot of these dances were printed as leaflets and many will just have disappeared now. You mentioned Alastair Aitkenhead earlier – here is the Aitkenhead Rant. And you went to school in Rothesay – there’s Rothesay Castle – a super dance. You won’t find these dances anywhere else.

Here’s another Morningside Club dance – Hermitage of Braid Hermitage is the walk through the hills out that way. The Merry Men of May, one of Allie Anderson’s dances, is the name of the tidal race which forms off St John’s Point in Caithness. Allie didn’t write many dances, but this is one of them.

Apart from the UK, where else did you teach?

I taught in Vancouver three times, Banff, Calgary, TAC at Toronto and St Catherine’s and I did a lot of tours abroad: Canada, British Columbia and Ontario with the Craigowl Band, New Zealand with the Dave Hall Band. Copenhagen, Majorca, Rhodes, Benidorm, Munich, Stockholm. I’ve been so lucky to have been to all these places and met such wonderful people.

Were you involved in the Edinburgh Weekend down at Cramond?

Yes, I was on the committee. They were great weekends, run by the Branch. People came from all over the country. They were always sold out. Cramond was where PE teachers were trained in Edinburgh and there was accommodation on site, so it was the ideal place. When it closed down, that was the end of the weekends. There was always a good crowd up from London. I remember teaching Queen Victoria’s Visit Quadrilles at one weekend and we got Margaret Hunter to dress up as Queen Victoria. It was a great laugh!

I always associate you with the teaching of children. Yes, I did teach children a lot. The main thing is to help children

One of the index pages from Dorothy’s early notebooks

Dorothy’s meticulous record of one of the first classes she attended

Rothesay Castle,a medley for 4 couples

enjoy the dancing. The important thing for children is to come along, meet their friends, do some dancing, and just have fun. For years I entered children’s teams for festivals, and they loved to dress up and compete. I had a class at Oxgangs School and at Duddingston School. It was because of the children’s class at Duddingston that I had to start an adult class. The parents insisted on learning too! I remember the queues on enrolment night. When we got to 32 people, we had to say we were not allowed to take any more! Can you imagine that today?

Did you teach strathspey to children?

No, most of the children I taught were primary school age so it was just jigs and reels. The only time I taught strathspey was in the Guides when they were about 14 or 15. I adjudicated at festivals in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, mainly children. The main thing about adjudicating is every child must go home happy! You must find something good to say about them all.

You have a picture here of yourself meeting Queen Elizabeth. How often did you meet her?

I danced three times at Holyrood Palace. The picture is when we danced on the platform and the Queen came along the line and shook our hands. It’s a Glasgow Herald photograph. We are all in formal evening dress, but another time we did the Hebridean Weaving Lilt in tweed skirts. When Holyrood House came out in Book 22 in 1963 we danced it for Her Majesty. When the Queen was up in Edinburgh in the summer they had something called ‘Sunset Serenade’ – an outdoors entertainment to which people were invited. We all met first in the Caley Hotel and changed into our dancing clothes, then the City Council cars arrived and took us down to the Palace. After we had danced, the cars took us back up to the hotel where we had had to leave our belongings. We couldn’t take anything with us – we had to go ready to perform. On 24 July 1966 we went to the Palace to dance for King Hussein of Jordan.

It was a Sunday night so we were told not to tell anybody! Andy Bathgate played and the famous folk group, the Corries, sang! After our demonstration we danced with King Hussein’s staff. They had all been taught to dance up at Scone, home of the Earl of Mansfield. It was George Mechan from Dundee who had taught them. Many of them were over here training as pilots in the Jordanian air force. We had to partner the King’s entourage. I will never forget dancing the Foursome Reel with King Hussein!

Because it was a private party, there are no photographs of it, unfortunately. We met the King and his staff in the Palace Drawing Room for coffee, then we proceeded to the Ballroom. Another time we danced at Holyrood was for the visit of the King of Sweden. Edinburgh Branch must have played an important part in your life.

Oh yes, very much. For over 40 years I was privileged to be invited by the Branch to arrange the programmes for the summer dancing in Princes Street Gardens. With the cooperation of the many dance groups in central Scotland it was possible to supply a demonstration team and stewards to ensure that dancing continued in the Gardens.

Looking back on your life in country dancing, is there one memory that really stands out?

There are so many things – for example, when Bobby Watson picked me to dance in the Foursome with Bill Ireland – and another great highlight was my first year at St Andrews. I hadn’t taken a white dress because I didn’t think I would be good enough, but Miss Milligan picked me to dance in the demonstration team. Panic! I was a great friend of Margaret Brander. She had her white dress with her, but hadn’t been picked, so she lent it to me. After that, I always took a white frock! If I had to choose one memory it would be dancing in Princes Street Gardens along with 300 other dancers on a beautiful summer evening in the stunning setting below Edinburgh Castle, dancing to the best Scottish dance bands and an audience of people from all over the world.

Finally, what is your favourite dance?

It has to be The Duchess Tree. I love the tune and it is a dance my friend Sandy Gove and I always did together.

The Programme for the dance in honour of King Hussein of Jordan

The dances danced with King Hussein and his entourage

100 Years of Dancing in North America

Dancing came to the New World with the early settlers, but the history of SCD as we know it started later - not long after 1923. North America is a big place and so, with apologies to others, we focus on four of the pioneer branches – Vancouver, San Francisco, Boston and Toronto. Even for those, what’s recounted is only part of their rich histories.

While most North American SCD groups began in the mid twentieth century, there was a Highland Ball in Vancouver as early as 1887 that featured Scottish reels alternated with ballroom dances. At the turn of the 20th century, Highland reels were the most popular dances, and this was reinforced from 1910 in the training of the newly formed local regiment, the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada.

On 24 October 1930, the Scottish Society sponsored a SCD recital at the Hotel Vancouver with nine dances from the first six books of the SCDS featured together with a lecture by Mrs. Thomas Bingham. Mrs. Bingham, née Ella Thompson, knew Miss Milligan and had emigrated from Glasgow in 1924. Never one to sit idly by, Mrs. Bingham devoted herself to establishing SCD in Vancouver as organizer, teacher, and publicist. She was the driving force in chartering a Vancouver group on 1 Nov 1930 and proposing a ‘SCDS of British Columbia’ representing an area ten times the size of Scotland. The Vancouver group was recognized by the SCDS in Scotland in 1931 and the provincial organization formed and affiliated with Edinburgh in 1932.

The Provincial Group meanwhile sponsored a workshop and an annual ball that, with many changes over the years, continues as the Heather Ball and is ready for a post-Covid relaunch in May 2023. In 1959, some members visited Pinewoods Camp in Massachusetts and resolved that Vancouver should have a similar event concentrated on instruction. The result was a workshop held at Camp Alexandra, Crescent Beach, in September 1960, the informal nature of which can be seen in this photo.

The aims of the new organizations were: To study, practice and revive for social purposes, the Scottish National and Country Dances in accordance with the accepted standard of the SCD Society of Scotland. Mrs. Bingham’s group took every opportunity to gain publicity with press releases and numerous demonstrations travelling as far as Seattle, and including the Foursome,Eightsome and Sixteensome Reels. The prestige of the Seaforths did much for the SCD cause and demonstrations were accompanied by their Pipe-Majors John Gillies and Ed Esson.

Among the many classes associated with Mrs. Bingham was the Lady Aberdeen SCD Club, which arose through her work with the Council of Women and was named for its founder. This intentionally all-female group danced continuously from 1938 until 2010 and sponsored various events, most notably a tea dance on Armistice Day which continues now as the Lady Aberdeen Tea Dance, held every year on 11 November.

Because of their early start, Vancouver dancers’ influence was more than just local. They sent demonstration teams to Portland and Seattle and led workshops in western Canada and the US. Two teachers at the first Asilomar workshop in California were from Vancouver.

After some prodding by Miss Milligan, Vancouver became an official branch of the RSCDS in 1964. At its peak it had 450 members, and there were 13 clubs running classes. Today, membership stands at 154 and local clubs include many more dancers who are not branch members.

Although not totally clear, it appears that San Francisco was the next group to take root in North America. It grew out of two folk dance groups – the Alameda Mixers in Oakland, and Chang’s International Folk Dancers in San Francisco. A daughter of Glasgow, Margaret Lamont, watched the folk dancers’ festivals and wanted to start a club to represent the country dances of her birthplace. A small group of the folk dancers was recruited, and The Reel and Strathspey Club held its first meeting on 23 November 1946 at Margaret’s home in Oakland across the bay from San Francisco. The club’s objective was to learn and exhibit Scottish dances –it was a demonstration team. The members met, by invitation only, on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month and, while the dancing was very serious, they appear to have enjoyed each other’s company equally well. Meetings continued into the wee hours, sometimes finishing with Sunday breakfast. Their ‘exhibitions’ were so popular that the repertoire of Petronella, GlasgowHighlanders,DashingWhiteSergeant and EightsomeReel was soon wearing thin. Luckily Margaret wanted to visit Scotland with her new husband, Bob Lamont (he took her name). There, in 1948, they met amongst others, Miss Muriel Hadden, Miss Allie Anderson and Mrs. Florence Lesslie, and attended Mrs. Lesslie’s Holyrood exhibition for the Royal family. The couple also attended various Highland and country dance classes and returned to San Francisco with many records, notes, photographs, and dances to energize dancing in northern California.

Fun at CampAlexandra,British Columbia 1960

Scottish Country Dance Society,Vancouver (c. 1930s). Mrs Bingham, bottom right.

Later, in 1956, probationary member Kathleen Sweeney became an active member taking on the duties of secretary and, subsequently, serving in several other roles. She married one of the club’s founding members, Walter McAdam, and, as Kathleen McAdam, in turn was a founding member of the San Francisco Branch in 1965. In addition to regular teaching at the Lafayette class, she started the Branch’s first youth class and served as youth coordinator leading to her receipt of an RSCDS scroll in 2007. Kathleen and her husband organized the Branch’s first Valentine Ball in 1967, she launched the Sacramento class (now a branch) in 1981 and helped co-ordinate the first Asilomar workshop in 1967 where, over the years, she has acted as MC and Ceilidh master. Kathleen’s cheerful face and trademark hat can still be seen at Asilomar today.

Days’ was started with the CDS Boston Center. This morphed into English, Scottish, Contra, ESC or ‘Escape’. Dancers from around the world attend Pinewoods and many know the dance Pinewoods Reel devised by John Bowie Dickson and a staple on the workshop dance programs since 1969.

On the East coast, Boston became the first overseas branch of the RSCDS in 1952, although organized dancing started as far back as 1947. Jeanne Robertson Buchanan Carmichael, born in Edinburgh, moved to the USA in 1923. Her career in mathematics led her to work at the Smithsonian Astrophysics Observatory in Cambridge MA, across the river from Boston, where she attended English country dance classes. In 1947 several of the dancers there asked Jeanne to start SCD classes. She obtained the use of a small room at 47 Beacon Street Boston and began Monday night classes. These came to be known as the Cambridge Class and, after several moves, they continue today at the Canadian American Club in Arlington MA, a haven for Cape Bretoners and other lovers of Scottish music and dance.

Things began to expand with a class at Sargent College’s gymnasium in Harvard Square and demonstrations at the New England Folk Festival. The growth and interest in SCD in Boston led Irvin Davis to suggest the formation of a proper organization and in 1952 Boston became an RSCDS Branch with Jeanne and Irvin among 23 founding members. The branch grew rapidly to include nineteen classes across much of New England and Albany, NY - an area about twice the size of Scotland.

Amongst Branch events, the Pinewoods Benefit Ball was launched in 1976 and raised $10,000 towards a planned purchase of Pinewoods Camp. While the purchase never happened, the annual ball continues to support Pinewoods to this day.

Pinewoods Camp was founded in 1919 and, in 1953, Boston sponsored the first weekend workshop of SCD in North America. The ‘Scottish 1’ weekend was so popular that in 1973 a weeklong ‘Scottish 2’ session was added and, in 1984, a co-week ‘Ritual

In New England, live music for dancing expanded in the mid1970s when three weekend workshops were organized by the Boston Branch with stars such as Angus McKinnon, Carol McCloud and Jean Redpath. Several attendees formed the area’s first SCD dance band, The White Cockade, whose members played widely for classes and parties for many years. One attendee at the first workshop was Barbara McOwen. Later, she and her husband Robert came to Boston from Berkley CA via New York, and further strengthened the music scene. They produced the area’s first compilation of dance arrangements and encouraged local musicians to learn to play for dance events. Their own band, Tullochgorum, became popular across the country and still plays today. Barbara co-founded the Boston Scottish Fiddle Club and later helped create the Strathspey and Reel Society of New Hampshire. These clubs nurture new musicians and groups that play across the USA and maintain live music at many local classes.

In the 90s the Branch, along with Jean Redpath and Alasdair Fraser, sponsored a gala Burns’ Night concert that, in subsequent years, featured many local musicians together with Highland and SCD. The 25th annual concert celebrated a post-Covid relaunch in 2022. Our last pioneer, Toronto, is by no means least. It just happened to start a bit later than the others (and three years after Hamilton ON, the first Canadian Branch of the RSCDS). Matthew Sutherland was among those who accompanied Miss Allie Anderson to Holyrood House to teach SCD to Princess Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Princess Margaret, and their friends. Matthew came to Toronto in the late 1940s and found dances such as the Eightsome Reel being danced, but none in the manner stipulated by the SCDS in Edinburgh. To address this, Matthew and his wife, Annie, formed a group and soon set about dancing demonstrations at Scottish clubs.

Dr Donald Fraser taught square dance for several years north of Toronto in Muskoka and danced as an undergraduate in Toronto. After completing his PhD in Physiology in 1950 he moved to the UK and, in Glasgow, was introduced to SCD by some local young ladies. He never looked back and, on his return to Toronto in 1952, his girlfriend Sally Miller introduced Donald to her boss, Matthew Sutherland. Through Donald’s University connections, he, Sally, and Matthew secured dance space at the old Georgian building on University Avenue and started a small group of dancers – mainly Donald’s faculty colleagues. Most of the dancers were beginners and Donald

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On the dance floor at Pinewoods camp

HarryAndrews and Kathleen McAdam atAsilomar

Music in the RSCDS since 1923

Meryl Thomson, fiddler in the band Green Ginger, has long been interested in the history of country dance music, both English and Scottish. In this article she looks back on the first 100 years of music in the RSCDS to see how the role of music and musicians has changed over the years. Readers should note that in the early years the Society was run by the Executive Committee who communicated with members via The Bulletin – past issues available in the archive section of the RSCDS website.

Music in the first books

‘To collect old books, manuscripts, or pictures descriptive or illustrative of Scottish country dances’ was one of the Society’s initial aims, set out at its inaugural meeting in November 1923. Within a year, a sub-committee for music had been set up. The first mention of tunes being researched was at a meeting in May 1925 when Mrs Stewart was instructed to collect ‘dances and tunes’ for Book 3, and to organise a class to work them out before submitting the tunes to the music committee. There had been complaints about the music in Books 1 and 2 from the Music Festivals. Book 2 was to be revised and Book 1 was re-published in March 1926. The committee decided that metronome marks should be omitted from future editions of the books. The matter of speed proved to be an interesting point much discussed at later meetings.

Music in the first books

By 1927 the issue of getting a company to record the Society’s music was being discussed. Both HMV and Beltona were approached and Books 1 and 2 were recorded on 78 rpm records. At this time dance music was played by orchestras or bands who were not generally used to playing for Scottish country dancing. There was a proposal to publish the band parts for popular dances, but branches reported little demand. By 1930 Lord James Stewart Murray had had discussions with Beltona, Edison Bell, HMV and Zonophone as a year earlier Beltona had decided not to continue recording for the SCDS unless the Society paid half the initial cost and guaranteed a sale of 500 of each record. The decision was made to come to an agreement with the Columbia record company on condition that the Society’s Music Director, Mr Herbert Wiseman, arranged the music. Mr Wiseman was a very distinguished musician, Director of Music for Edinburgh schools, and latterly Head of Scottish Music at the BBC. By 1932 recording was back in the hands of the Beltona company with Annie Shand from Aberdeen as band leader, pianist, and accompanist.

Annie Shand

In 1934 Time Magazine wrote that Annie Shand was ‘synonymous with Scottish country dancing, famous for her dance band, her solo performances, her published arrangements and as an accompanist.’ Hers was King George V’s favourite dance band and she played for the Gillies’ Ball at Balmoral for many years. She also played at Summer School. There are fascinating recordings of her playing Jenny’sBawbee, The Linton Ploughman, and The Dashing White Sergeant on the Rare Tunes website, all recorded around 1929/30. These are played at a fast speed, up to 140 beats per minute (bpm), a speed used for ceilidh dancing today. Her obituary in Bulletin 11 of March 1937 states that ‘from the beginning of the Society until two years ago she worked for its interests with unflagging zeal.’

Michael Diack and Herbert Wiseman

One of our founders and a prime mover in the Society was Michael Diack. We have a recording he made with the Scottish Country Dance Orchestra in 1930 of Petronella. Like Annie Shand’s recordings, it is played at a brisk tempo of 140 bpm. Two tunes are used alternately, Petronella and CornRigs, played six times through with a chord at the beginning, but not at the end. You can hear flutes trilling and a complete brass section providing the rhythm section, very much an orchestral recording.

Another recording made in the same year by the National Folk Orchestra with music arranged by Herbert Wiseman is an official recording of the strathspey Lennox Love to Blantyre from Book 6. The speed is again around 140 bpm (faster than strathspey tempo of today but nowhere near as fast as the metronome marking stated in Bulletin 5), and the dance is played three times through, using only the original tune. It has a chord to start and slows at the end to finish without a chord. What is interesting is that at the end of each 32 bars the orchestra slows and has a slight pause before starting the next repetition of the dance! Whether this was done to help dancers realise the dance was starting again or it was a natural rallentando by classically trained musicians used to putting in some sort of expression is not clear. The reverse side of the record has the reel Roxburgh Castle played five times using the same tune throughout and at a slowish 106 bpm, again with no finishing chord.

Faster reels and strathspeys

The speed at which dances were being played and recorded was an area of concern. There is a note in the Executive Minutes of April 1932 that ‘it was agreed that in some cases Strathspey time was being played too slow, and that the correct metronome beat should be given in the next issue of the Bulletin. It stated that reels should be played at one minim equals 126 and strathspeys at one minim equalling 94. These times are extremely fast, but not long after this they were ‘corrected’ in the March 1934 Bulletin to reels being one minim equals 120 - 126, somewhat faster than the 110 - 116 bpm of modern bands, and strathspeys being one minim equals 80 - 84 (160 - 168 bpm), still much faster than the tempos played today of 116 - 130 bpm.

Dissatisfaction with the BBC and accordionists

During the 1930s the BBC regularly transmitted Scottish country dance music on the wireless. Such was the dissatisfaction within the Society that Lord James Stewart Murray held meetings with the BBC. Our minutes record that ‘the playing of the band had improved, the reel time being better than the strathspey. The studio band was still too quick, but it was felt with occasional reminders the improvement would be maintained.’ The dissatisfaction continued into the 1950s with Edinburgh Branch asking the Executive Council to send a protest to the BBC regarding the playing of SCD music by the Scottish Variety Orchestra. A letter was duly sent pointing out that it was impossible to dance to the tempo of that particular orchestra. One wonders what the reaction was in the BBC when they heard that the RSCDS had formed a working group to provide ‘helpful criticisms’ of the bands used for the SCD programmes! I wonder what Gary Innes would think today if he got a critique from Coates Crescent after every Take the Floor broadcast! In August 1954 the Chairman reported that ‘there has been some slight improvement in the SCD music broadcasts as a result of the monthly reports sent in from branches, but that there was still too much piano accordion type of music.’

J.MichaelDiack(Founder memberofSCDS)

Finding good bands

Today we are used to bands who play exclusively for Scottish country dancing, but during the 1930s and 40s dance bands played for all kinds of dancing. In April 1946 Herbert Wiseman, who by this time was in charge of Scottish music at the BBC, wrote to the Executive asking for ‘cooperation from the Society in finding good bands who would play SCD music to which people could dance’. One member suggested that the Society form its own Orchestra, available to play when required. There was even an idea that the Society should consider ‘the issuing of a certificate of merit or diploma to SCD bands who reached the standard of performance approved by the Society.’ Needless to say, these ideas were not taken up! To improve the available recordings, the Society auditioned several bands and Tim Wright and his band, known in the 1940s as The Tim Wright Sound and which later became The Cavendish Band, was chosen to make 12 recordings with orchestration by Mr John Robertson. The band consisted of fiddlers, a clarinet, and Tim on piano. One of these records has Maggie Lauder on one side and Monymusk on the other. With only 5 minutes available per side on a 78rpm record, both dances are recorded three times through with the original tune, an alternative, then back to the original, and they have a finishing chord. By 1948 the official SCDS recording by The Scottish Dance Players of Hamilton House and Circassian Circle, played at around 120 bpm, shows a change in musical style with a line-up of fiddles with a piano playing mostly a vamping accompaniment rather than the brass rhythm section and woodwinds used previously.

Different instruments

From the Society’s beginnings the piano was very much the instrument used for accompanying classes. For example, in 1946 branches were asked to consider names of ‘teachers and pianists’ to be put forward for Summer School. In November 1947 a motion was submitted that newly formed branches should be supplied free of charge a full set of dance books ‘for the use of the Branch’s pianist.’ Courses for pianists were run a lot earlier than for other instruments. In 1989 Yla Steven and Bobby Crowe conducted a course for violinists and accordionists. I find it interesting how accordionists and fiddlers were treated, given that they are staples of most SCD bands today. In 1947 a letter from a member was read out at an Executive meeting, objecting to the use of the accordion in BBC broadcasts of SCD music. There was a lively discussion, and it was noted that where an accordion was used ‘strathspeys were usually played as jigs; also that the accordion was not found to be the same pitch as the other instruments.’ The first mention of violins in the minutes is from 1952 where there is a suggestion that violin scores might be produced, but this was deemed an unnecessary expense. There is an interesting article in The Reel from 1952 which refers to instruments which could be used and how to play for dances, a strathspey tempo of 120 – 160 bpm suggested. In 1955 Miss Milligan approached the BBC with the idea for a programme on the old fiddle music of Scotland, to contradict the opinion that the accordion and not the fiddle was the correct national instrument for Scottish country dances. In an article in The Scotsman newspaper in 1957 Tom and Joan Flett accuse Miss Milligan of having favoured the piano and neglected the fiddle. By 1986 the Minutes show agreement that a fiddle should be included in Society recordings.

Tapes, records and CDs

With the advent of the long-playing record, more dances could be recorded on one record than ever before, but to do this, strathspeys might only be recorded four times through. By 1968 the use of tape recordings was being discussed. The Society had met with Park Film Studios and ‘it was suggested that piano recording alone would be inadequate, and the backing of drums and double bass would be

advisable’. Nothing materialised and an offer was made for amateurs to record using violin and piano. It is worth noting that tape recorders at that time cost between £40 and £180 (c. £600 – £3000 in today’s money!) Tapes meant that dances could be recorded the full number of times through, but finding a track was a problem, which any teacher who has used tapes will remember!

By the late 1980s the Society was producing both LPs and tape recordings. By the 1990s CDs had started appearing. At the Executive meeting in May 1991 there was a long discussion on ‘how best to produce future recordings – whether LPs, cassettes, CDs or compact cassettes.’ At the meeting, branch representatives were highly sceptical about CDs as this would mean replacing their record players and tape recorders with CD players. A questionnaire was sent out to branches asking about the use of CDs. Of the 23 replies fewer than half showed any interest in CDs, but they wanted tapes as well. Some wanted only tapes. In May 1993 the Executive agreed to try Books 1-10 on CD to see if they sold and if they did, then the rest would follow. Even by 1998 CDs and cassettes were both being produced ‘to cater for those who did not yet have CD facilities.’ I remember playing with our band Green Ginger at a dance in the late 90s and wondering why nobody seemed interested in buying the CD we had for sale. After the gig the lady we were staying with said it was because nobody in the area possessed a CD player!

The tunes played

Back in 1969 the Executive were told that ‘many bands playing for dances frequently ignore the suggested music in Society publications and played quite unsuitable pieces.’ It was agreed to write to branches to the effect that ‘when a band is engaged for a function, the organisers should ensure that the correct music will be played’. In February 1970 a bandleader wrote to the Society pointing out that ‘many of the recommended tunes were not attractive and indicated they would not want to play for a dance where the organisers wished to control the music.’ The meeting agreed that some of the recommended tunes were not always suitable, but, on the other hand, there was a shortage of ‘capable bands.’ By 1988 it was agreed that ‘we should not insist that bands use traditional melodies as alternatives but state they were preferred’. It was not until 2002 that the Publications Committee agreed that ‘the previous policy for original tunes to be played exactly as written, including the key, was unnecessary’. By then it was accepted that there was a need to make the Society more ‘band-friendly’. However, it was agreed that tempi ‘must be adhered to’. In a meeting later the same year the prerequisite for bands recording for the Society to use a fiddler was dropped. ‘It was decided to treat each band on its own merit rather than being too prescriptive’. Times and opinions were changing.

Album cover of vinyl LP (Long-playingrecording)

Insert for one of the first CD recordings

Tape cassette insert for RSCDS recording

On a personal note

Reading through the Society’s Minute Books and early Bulletins gives a fascinating insight into how much care the Society took from the start to ensure that music and musicians were the best they could be. The change in the speed of recordings and the sound of the bands is eye-opening. I have always wondered when it was decided to use several alternative tunes on a recording. My interest in early dance music, where only one tune is played repeatedly for the dance, however many times through, led me to question why SCD was different. The early 1930s recordings do only use one or possibly two tunes with a very complete orchestra sound and yet the tunes seem to be played the same each time through with no variations in the orchestration. Did this gradually lead to the need for more variety in the tunes to provide interest to those listening? Jimmy Shand’s recording of Rothesay Country Dance from 1942 does feature three tunes each played twice, returning to the original. One recording I did enjoy was the official Society recording by Mr Diack and the Scottish Country Dance Orchestra from 1930 of Strip theWillow. The tunes used are the ones printed in Book 1 – Drops of Brandy and Frolicksome Paddy – both in 9/8 time. The band play the tunes alternately for 10 times through the dance at a speed of around 168 bpm with no finishing chord – a rollicking ride. The minutes from 1980 mention that a rerecording of this dance was in 6/8 time. I know most bands nowadays use 6/8 jigs for Strip the Willow at ceilidhs although I personally have always preferred using 9/8 jigs as there is not much opportunity otherwise to use these energetic tunes. The minutes of May 1980 state that there was an objection to Strip the Willow having been recorded in 6/8 time rather than 9/8 time. It was reported that ‘certain difficulties had stood in the way of it being recorded in 9/8 time’. There is no indication of what this problem was, and I wonder if this started the trend of 6/8 jigs being used. While, historically, 9/8 tunes appear in

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had to interpret Matthew’s precise, exigent instruction to maintain class interest!

In 1957, after a visit by Miss Milligan and the required certification of teachers, the expanding group became the Toronto Branch of the RSCDS. Miss Milligan declared Toronto’s new-found status at a tea party at the home of Essie and Jim Stoddart in September and it was subsequently ratified in Edinburgh on 7 October 1957.

With many Scottish families arriving in Toronto at the time, the Branch blossomed and by its 25th Anniversary, 26 social groups had formed, supporting thirteen children’s groups. In the 1970s Toronto was the largest RSCDS Branch in the world. In its Golden Jubilee publication, a quiz asks readers to name pictures of 49 certificated teachers and it lists fourteen Scroll recipients covering dance and music.

In good part, local music played a role in the Branch’s large membership and bands based in Toronto include those led by Stan Hamilton, Bobby Brown, Bobby Frew, Angus MacKinnon, Eddie Brydie, Don Bartlett and Laird Brown. These bands have augmented the joy of dancing across North America.

Toronto SCD has always been in the public eye with ‘Dancing in the Park’ first organized by Tom Cunningham in the 1960s and still an annual program in June each year. Thirty years ago, two enormous events made an even bigger impact. After the Vancouver branch danced

many music collections and must have been popular, they are uncommon in Scottish dances today and so musicians are not used to playing them.

The Society Minutes contain little gems of interest for someone like myself who has only been involved with SCD since the late 1990s. For example, there is mention of the recording for the Reel of the Royal Scots by a regimental pipe band in 1983. It was discovered that they had inadvertently omitted 8 bars. Although they agreed with the sound engineer to insert these 8 bars rather than re-record, it was later realised that actually 16 bars had been omitted. This necessitated a single record being sent out to those who had already bought the record, with a new tape and LP later being produced. How easy it is nowadays to correct any errors, especially with the advent of online downloads! And in a meeting in November 1983, it was suggested the Bulletin should include ‘a list of bands willing to travel around the country and as far afield as Bristol’! Nowadays, SCD bands are welcomed to events throughout the world.

Finally

In October 1929 the Executive pointed out that ‘one of the principal objects of the Society was to re-introduce Scottish country dancing to the Ballroom’. Seeing how far it has developed in the last 100 years and how much it is enjoyed and in so many countries I feel this aim has more than been achieved. The variety of SCD musicians and bands has grown too, leading to musicians’ courses at Summer School for many types of instruments. We have much to be thankful for to the group of enthusiasts who were determined to ‘promote and develop Scottish country dance and music worldwide for the benefit of present and future generations.’

Finally, anyone interested in hearing some of the old recordings for themselves can go to archive.org, click on audio, choose the icon for 78’s and Cylinder Recordings, then search for Scottish Dance.

a 256some Reel in 1988 they challenged Toronto to step it up. In 1991 John Christie organized a 512some Reel at the Canadian National Exhibition. At the time, it was the largest gathering of Scottish country dancers ever assembled and set a Guinness World record. In 1993, this was bettered at the Skydome with 960 dancers enjoying Corn Rigs, Sandy O’er the Lea and half an Eightsome Reel to the music of Bobby Brown and the Scottish Accent.

Today, due to the contributions of those mentioned above and many other branches, dancers and musicians too numerous to include in this brief history, North America has 53 branches and represents a quarter of the RSCDS membership.

Kenwyn Saunders,with help from Paul Barber,Meyer Billmers, Rosemary Coupe,Lynda McJannet andTrina Merriman.

Toronto-based Bobby Brown and the ScottishAccent

The Early Days of Summer School in St Andrews

Wendy West chatted to Helen Russell about her mother, Elizabeth Mary Dunbar, known as Tihi from her schooldays, who attended Summer School in St Andrews in its early years. Her recollections, along with photos and records from the RSCDS archive, provide an insight into what has become a successful annual event in the RSCDS calendar.

The minute book of the Scottish Country Dance Society from 11 October 1926 records that ‘It was decided that a holiday course of dancing be arranged for a week, to take place at St Andrews during August 1927.’ A year later, the Executive Council Annual Report for 1926-27 mentions that ‘The outstanding event of the year was the Summer School, held at University Hall, St Andrews, from 16th - 23rd August, and which was attended by 90 resident and 14 non-resident members. Classes were held for the dances in Books 1, 2 and 3, instructed by teachers from various branches. A class on Book 4 was taken by Miss Milligan and was followed by social dancing. Classes for Reel Steps were taken by Mr Reid of Newtyle, Forfarshire.

taken an interest in the Society. She taught at St Andrews until she was 78! She was a highland dancer originally, then went to London as a ballroom dance student of Victor Silvester’s at the time when he started his orchestra. She did Old Time and Latin too. In St Andrews, she often taught the first class of the morning, which was a technique class, nicknamed Tihi’s Torture class. In those days, there were 3 one-hour classes before lunch. As well as country dancing, she taught the Men’s Highland Class at Summer School. Miss Milligan once announced at a mealtime that “Mrs West is very good with the inexperienced men”!

Wendy describes how in the early years, the Society members who attended Summer School were almost all women and many were PE teachers, Girl Guide leaders and people like that. She goes on to say: “A Guider lived at the bottom of my mother’s street, and she came up and said, “I’m going to a Scottish country dance summer school at St Andrews, would you like to go?” My mother went and was on the staff the next year, because she was the first professional dancer who had

Middle row:Miss PThomson,Miss Jean Milligan,Miss Douglas-Brown

Front row:Miss M Maxwell,MissW E Forgan (SCDS secretary)

In the early days Summer School was very small and took place in Old Wing of University Hall. People used to visit each other’s rooms for cups of tea. Sometimes they would come across Miss Milligan wandering about the corridors and were worried that she would give them a row for making too much noise, then they realised she was looking for a tea party to join. Since then, Summer School has become more casual, and in Wendy’s view, perhaps a bit too casual, but the relaxation of the dress code in the dining room is a good change.

Miss Milligan never asked her examiners beforehand to examine, so she would suddenly decide at lunchtime on Friday, “Oh, I need someone for the exam”. You would see her eye going round the dining room and Wendy’s mother, Tihi, would try to slip down in her chair.

St Andrews now has a Youth week, where children and teenagers come to dance. Wendy has been going to St Andrews since she was 10 years old. When Tibbie Cramb taught the step dance Flora MacDonald’s Fancy at St Andrews for the first time, Miss Milligan was enchanted with the dance and wanted the ladies to demonstrate it at the Younger Hall. The ladies were petrified. Tihi had already taught the dance to Wendy and the other children in her classes at home, so it was decided that Wendy should be in the middle of the display so that they could watch her. She must have been eleven or twelve and so she was the first child to demonstrate at St Andrews.

Women dancing aThreesome Reel (1927)

StAndrews (1933) - Back row:Miss M Dow,Miss MW Kenyon, MissAllieAnderson,Miss E M Dunbar (‘Tihi’West).Miss M Lilian Ross.

‘Tihi’West teaching in St Katherine’s gym (c.1950)

Summer School Step Dance classes

The Society minutes of 13 May 1925 record that ‘a letter was received from Mr William Donald offering to give prizes through the Society to the Lochboisdale annual sports for competitions in old Scottish reels and solo dances. It was agreed that Mr Donald be thanked for his offer, but that as the Country Dance Society concerned itself with figure dancing as apart from step dancing, we should not accept Mr Donald’s offer, but refer him to the other Societies that might be glad of his help.’ The first objective of the Society as set out in the minutes of the very first meeting on 26 November 1923 was indeed ‘To practise and preserve Country Dances, as danced in Scotland.’ But at the very first Society Summer School, classes were held to teach highland reel steps. There is archive film of ‘Dancie’ Reid of Newtyle teaching steps on the lawn in front of University Hall, St Andrews. Wendy remembers that her mother attended a highland class at Summer School, where “Mr Reid taught two dances, a Highland Laddie and a Blue Bonnets, so my mother took them home and taught them to us, as children.” Wendy says that Mr Reid was invited to St Andrews to teach occasional classes, as the morning classes were for Scottish country dance. Reel steps were taught so that the country dancers could do the Foursome Reel, as published in Book 3.

also contains descriptions of quadrilles, reels and step dances as danced in mid-19th century Aberdeenshire. It has recently been re-published, and copies are available from the RSCDS shop.

At that time, although both boys and girls learned Highland dancing, as the girls grew older, it was considered not quite lady-like for women to wear kilts and be highland dancers, and only those older girls competing at the highland games continued to dance. Miss Milligan apparently did not approve of grown women dancing highland dances! In the decade after the end of the war in 1945, more men began attending the Summer School, and a highland dance class was offered in the afternoons, along with classes in European national dances and Irish dance. Then in 1950, the SCDS Bulletin reports that ‘a new morning class of highland reel steps for men was very popular.’ Bobby Watson, an Aberdeen highland dance teacher, and Jackie Johnstone, a champion highland dancer from Dumfriesshire, were invited to teach regularly at St Andrews, and thereafter the class became known as the Mens’ Highland Class.

Dr Ewan Forbes-Sempill, Baronet of Craigievar, who was well known as the leader of the Dancers of Don, had learned that an Aberdeen family had a notebook recording a collection of dances. Titled Frederick Hill’s Book of Quadrilles & Country Dances, this notebook is one of the most important historical manuscripts directly related to Scottish social dancing and contains descriptions of more than 70 dances. It is the source of several dances published by the Society. Many of the dances can be found in other manuscripts and publications but what sets the Hill Manuscript apart is that, in addition to the Country Dances, it

The interpretation of the Hill manuscript dance instructions was undertaken by one of the Dancers of Don, Mrs Isobel (Tibbie) Cramb. Reconstruction of the dances was not always easy. Wendy remembers Mrs Cramb going to her mother about one step, written as Paddy vafs, which Mrs Cramb had transcribed as pas de bas[que], but her mother thought should have been pas de valse. Dr Forbes-Sempill had also gone with Mrs Cramb to Miss Cruickshank in Peterhead for help and advice, and to learn two other traditional step dances, the Earl of Errol and Flora MacDonald’s Fancy. Miss Cruickshank, then in her 80s, was the last of a family of dance teachers, spanning three generations, and would have been very familiar with the style of dancing in Aberdeenshire during the 19th Century.

Although the SCDS Bulletin for 1951 describes appreciatively ‘a single figure in white dress and tartan sash dancing Flora MacDonald’s Fancy with lovely elegance’, it was not until 1954 that the Bulletin mentions that ‘the ladies were delighted to return home this year with some charming highland dances of their own, taught by Mrs Cramb and Mrs West.’ Wendy remembers that several women had questioned why the men were offered classes in reel steps for the Foursome Reel and other highland dances, but they were not. The new class was known as the Ladies’ Highland Class, and only women attended, as the Hill manuscript step dances were written for girls to perform for their families and friends. Mrs Cramb changed the title to the Ladies’ Step class, although Wendy’s mother thought they should be known as highland dance classes because soft-soled shoes were worn, in contrast to step dances which were usually done in hard shoes. Wendy recounts that Tibbie [Mrs Cramb] and her mother were talking, and her mother said that the best way to save the dances would be to put them into the highland dance societies. Only some of these traditional dances then came across into the highland dance repertoire through the Scottish Dance Teachers’ Alliance (SDTA) and other dance associations. The Societies called these dances Scottish National dances and Wendy thinks that is the best name for them.

InTriumph:Sir Ewan Forbes-Sempill,Isobel (Tibbie) Cramb and Archie Patterson,‘Tihi’West standing front left.(c.1949)

DemonstrationTeam 1949:Left to right Men:Leslie Cumming, Peter Gowans,Jackie Johnstone,Bill Clement;Women:Margaret Moir,TihiWest,Irene Grant,Margaret Horne

Younger Hall 1956:Ladies’Step dance From the left:Marie Jamieson (London Branch),Carol MacCartney (Belfast Branch), Isobel (Tibbie) Cramb

Wendy is of the opinion that the dances not in the highland societies’ repertoire will be lost unless the RSCDS preserves them and perpetuates the range of styles. She says, “I think it is important to keep the dances going, but the style has changed over the years. From being very much in the highland dance tradition, it has become more balletic as trained ballet teachers became interested and were invited to teach as St Andrews, bringing their own technique and expertise to the classes.” Besides dances from the Hill manuscript, new dances were choreographed for the Ladies’ Step dance class to display in the Younger Hall during the Summer School.

Music influences the character of the dance. Wendy says, “I think the music is very important. When Tibbie got Flora from Miss Cruickshank the tune was an old Scottish jig called I ha’e laid a herrin’in saut, which is a lively kind of tune. It made you put your shoulders back and get on with it. Then we got this lovely tune from Nan Main, The Last Measure Prince Charlie danced with Flora MacDonald. It is a beautiful tune, elegant and sad, and it altered the whole character of the dance.”

“When I was a child at Summer School, Mrs MacNab from Canada wrote a dance, The Maid of Islay, for me and gave it to my mother, saying, “This is for Wendy when she is a bit older”. After a few years, my mother decided she wanted to teach it, so she simplified it a bit, but preserved the character of the dance. Another year, my mother found she had so many beginners come along to her Men’s Intermediate Highland Class in the Younger Hall, that she asked me to teach them, and we danced in the foyer to the music played for my mother’s class in the main hall.”

Wendy herself went on to teach the Ladies’ Intermediate and Advanced step classes at Summer School for many years. She says, “The King of Sweden is one of my favourite dances from the traditional repertoire, because the music is so lovely. I also like The Flowers of Edinburgh.” Now in her 80s, as well as her own adult class, she is still teaching Scottish country dancing to children in local primary schools.

We look forward to seeing you at NZ Branch Inc Summer School to be held in Nelson (at the top of the sunny South Island) from 28 December 2023 to 5 January 2024. We have a great line up of teachers from NZ and Australia as well as local musicians. There will be a full range of classes for all abilities and ages.

Nelson is known for local arts and crafts stores, and art galleries. It's also a popular base for nearby vineyards and the Abel Tasman National Park. Nelson regularly tops New Zealand’s most sunshine hours and has several golden sand beaches

Further information and details, contact the Organiser:

Doug Mills

Email: ss2023@dancescottish.org.nz

A Casual History of the Scottish Country Dance Teachers’ Association (Canada) – TAC

In the early 1950s, a large influx of immigrants from the UK arrived in Southern Ontario, settling in the Toronto, Hamilton, and Niagara Falls regions. These new Canadians were escaping the post-war economic depression, hoping for a better life, or were war brides arriving to join their husbands. Many Scots in this group sought each other out as they settled in a new land and tried to maintain some of their traditions. As they gathered for any celebration, there was always music and dancing. Those who could remember the dances they had been taught at school were particularly popular. Gradually those who had taken the RSCDS teaching certificate before emigrating were encouraged to start dance classes, and by the mid-50s, there was a thriving dance community. The only issue was that each community was quite some distance from the next and thousands of miles from Edinburgh, so sharing information was complicated and haphazard. The various teachers started reaching out to each other, exchanging ideas, and forwarding notes on new dances gained during trips back to the homeland.

In the spring of 1957, a group of teachers got together to discuss the merit of forming an organisation similar to the RSCDS but in Canada. Keeping up to date with changes and trying to maintain consistency was becoming more and more difficult. Around this time, Miss Milligan was in North America for an examination tour starting in Boston. Her tour included examining a group of candidates in Toronto. Miss Milligan was so delighted with the strength of dancing in Toronto that she immediately suggested it should become a Branch. As her visit drew to a close, the small, dedicated group of teachers who had started forming an association presented their idea. She was delighted, apparently calling it “absolutely marvellous”.

The first official meeting of the now Teachers’ Association (Canada) was held on April 13, 1958, with thirteen teachers in attendance. Those founding members then wrote a constitution to be reviewed by the next meeting. The objectives are now worded as:

R restore, promote and encourage Scottish dancing wherever and whenever possible

S standardise technique in Canada

C create festival dancing

D determine and appoint adjudicators

S stimulate and encourage cooperation between all teachers and dancers

T teach from the RSCDS manual

A advance all current information on technique and dances received from the RSCDS to all teachers

C conserve our heritage

Thus began the first Teachers’ Association within the RSCDS. Word spread that information and ideas were now available on the North American side of the Atlantic, and more teachers began contacting us and enquiring about membership. As teachers travelled to participate in workshops and conferences, they continued to act as ambassadors for TAC, and soon membership applications were received from across the globe.

Over the years, the TAC has completed many different projects. In the first few years, the emphasis was on reviewing the dance books and clarifying some terminologies. This was the start of the TACNotes: a publication that gives some additional information on the RSCDS-published dances to assist with the teaching points. The Association also quickly started setting up and organising dance festivals for the youth, which were held until the late 1980s. Annual Teachers’ Weekends were held to encourage socialising and improvement of skills. By 1972 it was agreed that the TAC should host a week-long summer school similar to that hosted in St. Andrews by the RSCDS. This event would be open to all dancers, not just members of the Association, and is now held annually. The Summer School, held in a different location each year, attracts upwards of 200 dancers, and organises teacher training courses as well as classes for all levels of dancing ability. Dancers enjoy a high calibre of teaching, musicians for all the classes, and full access to the resources of TACBooks and TACSound.

The TAC Outreach program was started in 1983 to provide publications, recorded music and limited financial support to newly formed groups and to small existing groups, particularly those in remote areas, and to sponsor workshops and encourage small groups to obtain qualified teachers. A quarterly bulletin, TACTalk, helps members to share dancing experiences, opinions and to keep up to date with events.

Since the early days, when the executive meetings were held around a kitchen table in the Southern Ontario area, the organisation has grown, and technology has allowed for members of the executive to be anywhere in the world. The meetings are now held via an online platform enabling participation from members over many different time zones.

2023 is, of course, the centenary of the founding of the RSCDS. But it is also the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Teachers’ Association (Canada) and the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Kingston Summer School. We look forward to welcoming dancers to Halifax, Nova Scotia for the 2023 Summer School, where we will be celebrating these remarkable milestones and remembering those who laid the groundwork for the continued growth and success of Scottish country dancing in North America.

Marjorie McLaughlin (San Diego),Fiona Miller (Medicine Hat).

TAC Summer School at Mount Royal University,Calgary,2019.

New Zealand – A Countrywide Branch

Emigrant Scots were dancing in New Zealand in the 1880s. They formed Scottish Societies, preserving their customs, songs, dances, and music. In the early days dancing would have been more ceilidh-style, but as time went on and more immigrants arrived, Scottish country dancing as we know it grew in popularity.

Many New Zealand dancers at that time felt that they experienced the same challenges that led to Miss Milligan and Mrs Stewart seeking out copies of old dances and setting standards for the Society they established in 1923. They too had noted the gradual degeneration of dancing steps, formations, and tempo. Interest in improving these aspects of dancing attracted members of the early Scottish Societies and in some instances led to the formation of independent Scottish country dance clubs, many of which are still in existence today.

The coordinator responsible for each portfolio takes a national approach e.g., organisation of Teaching Certificate courses and examinations, communication via the Branch Facebook page, publishing newsletters and the annual magazine, development of the Branch website, and support for young dancers including oversight of NZ Branch Medal Tests and running the semi-annual weekend camps for Junior Associate Members (JAMs) who are dancers aged 7-19.

NZ

Clubs were formed in towns and cities the length and breadth of New Zealand during the late 1940’s and early 1950’s as more immigrant dancers, including RSCDS certificated teachers, arrived from Scotland and shared their knowledge of RSCDS philosophy and techniques. Two initiatives of the early Scottish country dancers have endured to the present day: the annual magazine, the New Zealand Scottish Country Dancer, which was first published in 1954; and the annual Summer School, first held in Napier over Hogmanay in 1954-55.

The New Zealand Branch is divided into 9 geographical Regions, each representing the RSCDS members who live within its boundaries: Auckland-Northland, Hawkes Bay-East Coast, Rangitikei, Waikato-Bay of Plenty, Wellington, NelsonMarlborough-West Coast, Canterbury, Otago, and Southland.

The first teaching certificate class in NZ

In 1957 the New Zealand Scottish Country Dance Society was formed with the hope of doing for dancing in New Zealand what the RSCDS was achieving for dancing in Scotland. Dancing continued to grow in popularity and during the 1960’s training classes for the Teachers Certificate began. Since the inception of the New Zealand SCD Society, dancers had worked to maintain close ties with the RSCDS in Scotland, but it was not until 1967, and after much negotiation, that New Zealand’s application to form a branch of the RSCDS was approved. New Zealand became the only country to form a country-wide branch, with the challenge to represent all dancers from the tip of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island. So how does this work?

Overall management of the NZ Branch is undertaken by a Management Committee of 8 elected members. This committee looks after general governance matters as well as 4 specific portfolio areas: Communication, membership and publicity; Education and training; Information technology; and Youth.

Each Region contains several clubs or local groups – many of which are the same clubs that were formed in the early 20th Century. It is at these clubs that dancers attend classes each week to learn dancing and dances. Each club operates independently, running weekly classes, events and often an annual dance. Regions and some larger clubs also hold their own beginner, intermediate and advanced classes, as well as day and weekend schools.

Dancers from across New Zealand, and further afield, continue to gather for the annual New Zealand Branch Summer School. This event, organised on behalf of the Branch, is run by a different Region each year. The strength of the New Zealand Branch lies in its teachers, dancers, and volunteers. The foresight of those early teachers and dancers in creating first the New Zealand Scottish Country Dance Society, and then the New Zealand Branch has enabled our shared love of dance to go from strength to strength. To find out more about the New Zealand Branch visit the website www.dancescottish.org.nz

Linda Glavin, President New Zealand Branch

Summer School, Lincoln, 1969-70

Children’s classWanganui Caledonian Society 1965

NZ Summer School, Hamilton 2019-20

Scottish Country Dance Festivals (1980 – 2010)

themselves, the PE staff were often grateful that the RSCDS visitors could help out. On one occasion, I remember finding I had a set lined up on the wrong sides. I attracted the attention of the first man and whispered that he was on the wrong side. “No, am no”, he replied, “There’s an allemande in this dance and she’s taller than me.”

So said the lyricist Alan Jay Lerner describing a 12th century legendary kingdom, but this story was inspired by an event eight centuries later in the real Kingdom of Fife which deserves to be much more widely known and appreciated in the world of Scottish country dancing and beyond.

From small beginnings an annual Festival grew to involve 14,000 school children over two weeks at the end of November. Given that the annual birth rate in Fife is 3,000, this represents a large proportion of the primary school population of the county. To fully understand how this phenomenon occurred it is necessary to examine the life of one man. Eddie Liddell was born in 1936 and grew up in a tightly-knit community where entertainment was home-made and dancing played a large part. There were few alternatives and young Eddie soon found himself drawn into socials run by the church and other local organisations. There he took part in country dancing, what we now call ceilidh dancing and the influences from America that the emerging Scottish Country Dance Society saw as a threat. Country dancing appealed to the young Eddie as it was the most sociable. Eddie went to Jordanhill College to train as a PE teacher and took his liking for country dancing with him. Miss Milligan had retired by this time, but Eddie met her on her numerous visits, presumably visiting to ‘sell’ the idea of her Society. During this period, Eddie danced regularly on the White Heather Club and was very grateful to be paid for the privilege!

It is clear the Eddie believed that dancing, particularly Scottish country dancing, should play a big part in a child’s education. He saw his role as a PE teacher extending far beyond improving fitness. By using Scottish country dancing he could teach specific techniques, spatial awareness, observation skills, the ability to listen to and follow instructions and memorise patterns. Although he saw communication skills, basic mathematics, and social history as aspects of a general education to which organised dancing could contribute, it was discipline - self-discipline and team-discipline - which was most important and most evident to those of us privileged to attend the festivals in later years. Eddie believed that in any active performance discipline was the key. It was not enough to teach a group of children to do a dance, they had to learn how to prepare and how to appreciate the dances in which they were not involved. A great deal of planning went into the performances at Eddie’s festivals many of which involved over 400 lively children.

To begin, members of staff would place enough stars on the floor, positioned for all the sets required. There would then be a short demonstration of how a teacher/parent/adult would walk out to find a star, to be followed by their team who would line up as required. The children had all been trained to stand quietly until music began with the chord. After the final chord the team would follow their adult back to their appointed place around the hall. Competent adults were often in short supply and, although many of the older teams were able to manage

In 2001, Robbie Shepherd, (presenter of the BBC Radio show Take the Floor) asked if I knew where they could get a group of children to take part in a special edition for children. “How many do you want?” was my immediate reply. It was fortunate that as Chairman of the Society that the time and a resident of Fife, I was able to put them in contact with the Visiting Teacher Service. It was a pleasure to be able to witness the Glen Pavilion (Dunfermline) full of excited children for the occasion.

Like many of his generation, Eddie appreciated the traditional tunes used for both country dancing and ceilidh dancing and wanted to pass that on to the children whether dancing or listening. He also thought it important to employ musicians for his events. Several of the accordion players we enjoy today fondly remember attending these Festivals in their early years. For the preparatory sessions, where a musician was not available, David Cunningham recorded music on CD and video. At the Festivals, throughout Fife, David, Bobby Crowe, David Vernon, and Roger Crook, among others, were regular performers.

A big part of Eddie’s working life was setting up and leading the Visiting Teacher Service in Fife. I knew this as a group of 16 PE teachers who went from school to school teaching Scottish country dancing and a broad range of other PE activities. There were other dates in the year when schools would come together for other dance and sports festivals, but the Scottish Country Dance Festival, which ran for two weeks, was probably the biggest event and was totally non-competitive. The Lochgelly Centre ran events almost continuously, the Fife Institute (Glenrothes) was the largest venue, but Levenmouth Centre, Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre, the Glen Pavilion (Dunfermline), Madras College (St Andrews) and Bell Baxter School (Cupar) were also used. Sometimes three venues were used at the same time, and many had morning and afternoon sessions with 100 – 400 attending each.

An unfortunate disadvantage was that these Festivals occurred during the school day and some venues had limited space for spectators. Some parents did come along but, sadly, not nearly enough people were able to experience the spectacle of so many children behaving very well and thoroughly enjoying themselves. Similarly, it was difficult for the RSCDS to be as active in supporting these events as we might have wished. There are many demands on office bearers around St Andrews Day, but Liz Gardiner (Dunfermline Branch) relished the job of getting a Society member to nearly every session.

Although the Visiting Teacher Service has no direct RSCDS involvement it relied heavily on Miss Milligan’s influence and used dances from Society books. The very first festival in 1980 was unique in that the dances were devised by the teachers and pupils in 30 primary schools in the region. An archive of these dances has survived. Dances devised by the VTS staff were used in subsequent years. These tended to be aimed at the very young children and included Rabbie’s Reel and A Reel for Jeannie

Eddie Liddell was the PE teacher and inspiration behind the Fife Schools Festival involving 14,000 children every year. Former Society Chairman, Alan Mair, pays tribute to Eddie and his achievements.

“Ask every person if he’s heard the story And tell it loud and clear, if he has not, Thatoncetherewasafleetingwispofglory…”

which were published by the Society in Book 40. Traditional and modern dances from the RSCDS canon were also used, but not without problems. In 1999, Round Reel of Eight was included. The VTS staff followed the instructions very carefully but were very disappointed to be told that they were not teaching half right and lefts correctly. They were beginning, each time, by giving right hands to partners as in the standard rights and lefts formation!

The fact that these festivals continued for 30 years meant that a second generation of children were beginning to follow in the footsteps of their parents and could often be seen at ceilidhs and weddings in Fife and beyond, encouraging their parents up to dance. However, nothing is allowed to last forever in this fast-moving modern world. When it was suggested that this region-wide festival was beginning to cost a lot of money, local RSCDS Branches began to raise money to help pay for buses and musicians, but in 2010 the weather intervened and the whole event had to be abandoned.

At the RSCDS Annual General Meeting in 2000, held in Troon, David Maiden accepted the Society Scroll of Honour in recognition of the work of the Visiting Teacher Service in Fife. Eddie died in May 2022. After his funeral, it was said that some record of ‘Eddie’s Festivals’ should be made. I hope this article achieves that, although I am certain Eddie would want the credit to go to every one of his staff.

I am indebted to his widow, Maureen, for helping with the details in this article.

AlanMair, RSCDS Chairman 2000-2002.

Sinclair Barbour – New Year’s Honour

A Letter Found in a Used Book

Sinclair Barbour (centre) andThornhill Scottish Country Dancers

The RSCDS sends congratulations to Sinclair Barbour of Thornhill, Dumfriesshire who has been recognised in the New Year’s Honours list with a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to Scottish country dancing. Over the last 40 years, he has taught hundreds of pupils in the Thornhill area as well as teaching in Japan and the USA and training a team to dance for the late Queen. Sinclair and members of Thornhill Scottish Country Dancers have put on displays to help local charities with fundraising activities, and their adult and youth teams have both won competitions at many festivals over the years. The teams are accompanied by the bagpipes or a Scottish country dance band and have also toured along with the Buccleuch and Queensberry Pipe Band. They have visited Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, sponsored by the British Council, and have performed in Korea and Japan. Nearer to home they have attended folk festivals in Holland, Belgium, Germany and France, as well as competitions throughout Britain. A remarkable achievement indeed.

A series of names printed on a yellowing single page letter caught my eyes. Folded in three, the letterhead read SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE SOCIETY GLASGOW, and just below that, the names of the three branch officers with their address were printed as Hon. Treas. Miss M. L. ROSS, President Miss JEAN C. MILLIGAN, Hon. Secy. Miss M. W. KENYON. When I saw the handwritten date just below, 11.1.50, I became excited as it was obvious that the letter was written over 70 years ago. The book in which the piece of folded paper had been hiding was bought from a used book seller in the UK through the Internet and was titled A Complete Guide to Scottish Country Dancing, written by Allie Anderson and John M. Duthie, and published in 1935. In the days before Won’tYou Join the Dance was published, this book was used as a guidebook to SCD and was the forerunner of the RSCDS Manual.

The letter appears to be a reply to a Miss Paterson answering her enquiry about the choice of dances to be danced in a dance competition. When I saw the name of the sender on the last line, I was thrilled again. Was the first letter J, and the first letter of the word following it M? I contacted the society’s archivist, Dr Alan Macpherson and, and sent him a photo of the letter. He agreed that the handwriting appeared to belong to Dr Jean Milligan. If it was written by Dr Jean Milligan, it might not be a big deal for others, but for me it’s a bit of a big event.

It was very interesting to read about the opinions of the SCDS at the time. After explaining that any dance from the Society’s Book 1-15 could be chosen, the writer of the letter explains that La Russe and The Prince Charles are quadrilles, not Scottish country dances. The Duke of Edinburgh is considered a modern invention, as is Princess Margaret Strathspey. The dances collected by Mrs MacNab are set pieces, not country dances. It is very interesting that the SCDS in 1950 considered only dances devised in the old days as authentic. Miss Paterson is told that she must choose dances from the SCDS books for the competition. When I read the actual words written, I felt as if I could see the people dancing in these days.

The words PLEASE RETURN are written in red at the top of the letter. Does this mean that the book now on my bookshelf was sent to Miss Paterson, and did she return it to the owner Dr Jean Milligan before it finally went to the antiquarian bookstore?

Shoko Okumura (RSCDS Tokai)

In My OpinionThe RSCDS, Accountability and Oversight

Peter Knapman has been a Scottish country dancer and member of the RSCDS for over 50 years and is a strong advocate of all aspects of traditional social dance in Scotland. He has been teaching Scottish dance for 40 years. Peter was recently Convenor of Membership Services where he gained an insight into the inner workings of the RSCDS.

Concern about the future

Are democracy, accountability, and transparency important in an organisation such as the RSCDS? I believe that they are, as open and democratic organisations have a much better relationship with their members. However, after attending the AGM in Glasgow, and with my recent experience on the Management Board, I am concerned that we appear to be falling short in all three areas. With membership numbers reducing, anything we can do to improve this situation will lead to a better and strengthened Society in the longer term.

Silent Delegates

At the AGM two delegates asked questions about the Trustees’ report and although the chairman responded, I was surprised by the lack of any follow-up questions. The issues raised seemed worthy of further discussion, particularly as this was the first ‘normal’ AGM since Covid, but no discussion materialised. Was no-one interested? Where was the curiosity from the delegates? Conversely, I know of a number of members who attended the AGM as observers who would have loved to ask further questions, but our constitution does not permit this. How is this democratic? I was left with the impression that delegates saw the AGM as a formality rather than their duty to scrutinise on behalf of the whole Society – really disappointing. Some delegates later confided that they had no idea what the issues were.

This lack of accountability is further undermined by the fact that there were only 116 delegates representing 160 branches. With many delegates holding multiple votes, how many branches failed to send any delegates to the AGM? This resulted in the farcical situation where delegates appeared reluctant to speak and ask questions, but who were surrounded by members who were willing to speak and ask questions but prevented from doing so by our constitution – a difficult situation to defend. How can we justify a situation where fewer than 2% of the Society’s members can speak at our AGM? No branch would tolerate this at their own local AGM.

Members disenfranchised

The delegates’ role is to represent their branches. However, we all join the RSCDS as individuals and all pay our annual subscription. We do this through our branches, but only because our constitution stipulates that you cannot be a branch member without also being a member of the Society. If you are not a delegate you have no say at the AGM, which effectively disenfranchises all non-delegates. If we were to start afresh today, would this lack of accountability be allowed? It is certainly not healthy. The situation for members who join directly through Coates Crescent is even worse – they have no vote or rights at the AGM and no branch to lobby for their interests!

Improving accountability can only be to the long-term benefit of the Society – but how? We must find a way of getting our membership more involved and engaged with the activities of the whole Society rather than just their local branch. We need to recognise that for many members, Society membership is secondary to their local branch membership – Society membership is merely a precondition of branch membership! This situation weakens the relationship between what goes on in Coates Crescent and what goes on in the branches. When you join your branch you can attend its AGM, ask questions, challenge the committee, and potentially influence what is happening locally. Yet, by far the greater part of your membership fee goes to the Society and for this privilege you get no rights to scrutinise anything at the Society AGM. In the days of the old Executive Council, twice a year, the branch representatives held the Chairman and Committees to account through extensive questioning in a way that no longer happens.

A Way Forward

My personal view is that we would benefit from being a members’ organisation – one person one vote - creating a direct connection between the Society and every member. Although this may not be easy to organise in the short term, there are several things that could be done immediately to achieve a greater sense of democracy and transparency:

l Permit and encourage any member to ask questions during the AGM – they may not have a vote as they are not delegates, but every member attending should be encouraged to speak and take part.

l Ensure that all members receive the AGM papers directlynot just the branches.

l Re-instate the Open Forum as a mandatory part of our AGM weekend. It should be genuinely open and not stagemanaged – a real opportunity to ask questions and exchange ideas in a constructive manner.

l Encourage discussion forums not only at the AGM but online throughout the year to develop ideas around specific topics which would inform Management Board discussion. If there was more transparency, interaction, and engagement with the membership, more members might be encouraged to volunteer and participate in RSCDS business.

I am convinced that the membership of the Society needs to be far more engaged with the centre if we are to survive into the next 100 years. We should immediately change the way we manage the Society to:

l Develop a clear vision of what the Society aims to be over the next 100 years: a vision that will only come from involvement, openness, and discussion with the membership.

l Promote Scottish social dancing in all its forms and at all standards.

l Reform the management structure to be more democratic and forward-looking.

l Strengthen the Scottish base of the RSCDS.

Dancing around the World

All branches and affiliated groups are invited to send in their news (under 200 words and photos over 500kB please) to Caroline Brockbank caroline@ceilidhkids.com

We particularly like to read news from branches who have not featured recently, and those whose events are out of the ordinary!

International Branch

The International Branch was back on the road (train and plane) again in 2022, this time meeting in La Marche, Italy from 30 September to 3 October followed by a touring week based in Bologna. On the last night we danced with the Youth Branch at their Weekend Away Ball. The event attracted 110 dancers from 16 different countries, 65 participants staying on for the tour. After all these months of travel uncertainty following the pandemic, everyone was determined to have a good time: meeting old friends, making new ones and discovering some beautiful parts of Italy and some great food.

Anne Scobie

Brussels Dance Scottish

This year Brussels Dance Scottish celebrates 50 years of dancing. It was founded by Renée Campbell in 1973 as ‘St. Andrews Church Scottish Country Dance Group’ and danced for many years at the Scottish church. Renée claimed Scottish dancing saved her life, and, apart from leading and teaching the group, she attended Summer School and met friends there every year from the 1980s until 2007. Renée received the Scroll of Honour in 2002 and was made an Honourable Member of Brussels Dance Scottish. Although Renée hung up her dancing shoes in 2011, she did attend the 40th Anniversary Ball in 2013 and enjoyed seeing friends, many of whom she had introduced to her favourite pastime. She passed away in 2015.

In 2011, the group moved to different premises, changed its name to Brussels Dance Scottish and Anne Scobie and Jette Rossen have ensured the continuation of classes and events. Reflecting the international character of Brussels, its dancers are an eclectic mix of nationalities.

The group will mark its 50th Anniversary with a dinner and ball in Antwerp on 1 April 2023 with music by Marian Anderson and her Band. More details here:

https://bricksite.com/scdbrussels/50th-anniversary-dinner-ball

Anne Scobie

2022 was a very special year for the BASCDancers since in September we had a dancing weekend with two teachers from Scotland, Anne McArthur and James Stott. The workshops and evening dances took place at Palacio San Miguel in the heart of Buenos Aires. The ceilidh evening surprised all, with talented performances where singing, dancing from different cultures, music and poetry proved exquisite entertainment for the audience. Towards the end of the year, we were invited to dance on the 20th anniversary of the Women’s Grand Lodge of Argentina, an unforgettable experience indeed. After the pandemic the BASCDancers were lucky to resume the Dancing and Rowing Weekend at Tigre. In spite of the heat, everyone enjoyed dances with recently learnt figures. In December, as usual, we had our cherished Christmas party at the home of one of the dancers. Now we are ready for the RSCDS 100th anniversary. Happy birthday RSCDS and happy dancing to all of you around the world!

Marcela Galve

Epping SCD Club Sydney Australia

Renée Campbell,founder member

Buenos Aires Scottish Country Dancers

On 29 October 2022, Sydney’s Epping SCD Club finally held their long-awaited celebration to mark 50 years of Epping socials. It also recognised the 30-year partnership of music duo Chris Duncan and Catherine Strutt. Since they first played for Epping’s Hallowe’en Social in 1990, they have played for each of our socials since, and are now in demand all over Australia and internationally.

MC Anne Kennedy warmly welcomed dancers from near and far. She has been the club’s main teacher since founder members Joy and Gordon Stott retired, encouraging and instilling a love of Scottish country dancing in many. Bill Unger, an Epping teacher and current President of the Club devised an anniversary dance named 2121Au, 2121 being the Epping postcode and Au the chemical symbol for gold.

Champagne was served and supper was followed by an anniversary cake made by the ever-creative Robyn King. Debbie Baker, Sydney Branch President, presented a Branch Award to Trish Nicholls for her outstanding contribution to Scottish dancing in Sydney, Australia and overseas.

Margaret Lemoh

Glasgow Branch

Celtic Connections is an annual winter music festival held in Glasgow that this year celebrated its 30th anniversary. Through concerts, workshops, art exhibitions, talks and ceilidhs it brings together folk, rock, jazz, and world music. This year some 2,100 musicians from a variety of countries came to Glasgow to participate.

In recent years, as part of the festival, the RSCDS has sponsored a ceilidh. This year around 150, mainly young, people gathered to dance and enjoy the wonderful and exciting music of John Carmichael’s Ceilidh Band. Some were experienced dancers, whilst others were new to dancing, but all joined in with energy and enthusiasm, and were obviously having a great time. The caller was Peter Knapman from RSCDS Glasgow Branch, and the programme included some unusual dances along with familiar round-the-room ones.

Members of Glasgow Branch were there too, to enjoy the music, help support the dancing, and promote Scottish country dancing and the Branch’s beginners’ classes. A number of young people there expressed an interest in coming along and learning more about Scottish country dancing, and some attended beginners’ classes the following week. We hope they follow up on that expression of interest, and that others will come to join them too.

Ian Johnson

Helensburgh and District

The Branch held a 70th Anniversary Dance on 11 November with over 100 people from many areas, including the Provost of Argyll and Bute, Councillor Corry, and his wife. They stayed to the end, even joining in some dances. Guests were piped in by Colin Smith, followed by toasts to the King and the Branch, before the

cake was cut by Provost Corry and the Branch Chairman, Helen Bain. Dancing had commenced with music by the Ian Muir Sound when proceedings were suddenly interrupted, fortunately between dances, by the fire alarm going off! Everyone left through the fire doors: fortunately, it was dry and calm after earlier heavy rain and strong winds. The fire engine arrived quickly to check the building before everyone was allowed back inside, including three firemen who were given a piece of cake. It was gratifying to know that our evacuation procedures and fire register systems work. We discovered that someone had emptied the urns after coffee, and the steam had set the alarm off. Dancing recommenced and Irene Smith was presented with a Branch Award. All agreed it had been a very enjoyable evening, memorable in more ways than one!

Irene Smith

Kilmarnock and District

After a gap of three years, on Wednesday 16 November it was a joy to welcome back just over 400 children from 15 East Ayrshire Primary Schools to the Grand Hall, Kilmarnock for the Kilmarnock and District Branch’s Annual Children’s Day of Dance. In the weeks prior to the event, several members attended some of the schools to help the children practise the various dances. The children at both the morning and afternoon sessions enthusiastically danced a mixture of set Scottish country dances and ceilidh dances to lively accordion music by George Meikle.

As well as learning how to participate in dances that form an important part of Scotland’s dance culture and heritage, the children also showed off their creative and artistic skills with a parade of banners at the start of the event. As one of the aims of the RSCDS is to promote enjoyment and appreciation of Scottish country dancing and music by any suitable means, this event not only helps to achieve that, but also provides a day of social interaction and physical exercise for the participating children.

David Pinkerton

Newark Scottish Country Dance Society

When Market Harborough decided they no longer needed the tartan they had used for many years to dress the stage at their dances, they offered the two bales to local groups nearby. The hope was that the tartan could be reused in some way in return for a contribution to their chosen charity. Newark Scottish Country Dance Society took them up on their offer, made their donation for one of the bales, and found themselves with 27 yards of tartan. A member with extensive needlework experience created twelve tartan skirts. The picture shows them worn at a display performed in July at a village fair in Westborough, a few miles south of Newark. The white tops were made at the same time from material inherited from a different group, now disbanded. So not only are we helping the environment now by asking dancers to bring their own mugs for interval refreshments at local classes and dances, but we are upcycling unwanted dress materials!

JohnAitken

Queensland Branch

Our last dance as a Branch for 2022 was the St Andrew’s Gala Celebration on 26 November, with music by the Black Bear Duo; we do not dance over the locally hot summer months of December and January. More than four sets attended including a group from the Gold Coast.

The event also celebrated the contribution that Leslye Buchanan has made to Scottish country dancing in Queensland. She is one of our few fully qualified teachers, who is, sadly, now retiring from teaching after 21 years at the Branch Northside Class. As a surprise, a set of Northside dancers danced Mrs Leslye Buchanan, devised for her by Bill Bide, who danced with Leslye in the UK. The Branch also organised a video of the Flying Scotsman, in front of a large ‘BRISBANE’ sign in a city park, dancers dressed

in bright summer clothes. Unfortunately, the front of the sign was fenced off, so we had to dance at the back of the sign, then flip the video. We swapped sides for the men and the ladies, but now appear to be starting dancing on our left feet!

Bryan Hacker

Sydney Branch

On 18 February 2023, Sydney Branch committee hosted a lunch to mark the Golden Anniversary of its Teachers’ Liaison Group; the role of the teacher was recognised as core to the Branch’s history and crucial to its future. While Sydney Branch was instituted 70 years ago, it was in October 1972 that the formalisation of the teaching structure was established, the TLG. At the celebration, the foresight of the co-founders, Mrs. Stewart and Miss Milligan, was emphasised; the value of the RSCDS keeping true to their vision was noted.

Seventeen teachers and committee members enjoyed a relaxed reunion; those committee members who were not teachers were included as they represented appreciative dancers who benefit from teachers’ commitment, and generous sharing of time and expertise. The scope of teachers’ influence was highlighted when those present recalled their first teacher! Scotland, England, New Zealand and Australia featured on the list; the range of years was equally informative.

A cake, appropriately decorated, marked the high point of the event. The Branch President led the champagne toast - to lunch with friends, to the Society and to Branch teachers past, present and future. Sydney Branch committee has many more plans in place for the Centenary Year!

Anne Kennedy

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shoemakers

Does your branch or club have a new book which you would like reviewed? If you teach a class and are interested in reviewing books from a teaching point of view, please be in touch: mag.editor@rscds.org

Fields of Gold

Fields of Gold is a book of fifty dances, devised by members of the Pretoria Branch, and five devisers from the UK, Canada, and the USA. It is a celebration of the Pretoria group’s 50th, or golden, anniversary, which coincides with the Pretoria Branch’s 40th anniversary. It is also the group’s main fundraising effort. They have an excellent record when it comes to books of dances, having published four books previously, so I was delighted to be asked to review their latest book. I particularly like the title Fields of Gold which I think really captures the spirit of this book of dances.

The collection includes seventeen jigs, fourteen reels, seventeen strathspeys and two medleys. There are fifteen dances in the standard 8x32 bar format, fourteen dances in the 3x32 bar format, seventeen dances in the 4x32 bar format, three dances in a square set, one five-couple dance and one dance with five people. As you can see, there is plenty of choice in this book. RSCDS guidelines for standard dance terminology have been used throughout, making it an easy-to-use book.

The dances reflect the artistic originality and skill of the devisers. In several cases they have incorporated unusual figures, such as ‘ Best Set in the Hall formation on the sides’, ‘One Couple Knot’ and ‘Corners Pass and Turn Reel’, some of them more than once. On the other hand, there are plenty of standard figures from the RSCDS repertoire, including set and link, double triangles, espagnole, Celtic reels, set and rotate, the knot and the tourbillon. This makes the book suitable for teaching all levels of dancers. Advanced dancers, who have the technique to handle some carefully crafted elements, changes of direction and any combination of steps and figures, are not left out. They will get a great deal out of many of the dances. All the dances have accompanying music, with most of the tunes being original and some written specifically for the named dance.

It is interesting to note that the following functionality has been added to the PDF version of Fields of Gold, to improve the user experience:

l The text in the Table of Contents is fully selectable/searchable, which allows the titles and devisers of dances, the dance types, and the music titles to be searched.

l The dance descriptions and sheet music can be easily accessed by clicking on the relevant dance and music titles in the Table of Contents.

l The text in the overview of dances is similarly selectable/ searchable, which allows the dance type, repeats, number of bars, couples and set, level, steps, and main formations to be searched.

l By clicking on the dance titles in the overview of dances, the corresponding dance instructions can be directly accessed.

Denise Smith, Brisbane

Ewan Galloway –The Grove Collection of Scottish Country Dances Volume 2

Two years on from Volume 1 of the Grove Collection comes Ewan Galloway’s second selection of recordings. Ewan has singlehandedly created and mixed a full band sound – a real tour de force! Care has clearly been taken with dance selection. The 18-track list comprises familiar favourites such as TheWeathercock and Burnieboozle, more modern dances like Vintage Simon and The Elusive Muse, existing dances that had yet to be recorded, and a handful of new dances with three cribs also provided in the sleeve notes. It also includes the 2x64 jig Angus Macleod - a great opportunity to brush up on those spring points!

This is a versatile album covering a variety of dance types, lengths, and repeat structures including a S64+R64 medley, 3x40 strathspey, a 4x32 hornpipe, and ending with a set of marches for warming up or cooling down. The tunes for each dance are lively and appropriately chosen with a satisfying spread of traditional to modern composers, ranging from wellknown crackers (including Tam Lin and Calliope House) to lovely originals composed by Ewan himself. The tempos are consistently easy to dance to, neither too fast or too slow, and would suit a class or social event.

Overall, the sound is crisp and Ewan’s accordion playing has a great swing - guaranteed to get toes tapping and feet on the dance floor.

LindseyIbbotson,CambridgeandDistrict

Dunfermline Collection

This new collection of mainly recently devised dances by Alison Austin (13 dances) plus one devised by her husband Bill, is mainly for dancers and events associated with the recently elevated City of Dunfermline (the ‘auld grey toon’). There is a mixture of reels, jigs and strathspeys (plus a medley) for two, three and four couples in three and four couple longwise or square sets plus a varied selection of mainly modern formations. Most of the dances are more suitable for intermediate and advanced dancers - there being little for beginners. The ‘birlers’ among us will be pleased with Alison’s dances as birls are written into the instructions for all her jigs and reels with 4-bar turns!

A few comments on three of the dances:

Loch Fitty Jig is a particularly interesting dance and would probably be my favourite in the collection. The first 24 bars include what I call ‘pick up and release’ reels, originally introduced by John Drewry. The basic dance is straightforward and, I think, could become very popular. However, the suggestion to reverse who starts during the second time through places the dance into another realm altogether and will be great fun for more experienced dancers who are not easily confused.

California Dreams is a very interesting strathspey with, possibly, a slightly more demanding variation of John Wilkinson’s original progressive ‘square poussette’. I have also devised a variation but

Sadly Missed

We would appreciate it if obituaries for inclusion in the next issue were sent from branch or club secretaries.

Dorothy Cairns

Dorothy Cairns was a well-known dancer and teacher in Scottish country dancing circles in the Rhins of Galloway in SW Scotland. As a schoolgirl in Edinburgh she was taught dancing by Allie Anderson and, in 1950, aged 15, she was in the group of teenagers, led by Miss Anderson, who went to Paris to represent Scotland at the jubilee celebrations of the International Federation of Schools Correspondence and Travel Organisations, an adventure recounted in the October 2017 issue of Scottish Country Dancer. She gained both her teaching certificates at age 19, and taught SCD for over 60 years. After husband Alex retired from his position as minister of Leswalt and Kirkcolm, he was appointed interim minister of the Waldensian church in Torino, Italy for a few years. Dorothy became the teacher of the Clivis Scottish Country Dance Society for the time they lived there. Harry Andrews and Donna Weidenfeller, San Francisco and International Branches

Alison Jones (née Dawson), Hobart, Australia

Alison was born in Glasgow, where she and her sister Nelvia were taught to dance in the family kitchen by a daily help, Miss Margaret Bryson. Alison was part of the Glasgow team invited to Bavaria in 1963. She became a life member of the RSCDS, taking her Teacher’s Certificate under Miss Milligan. She moved to Tasmania in the 70’s. Alison attended the Tascal country dance class in Hobart, taking over the teaching in 1987. Passing on the love of SCD was something Alison did with great pride. A day of dance is held annually in Ross: Alison’s inspirational addition to the dancing calendar in Tasmania … a wonderful legacy! All who met Alison remember the joy, grace and beauty she personified on the dance floor and fostered in dancers. One remarked, after dancing with Alison, that she was very helpful and gracious. That described Alison exactly.

Robert Templeton and Betty Laverty, Launceston Caledonian Society, Tasmania

Continued from page 28

retaining the progression of the original. It would be an interesting exercise to dance all three together in a class.

Siller In The Auld Grey Toon is a pleasant strathspey which was devised by Bill for their silver wedding anniversary and starts with a repeated movement - a feature of several of Alison’s own dances. There are six newly composed tunes for five of the dances - three for one lucky dancer, Margo Priestley! Unfortunately, none of the other dances have music suggested for them. This information would have been most useful for teachers without access to a musician, and would provide an insight into the style of music envisaged by the deviser. For instance, should the strathspeys be traditional in style (probably) or pastoral or song tune in style (possibly)?

Across and Back really needs a recommended tune or suitable recorded music. Although not a difficult dance, it does include the challenge (for less experienced dancers) of an 8-bar reel of three ‘across the natural phrasing of the music’.

Despite my misgivings about some aspects of the collection, this is a well-produced selection of new dances with clear instructions. All those involved with its production can be justifiably proud of the result. There is something for most dancers and it is well worth obtaining and dipping into.

IainBoyd,NewZealand

Esmé Randall (nee Stewart), Edinburgh

Esmé Randall’s funeral saw the Edinburgh church in which she worshipped for 70 years packed with friends, keen to pay respects to an elegant, radiant dancer. Esmé trained at Marjorie Middleton’s Scottish Ballet School in the 1950s and, after a brief period as a professional ballet dancer, went on to run her own school. At Summer School she worked, for a decade and more, alongside Mrs Tibbie Cramb, chosen by her to help in teaching and demonstrating ladies’ step dances. Her contribution to country dancing in Edinburgh was significant, teaching the Branch advanced and demonstration classes for many years and playing a key role in An Edinburgh Fancy, the show in which she had previously danced. Esmé was a gifted, respected and loved teacher who both set high standards and knew how to help her dancers achieve these. Her legacy, particularly in relation to ladies’ step dances, is considerable.

Richard Austen and Atsuko Clement, Edinburgh

Anna Walker, Roxburgh, Selkirk & Peebles Branch

Anna became an Associate of the London College of Music in June 1947 when she was only 17 years old. She was awarded her first teaching certificate at Jordanhill in 1950, which allowed her to teach 12 dances. In 1953 she joined the RSCDS and gained her full teaching certificate, enabling her to teach in schools and after-school clubs. After her marriage to Jimmy, they moved to Uttoxeter, where she joined the local branch and was soon on the committee. In the late 50’s they moved to Melrose in the Scottish Borders where she continued dancing. She was a founder member of the Gattonside class and in 1995 took over as teacher. Anna was always smiling and encouraged all the new members. Her patience was legendary. She taught until 2016 and continued to come along to the class after her retirement.

Eleanor Wood, Roxburgh Selkirk and Peebles Branch

Kate

David Queen

Laura Cooper

Deb Lees

Marjorie McLaughlin

Nealley

Dear Editor

Miss Allie Anderson

I can add a little anecdote to the fascinating article about Miss Allie Anderson. My aunt, Flora May MacDonald, trained as a Physical Education (PE) teacher at Dunfermline College in the years prior to the Second World War. The course included many forms of folk dancing from other countries but, of course, Scottish country dancing was an essential part of the curriculum, and their teacher was indeed Miss Allie Anderson.

My aunt frequently reminisced about the evening before their SCD examinations. The students were gathered together by Allie Anderson and told, in no uncertain terms, “Miss Milligan is coming through from Glasgow to test your dancing. For tomorrow and, only tomorrow, when you dance set and turn corners you will use the pas de basque step throughout. After the exam you will revert to your training and use setting step for setting to your corners and travelling steps for turning with both hands.” Exactly as described in Elizabeth Harry’s article, the Edinburgh style is so much easier and more comfortable.

I also have my aunt’s certificates from these examinations. The title is SCDS. The Royal was not added until later. The first certificate qualifies them to teach only the dances from Book One. There are therefore no strathspeys included. Her second full certificate contains no such restriction. In 1938, Book 12 was the most recent book published.

Fiona Turnbull, Richmond Branch (North Yorkshire)

Dear Editor

The ’two other men’ at our Inaugural Meeting

Referred to in Scottish Country Dancer, April 2018

“Our Inaugural Meeting”by Jimmie Hill

Some years ago, Dr Alastair MacFadyen gave me a copy of Dance with your Soul, the biography of Jean Milligan. Imagine my astonishment to discover in the facsimile of the page listing those present at Glasgow’s Athenaeum on that famous 26 November 1923, that my father, Mr. J. H. Lauder, was there! He was one of the ‘two other men’ referred to in the magazine article. He had passed on suddenly before my final year at school, so we never talked about his connection with the Society. In WWI he had been a Lieutenant in the Black Watch, initially was in the RAMC and was a stretcher bearer at Gallipoli. I have an amazing photograph nearly five feet long of men at the 35th Course of Physical and Bayonet Training of Officers and NCOs at the Gymnasium, Aldershot Camp July 1917, where I think he was a physical education teacher. As a ‘demob’ opportunity he trained at the Dunfermline Physical Education College. (There was a branch in Edinburgh off Dalry Road). He was born and brought up in Edinburgh, attending George Heriot’s School. I do not know the timing of all this but am pretty certain he was teaching in Glasgow by 1923. My mother recognized the name of the ‘other man’ as Mr. J. D. Elder, also a gym teacher. She recalled that my father had performed Morris dancing, which was more popular then than today’s perception of it as an unusual English pastime! He left teaching when he was invited to be the Assistant National Secretary for the social work of the Church of Scotland, which meant he travelled widely around Scotland. He continued to be keenly interested in youth activities. I understand he compiled the P.E. manual for the Lifeboys, and he was an officer in the Boys’ Brigade, (part of the honeymoon was spent was at a BB Camp!)

I have unearthed more information about his army record - he was

blind for a couple of weeks as a result of being gassed in one of the battles - and I am still hoping to discover more about his activities as a physical education teacher. I wonder if he is mentioned in any subsequent Minutes of the new Society.

Edith Lauder Campbell, Wellington, New Zealand Branch

Dear Editor

RSCDS Membership Decline

In the October 2022 magazine, under News from Coates Crescent, the Society, in thanking members for paying their dues, announces that “we now have presence in 38 countries with a total of 9,608 members” as if it is some sort of achievement. In 1989 the membership was more than 29,000 which tells us that over three decades the actual figure for membership has shrunk by two thirds: a loss of twenty thousand heads, mainly at home. Some achievement! Whatever the reason, the reality is that there is no getting away from the huge loss of income, at least £400,000 per annum at today’s prices.

By far the greatest proportion of members is in the UK, followed by North America and Australasia. Europe and the Rest of the World are even fewer. Although the instinct is to put a shiny gloss on these inconvenient truths the fact is that many groups are having to push hard to keep afloat and the fact that they do is to their credit.

I suspect that the current trend is towards the elderly who neither can nor wish to spend time perfecting footwork half the evening but rather muck in and make the best of it.

Where do we go from here? To start with, accept realities and adapt our model. For example, prior to Christmas last a group of ten youngish adults arrived at our weekly meeting having been enthused by a ceilidh they had been to. As a group of mainly retirees, we have no answer to their enthusiasm except that we move to similar music. The majority have drifted away, and we are left with one couple who I reckon will stay. I have even gifted him my spare pair of gillies!

Roger Brooks, North West Craven Branch

[The Management Board is concerned with the decline in membership,and increasing numbers is a strategic priority (Ed.)]

Dear Editor

Fun, Fitness, and Friendship

I received several comments, following publication of my letter on ageism in SCD in the last issue. Not all were supportive, but I had intended to provoke a debate on this subject by being deliberately polemical.

If anyone asks me why I love Scottish country dancing, I respond ‘Fun, Fitness, and Friendship’, but of these, the most important is fun. I sometime hear dancers complain about the harsh comments of a teacher saying, “Doesn’t (he/she) know we are here to have fun?”

Before anyone says I have a grudge against teachers, all of them deserve our gratitude and deepest respect for the time and effort they put in for us. Dancers must respect teachers, and vice versa. How does this affect the ageism of which I previously wrote?

Even the oldest and poorest dancer deserves our respect, and our teachers even more so! One comment made to me by more than one dancing friend is that a poor or unfit dancer spoils the set, and this is undoubtedly true; so how do we address this issue while still respecting the feelings of such dancers? I suggest that MC/teacher has a duty to forewarn us that the next dance requires experience and agility and may not be suitable for all dancers; and dancers choosing partners need to be selective without being disrespectful. Let us all be agreed and united in promoting SCD as ‘Fun, Fitness, and Friendship for Everyone’.

Marcus Moore, Paris Branch

Any opinions expressed in the letters below are personal to the writers and do not reflect the views of the RSCDS or the Management Board

Dancers’ Diary - April – December 2023

The Day School Diary is compiled by Ian Brockbank. Please send details to ian@scottishdance.net . Issue 37 will cover events from October 2023 to April 2024.

APRIL 2023

1 Gay Gordons Manchester Day School, St Matthews Hall, Stretford, UK

1 San Diego Branch afternoon workshop, tea, and dance, San Diego, USA

6-10 Central Germany Easter Course, Kuckucksnest/Schlüchtern, Germany

14-16 RSCDS Spring Fling and Spring Fringe Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

15 RSCDS Twin Cities Branch Workshop and Ball, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

MAY 2023

5-6 Millport Weekend, Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland, UK

5-7 Potters Pairs SCD Weekend Workshop and Ball, Hof Oberlethe, N Germany

19-20 Isle of Skye May Weekend, Portree High School, Skye, UK.

19-21 Duns May Weekend, Scotland, UK

19-21 New York Branch 60th Annual Pawling Weekend, Copake, NY

26-28 RSCDS Spring Fling and Spring Fringe Toronto, Canada

26-28 Munich Golden Jubilee Weekend, Munich, Germany

29-June 2 Morland SCD Week, near Penrith, Cumbria, UK

JUNE 2023

9-11 Midwest Scottish Weekend, Ripon, Wisconsin, USA

21-25 Central Germany Summer Course, Kuckucksnest/Schlüchtern, Germany

JULY 2023

2 Rod Downey’s Workshop, The Queen’s Hall, 294 Harrogate Road, Leeds, LS17 6LE

2-8 Blue Ridge Scottish Dance School, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, USA

16-Aug 13 RSCDS Summer School, St Andrews, Scotland, UK

28-30 TAC Teachers Conference Weekend, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

30-Aug 6 TAC Summer School, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

AUGUST 2023

13-20 Prague Scottish Dance Week, Prague, Czech Republic

SEPTEMBER 2023

2 Thistle Club Music & Dance Day School/Dance, Wing, Leighton Buzzard, Beds, UK

15-17 RSCDS Breton Branch, Scottish Weekend and Day School, Josselin, Brittany, France

16 Leeds Day School and Dance, St Chad’s Parish Centre, Otley Road, Far, Leeds, UK

22-24 Budapest Scottish Dance Club Day School & Ball, Budapest

22-24 Central Germany Branch Ball Weekend, Hof Oberlethe, Germany

22-24 Scottish Weekend 2023, Cascade, MD, USA

24-1 Oct Australian Winter School, Kiama, NSW, Australia

OCTOBER 2023

7 York & North Humberside Branch Half Day School, Stockton on the Forest, UK

14-15 Paris Branch International Weekend, Paris, France

20-22 RSCDS Sutton Coldfield Weekend of Dance, Symonds Yat, Herefordshire, UK

20-23 Weekend School, Auckland/Northland, New Zealand

21 Exeter Branch afternoon school, Broadclyst, Exeter, UK

27-29 Asilomar 2023, Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, California

NOVEMBER 2023

10-12 Northern Virginia Branch Argyle Weekend, Arlington, VA, USA

11 Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles Branch Day School, Corn Exchange, Melrose, UK

11 Bristol Branch Musicians & Dancers Day School and Dance, Henleaze, Bristol, UK

22-26 Central Germany November Course, Kuckucksnest/ Schlüchtern, Germany

DECEMBER 2023

28-5 Jan Summer School, Nelson/Marlborough/West Coast, New Zealand

The Day School Diary only has space for day and weekend schools. For other events in your area, please check http://www.scottishdance.net/events/ or:

l Scotland and Cumbria: https://scotdancediary.co.uk/

l Europe: http://www.celtic-circle.de/events.html

l Canada and USA: https://intercityscot.org/eventList.php

l The Centenary Calendar: https://rscds.org/centenarycalendar