Alastair Aitkenhead and Robert Mackay lead a sing-along at Winter School
The Archive Marilyn Healy has been delving into the archives at Coates Crescent and (left) at Blair Castle, ancestral home of the Dukes of Atholl.
The last issue of Scottish Country Dancer included an interview with Lord Mansfield, who stepped down as President of the Society last November after 30 years. Lord Mansfield was the Society’s sixth President. The first was Lord James Stewart Murray, who became the Duke of Atholl in 1942, followed by the Countess of Elgin, Major General Lord Thurlow, Lord Macdonald and Jean Milligan as ‘caretaker’ President for one year from 1976 until the appointment of Lord Mansfield Lord James Stewart Murray was President of the Scottish Country Dance Society from 1924 until his death in 1957. At the first Annual General Meeting he was also elected Chairman, a post he held until 1927 and again in 1933-36. He represented the Society at the meetings of the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing until a few months before his death. He was also Chairman and President of Perth Branch c.1932-38. Although he sent his apologies to the inaugural meeting in Glasgow on 26 November 1923, Lord James was very active in the early days of the Society. With his sister, Lady Dorothea Ruggles Brice, he was a member of the first
Research Committee. Whilst not officially on the Music Committee in the early days, he attended some of its meetings and was influential in the selection of music. In October 1924 he was one of the examiners at the first Teacher’s Examination, held in Glasgow: the others were Miss Milligan and Mrs Stewart. He was assiduous in attending meetings and chaired almost every AGM until the year before his death. Lord James was the third son of the 7th Duke of Atholl. His father was a fluent Gaelic speaker who ensured that all his children were brought up with a good knowledge of that language. The family were patrons of traditional Scottish music and dance and were steeped in highland culture, history and dress. He danced all his life, having been taught highland dancing by “Dancie” James Neill of Forfar, who had also been dancing master to H.M. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and was knowledgeable about the history of Scottish country dances. He once recounted to Bill Clement that, as a child, he had come down from his bedroom and hid in the minstrel’s gallery at Blair Castle to watch his father teaching country dancing to his guests. It was at a similar house party during a shooting season in the early 1870s that the Eightsome Reel evolved and was dedicated to the Atholl Highlanders, the only private army in Europe.
"Swing low, sweet chariot"
"Coming for to carry me home"
The Duke of Atholl (Lord James Stewart Murray) dancing at the Royal Caledonian Ball in London in 1954. (Photograph courtesy of Jane Anderson, Archivist at Blair Castle)
"I looked over Jordon and what did I see?"
"A band of angels" 12
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