The Homecoming by Jim Healy – Immediate Past Convenor, Membership Services
Glasgow Branch giving the first performance of The Homecoming Dance on the 250th Anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns.
The Homecoming Dance Homecoming Scotland 2009 is a programme of events throughout the year to celebrate Scotland’s contributions to the world, whether it is golf, whisky, great minds and innovations or the country’s rich culture and heritage. It coincides with the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns. Organisations all over the country have been invited to plan activities designed to appeal to people, whether they be Scots, of Scottish descent, married to a Scot, living in Scotland or simply interested in Scotland and the Scots. Through our Marketing Officer, Liz Fraser, we were approached in May last year by Visit Scotland (the Scottish tourist agency) and invited to suggest how we might be involved. At the beginning of June we submitted proposals, but it was not until October, just two days before the previous issue of the magazine went to the printers, that we were commissioned to produce a new dance with music. In the magazine we invited ‘budding devisers and composers’ to submit dances and music. We were delighted to receive ninetythree dances and twenty-two tunes. A working group was set up to go through the dances. With great difficulty they reduced the final number to be considered to four. These dances were danced by a different group who voted for the winning dance. A
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similar process, led by Mo Rutherford, the Music Director, was followed for the music. The winning dance was then danced to the tunes Mo’s group had short-listed and the best match voted on. The winning dance was devised by Anne Thorn of Helensburgh Branch and George Meikle, the well-known Scottish band leader and member of Monklands Branch, composed the music. Anne Thorn, who devised the winning dance, said of her composition, "There are many dances being devised now but in my opinion the best dances flow and have a suitably lively or melodic tune, I hope that all who dance The Homecoming Dance will enjoy it whether they are an experienced dancer, beginner or visitor to Scotland during the Homecoming Scotland 2009 year." George Meikle who composed the original tune for the dance, JJ's Reel.
Photograph by Alasdair Graham
The dance was first performed by the Glasgow Branch Demonstration Group at the Burns Illuminated concert organised by Glasgow City Council and held in George Square on 25 January. VisitScotland had insisted that the dance should not be made available to RSCDS members or the public until after its premiere. Things became more complex when, two weeks before the end of the year, we were asked by Unique Events, the company that organises Edinburgh Hogmanay celebrations, if we could provide a team of young dancers to take part in The Dancin’ to be held in The Grassmarket in Edinburgh on 30 December. EventScotland was keen to use this event to show case The Homecoming Dance but the selection process was still in progress. As it happened, we had received a few ‘round the room’ dances for the dance competition, and a dance devised by Tim Wilson of San Francisco Branch was chosen and danced on the night. With Tim’s agreement the dance was renamed The Grassmarket Reel and the tune which had been the runner up, composed by James Gray, was subsequently selected to accompany it. Full descriptions and music for both dances are in the booklet accompanying this issue. Thanks are due to all members who submitted dances and music and also those who helped to reduce the original list, first to a ‘short-list’ and then to the winner.
