The winter is marching past, spring awaits, and the year of dancing draws shorter. Already, plans are underway for the AGM on April 24. Bring some yummy food and let’s make it a productive, social occasion, with dancing to follow the meeting.
The last social for the year will be a ceilidh on May 13 at Vanier. Mark it on your calendars, spread the word among friends and family. All are welcome, the more the merrier! Let’s finish on a high note of celebration and jubilation. Who knows, we may even entice some new blood (men??) to join us next fall.
Since this is the last newsletter for the year, big thanks to Mary Bridson who has done a wonderful job coordinating newsletters and dance social booklets. May there be an eternal spring in your step, “Top o’ the morning to you” on March 17, and beware the leprechauns!
Every January a few of our dancers spend time with residents of the Glenbrook Lodge on Torbay Road to help celebrate Burns’ Night. This year it was held on the afternoon of January 26. Thank you to Noreen and Penny for organizing the event.
The St. John’s Branch of R.S.C.D.S. has a scholarship fund to assist dancers who wish to attend the T.A.C. or St. Andrew’s Summer Schools, up to an amount of $500. Preference will be given to those who wish to participate in the teacher candidacy classes. Applications for funding for this coming summer should be made in writing to the executive by March 31, 2006.
The 34th T.A.C. Summer School welcomes all Scottish country dancers, not just teachers, at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario. Teachers are Ruth Jappy (Delta, BC), Robert McOwen (Arlington, MA) and Rebecca Blackhall (Peters Langley, BC). Musicians include Bobby Brown, Laird Brown, Mara Shea and Jim Stevenson-Mathews. Visit their website at http://tac-rscds.org for more information and registration forms. You might also like to talk to Margaret Connors, who attended this event in 2004.
This is held for four weeks every summer in Scotland at St. Andrews, Fife. You may attend for one week or for any two weeks. They hope that each week will offer something special but, if you choose to attend for two weeks, there may be some duplication in content and staffing. Unfortunately the deadline for registration was March 1st, but you might like to think about it for next year. For forms and details check the website http://www.rscds.org/training/SummerSchoolDetails.html. Kathy Simonsen’s account of her attendance at last year’s school was featured in the September 2005 Newsletter.
Our branch of the R.S.C.D.S. was much in evidence at the Burns’ Night Supper held at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall on January 28 this year, and not only for the number of members who bought tickets and attended.
The demonstration dance team performed the Round Reel of Eight, Sands of Morar, and the Piper and the Penguin, looking very elegant in kilts or long white dresses with sashes. Thanks to Sue Scott (who led the group in the absence of husband Bill), Catherine Wright, Kathy Simonsen, Penny Gillies, Martin Mulligan, Bridgette Hamilton, Elizabeth Green and Frank O’Connor. (Frank was called into service at the last minute to replace Bill, just before leaving the province – thank you!)
Elizabeth Green did double duty as a piper with the City of St. John’s Pipe Band – her first public appearance apart from the Kirk. Well done, Elizabeth! I don’t know how you had the puff to perform both functions! One of our new dancers, Sarah Newstead, is also an experienced piper with the band.
Karen Oakley and Penny Gillies were responsible for the lovely decoration of the hall with hangings, flowers, and photos of the demonstration team at previous functions.
Corryvreckan played for the dancers, as well as for the ceilidh dancing following the speeches, and we also congratulate Stewart Gillies for his double performance as fiddler and orator. He gave a great toast to The Immortal Memory – pure dead brilliant!
And finally, Noreen MacLennan and Martin Mulligan led the ceilidh dancing as usual, persuading many to get up and give it a try: an energetic ending to an evening of Scottish celebration.
At Twelfth Night we danced Miss Gibson’s Strathspey, an elegant dance with some interesting variations and lovely music. The lady to whom it was dedicated died in Edinburgh on October 22, 2005, at the age of 92. Muriel Gibson was Secretary to the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society from 1975 to 1988, and was then elected an Honourary Vice-President. Apparently she received a lot of letters addressed “Dear Sir”, so the Society commissioned a strathspey in her honour, with a special tune composed for her, “The Colonel is a lady.” This was played at her funeral.
Miss Gibson achieved the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Women’s Royal Army Corps, which she joined at the outbreak of WWII. She served in North Africa, Italy and Germany, and was Mentioned in Dispatches in 1945. She retired after 23 years’ service, and became Personnel Officer with Ferranti in Edinburgh; when she retired from that she became the director of the Red Cross in Hamilton; and after that, secretary of the R.S.C.D.S! She also served for 18 years as secretary of the Russian Ballet Group, of which her sister Eunice was the president.
However, one of the great passions of her life was the Scottish Nationalist Party, which she joined in 1932, and although she had to suspend her membership during the war (following her brief detention in Glasgow when she joined the army), she worked tirelessly in its cause. She campaigned, ran as a candidate, served as Assistant National Secretary from 1967-71, and then as National Secretary from 1971-2 and 1975-77.
She will be remembered by many people in different organizations as a dedicated and tireless worker, and not least when we dance her strathspey.
Corryvreckan, our Scottish Country Dance Band, who so enliven our socials and ceilidhs, are a motley crew, I have discovered! I thought you might like to learn a little more about the current members, their musical and “real life” backgrounds, and what they like about Scottish dance music, so I sent them all a questionnaire. For more information about the history of the band, you should read Bruce Shawyer’s article on our website.
Bruce Shawyer - Piano
Bruce started playing piano at age 10. At his elementary school Scottish Country Dance was part of the Phys. Ed. curriculum, and as the school had no record player, anyone who could play piano was expected to play for at least one dance. Bruce’s speciality was Petronella. (At the Glenbrook Lodge Burns’ Celebration this year, he played solo for dancing for the first time since leaving elementary school in 1949!) He took lessons for 5 years, then gave up. But after leaving school, he often tinkled on any available piano. He wanted his children to learn to play an instrument, and so bought a piano in 1975, and took up playing more seriously again, playing their music up to the grade 8 level (Western Ontario Academy).
On coming to Newfoundland in 1985, he looked for a fiddler to play with and, most fortunately, found Stewart Gillies (through his demo dance partner, Penny). They started to play together in about 1987. The first incarnation of Corryvreckan was called Rhum, Eigg and Muck, and their first "performance" was at Newfie Encounter III in 1989. Bruce no longer dances, unfortunately, as a knee injury many years ago has come back to haunt him with arthritis.
Bruce writes many original compositions for the band – he has about 150 tunes to his name, many available in our branch’s three published books. [Check the website for more information on these.] For each branch social he produces a book of music for each member of Corryvreckan. This ensures that everyone has the same music, since the arrangements do evolve and change over time. As for favourite tunes and tempos, he says he has many, but perhaps MacDonald of the Isles would be his most liked set.
He also plays (with different musicians) in Benison for English Country Dancing.
Bruce retired three years ago, Professor Emeritus, after 40 years of teaching Mathematics in three universities, so tells me he does nothing in the “real” world!
Stewart Gillies – Violin
Stewart started playing music when he was 8 years old and played a lot until he was 16. He then gave up for 25 years until Bruce Shawyer irritated him to start again! Now he plays with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra as well as Corryvreckan. He was originally classically trained and played with several orchestras.
Stewart has a bad leg, so dancing is not great for him these days. (He also finds it hard to dance and play at the same time!) He leaves all the composing of tunes to Bruce, and he has no particular favourites among the dances and tempos – he likes them all!
In the “real” world, of course, Stewart is a highly qualified and well respected dentist.
Alasdair Black – Violin
Alasdair started violin lessons in 1968 at the age of 8, and continued on through Music College in The Guildhall School of Music, London, England, after which his musical career took him all over Europe, Iceland and Canada. After a career break in the 1990s he worked in tourism at Glenturret Malt Whisky Distillery in Crieff, Perthshire, and founded a Scottish folk group called “On the Wagon”.
1999 was a big year for Alasdair. He came to Newfoundland, married his wife Alison, joined the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, and started playing with Corryvreckan!
He has been playing Scottish tunes ever since he could play the violin, and thinks that reels are maybe the best fun to play. Strathspeys are physically very hard on the arms.
Alasdair plays with Sinfonia as well as the NSO, and teaches violin and viola in St. John’s. He also manages the Admiralty House Museum in Mount Pearl.
Tara Bryan – Guitar
Tara’s parents are both musical, and there was always an eclectic variety of music in her home (and still is in her studio – everything from Chinese Opera to hip hop). She took piano and voice lessons early on, started violin at 9 and taught herself to play guitar sometime along the way. She started writing songs in high school, and studied music in university (Bachelor of Music in theory and composition, University of New Mexico, and played violin.)
Tara began playing Scottish dance music when she joined Corryvreckan. Stewart Gillies heard that she was musical before she moved to St. John's in 1992, and coerced her some time when she was helpless in the dental chair, around 1993 or '94!
Tara loves to dance, but hasn’t tried Scottish, though she has thought about it. She claims she is afraid of Stewart and Bruce! She does compose a few tunes for the band, and also does transcriptions from tapes for Bruce. She likes the jigs and reels, and likes to watch Saint John River, but hates to play it.
In her everyday life Tara is a well-known artist-painter and book artist. She has an MFA in painting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She shows her work at Christina Parker Gallery in St. John's.
Abigail Steel – Flute/Whistles
Abigail started playing flute at age 12 and enjoyed many years playing with the school concert band and later saxophone with the jazz band. She thinks music and cross- country skiing were her answer to “difficult” teenage years. Once at university, music was forgotten as she tried to fit far too many engineering formulas into her grey matter. When she graduated with a degree in civil engineering from Queen's University in 1983, she swore she’d never return. Now many years later she is happily back at university, having given up her day job, to pursue a PhD in engineering.
Music came back into her life around the time that her son Landon was born (he's 13 now). Her husband started inviting people over to their house to play music and sing a few songs. It was very ad hoc, but did quiet down the kids.
Band member Phil Graham asked if she wanted to come out and practice with Corryvrekan about eight years ago, after the band’s previous flute player left the province. She has never had any formal instruction and feels she is at best an average flute player. . . so the fast music has been especially challenging! She picked up the whistle as it makes the faster pieces easier to play and projects better.
She really enjoys playing with the band – musically they are extremely adept and they're just fun to be around. Her favourite tune is Father's Joy which Bruce wrote for her. [Bruce informs me that Abigail means Father’s Joy in Hebrew.] The only time she has done any Scottish country dancing was when she worked in the Delft, Netherlands after she finished university. (Fortunately all the instructions were in English!)
Andy Fisher – Bass Guitar
Andy's promising music career as a rhythm guitarist for Swamp Rat was tragically cut short when, at age 13, an upright piano fell on him and broke all three of the major bones in his right leg (while emitting a minor chord). Six weeks of traction and six weeks in a full body cast convinced him to retire from the stage and pursue an alternative career. He has recently overcome his fear of pianos enough to join Corryvreckan, which he thought was an elite scotch tasting group.
While he fills many roles with the band, he is best at plugging in all those tangled cords and flicking the little switches as well as getting coffee during the break. In addition, he has played mandolin and bass with the band and plays guitar and banjo when nobody is listening. Reels and jigs are his favourite Scottish pieces, and he doesn't dare to venture onto the dance floor except when the food table is out.
Andy teaches mechanical engineering at MUN and plans to compete in the chauffeuring Olympics after Abigail and his three teenagers complete his training program.
Phil Graham – Accordian
Phil plays second accordion (mostly rhythm) with the band and occasionally fills in on piano when Bruce is away. Ten years ago, in a rare spirit of tolerance and good will, band members allowed Phil to bring his accordion out of the furnace room and actually play in public for dances.
Phil says, “This music is so much fun I can't stand still, and the band members are OK too.” He looks forward to carrying on the tradition. Phil also plays traditional jazz piano – anyone need a jazz quartet minus two for a party?
He dances while playing the accordion, but never joined the dancers; he reckons the steps are too complicated, and his feet are slow learners. He doesn’t compose, but he enjoys all the music the band plays.
Phil is a semi-retired civil engineer. He still does building renovation projects, when he can find the time from outdoor recreation activities.
A small group of us keep dancing on an informal basis through the summer, starting towards the end of June. Last year we danced outside by Quidi Vidi Lake! If you are interested, keep an eye on the website, or call a board member around that time.
A Nominations Committee will shortly be in place to find candidates for next year’s Committee. Congratulations to this year’s board members on their work, and thank you for making our dancing and socials a smooth-running, enjoyable pastime.
Thank you all contributors, and please keep looking for interesting articles, anecdotes and events for future issues. Thanks also to Margaret Connors, Noreen MacLennan and Penny Gillies for helping with the production of the dance booklets. Any failings are mine, but they help provide the instructions and do the proof reading/dancing.