Scottish Country Dance Bands 12
Ian’s first audience were Munition Workers
The band which played at doyen Jimmy Shand’s Silver Wedding celebration 10 days ago was Ian Arnott’s.
Ian considered it an honour.
Two days later Ian and his players had a less happy experience, but not an uncommon one for bands who travel any distance to winter engagements.
They played at Kinloch Rannoch on the Friday night and at 1.30am the following day started on the homeward journey to Perth. They travelled in the worst of the blizzard which hit most of the country that Saturday morning.
The 47-mile journey took over 5 hours and the band spent much of the time outside the car pushing.
In Dundee
Ian Arnott’s first experience of playing in public came at the end of the war.
“I was one of a group of BB lads who played at munition factories in Dundee while the workers were having their break late at night. It was great fun.”
Ian started work at the British Linen Bank, West Port, Dundee, and was transferred to Perth office in 1956, as his parents lived there.
Before his National Service Ian played in the Tayside Band, Dundee, and on return played for a while in the Glenlivet Band, also Dundee.
Now he is married, with a one-year-old daughter.
He formed his band early in 1955and played at one or two dances locally. In September of that year they were given the chance of playing for Perth Scottish Country Dance Club.
The band was invited to play at the Annual General Meeting of the R.S.C.D.S., held in Perth in November. There was a Ball one evening and an Open Dance the next. At these dances there was a total of 1,000 dancers, including many from England, Ireland and Wales.
The Players
With violinist Ian there are three others in the Band.
Frank Thomson (piano accordion) hails from Glenalmond, is 20 years old and is a bank clerk in Crieff. He was Champion of the North & East Coast of Scotland in 1958.
Ian MacLeish (piano), a partner in The Music Shop, Perth, does the arrangements for the Band. His name appears in many albums of Scottish music.
Stanley Spiers (drums), at one time a drummer in the Perth & District Pipe Band, comes from a very musical Perth family and has two brothers who play in dance bands.
In 1957 Ian was in hospital for six months, during which, “Ian MacLeish kept the band going.”
The band started broadcasting in 1958.
“Travelling is limited due to full-time occupations, but we play at dances throughout the Big County so it is in Perthshire that we are best known.
“Although TV now plays a big part in our lives and there are so many sophisticated distractions, the country folk still retain strong feeling for Scottish music and dances and it gives us much pleasure to play for them.”
The band’s next broadcast is from the Dundee Studio on Saturday, March 4.
Ian’s first audience were Munition Workers
The band which played at doyen Jimmy Shand’s Silver Wedding celebration 10 days ago was Ian Arnott’s.
Ian considered it an honour.
Two days later Ian and his players had a less happy experience, but not an uncommon one for bands who travel any distance to winter engagements.
They played at Kinloch Rannoch on the Friday night and at 1.30am the following day started on the homeward journey to Perth. They travelled in the worst of the blizzard which hit most of the country that Saturday morning.
The 47-mile journey took over 5 hours and the band spent much of the time outside the car pushing.
In Dundee
Ian Arnott’s first experience of playing in public came at the end of the war.
“I was one of a group of BB lads who played at munition factories in Dundee while the workers were having their break late at night. It was great fun.”
Ian started work at the British Linen Bank, West Port, Dundee, and was transferred to Perth office in 1956, as his parents lived there.
Before his National Service Ian played in the Tayside Band, Dundee, and on return played for a while in the Glenlivet Band, also Dundee.
Now he is married, with a one-year-old daughter.
He formed his band early in 1955and played at one or two dances locally. In September of that year they were given the chance of playing for Perth Scottish Country Dance Club.
The band was invited to play at the Annual General Meeting of the R.S.C.D.S., held in Perth in November. There was a Ball one evening and an Open Dance the next. At these dances there was a total of 1,000 dancers, including many from England, Ireland and Wales.
The Players
With violinist Ian there are three others in the Band.
Frank Thomson (piano accordion) hails from Glenalmond, is 20 years old and is a bank clerk in Crieff. He was Champion of the North & East Coast of Scotland in 1958.
Ian MacLeish (piano), a partner in The Music Shop, Perth, does the arrangements for the Band. His name appears in many albums of Scottish music.
Stanley Spiers (drums), at one time a drummer in the Perth & District Pipe Band, comes from a very musical Perth family and has two brothers who play in dance bands.
In 1957 Ian was in hospital for six months, during which, “Ian MacLeish kept the band going.”
The band started broadcasting in 1958.
“Travelling is limited due to full-time occupations, but we play at dances throughout the Big County so it is in Perthshire that we are best known.
“Although TV now plays a big part in our lives and there are so many sophisticated distractions, the country folk still retain strong feeling for Scottish music and dances and it gives us much pleasure to play for them.”
The band’s next broadcast is from the Dundee Studio on Saturday, March 4.