Murdo MacLeod
Founder of the Livingston A&F Club
by BA & JB
B&F January 2012
Over the years Murdo has written many articles about Club members for the Box and Fiddle. We thought it was time to turn the tables on someone so vital to the history of the Club. Murdo, with his soft Highland accent, has played his part as Chairman, Treasurer, MC and writer of Club reports for the Box and Fiddle. He was born in Harris in the Western Isles into a family of seven. As a young lad his first language was Gaelic, which he still speaks fluently today. His father was a well respected professional piper, who composed many tunes, among them being ‘Loch Voshmid’ which incidentally was played by John Morrison, a regular fiddler at the Club, when he competed at The Golden Fiddle Awards at Perth in 1969. He came third when the judges were Hector MacAndrew and Yehudi Menhhin. From an early age he was immersed in Scottish music – pipe and Scottish Dance music – a keen listener to the bands of the day on the wireless including Jimmy Shand, Bobby MacLeod and Will Hannah. He learned the pipes and could get a tune out of the accordion.
As was the way of many teenage islanders, Murdo moved to the mainland for work in various locations before going to Aberdeen University, where he obtained his Geography Degree. Whilst in Aberdeen Murdo had digs with Mr and Mrs Mair, who turned out to run an open house for musicians. Here he met many bandleaders including Alastair Hunter and Ian Powrie, also the aforementioned fiddler Hector MacAndrew. Mr and Mrs Mair had had two sons and a daughter, Florence, who played the fiddle and eventually joined Alistair Hunter’s Band. One of the young ladies who went to the same school as Florence was Evelyn Carle, who was to become Murdo’s wife many years later.
His first teaching post was in Glasgow and during this time he attended many social occasions at The Glasgow Highlanders’ Institute. He attended most of the grand dances and so heard most of the great Scottish dance bands of the time and made friends with many of the bandleaders (which was very useful later when he formed the Accordion Club!)
After marrying Evelyn in 1965 the newly-weds moved to Thornhill, as Murdo had a teaching job in Dumfries. As always his love of Scottish dance music was there and this led him to the famous ‘”Hole in the Wa’ “ pub owned by Max Houliston. Murdo became friendly with him and was privileged to be at what was to be the first Accordion and Fiddle Club as we know it today. The first guest was Kenny Wilson, the Leadhills fiddler. In 1967 the family moved to Livingston when Murdo became a Lecturer at the Edinburgh College of Commerce which later became Napier College. As ever Murdo’s interest brought him into contact with many musicians including John MacGregor, the bandleader, and John Know, the folk singer; and together they instigated informal gatherings at The West End Hotel in Edinburgh. Among the many guests there were Iain MacPhail, Jack Stalker and Alex MacArthur. Roger suggested a guest might be a folk singing friend of his and Murdo turned down the idea. It turns out that this singer was Barbara Dickson!
Nearer home he organised music sessions in The Ladywell Community Centre, when people came to play together without an audience. This led him to founding The Livingston Accordion and Fiddle Club in September 1973 in Rab’s Bar in Livingston Station. Murdo is very proud to be the founder of the Club and also of becoming the first Honorary Member.
The amount of time and energy these projects involved is due to his wife Evelyn giving him free rein to indulge his interest, so she is deserving of the grateful thanks of everyone who has enjoyed the music and companionship of the Club. Evelyn and Murdo have a son and daughter who both carry on the musical tradition. Niall plays bass guitar and used to play in a band and Aline plays guitar and sings a good Gaelic song.
Through his friendship with John MacGregor he met the Edinburgh accordion teacher Chrissie Letham, who encouraged many of her pupils to attend the Club and his friendship with so many bandleaders meant it was easy for the Club to get great guests.
Since the beginning, the Club has changed venues in and around Livingston 14 times and Murdo has attended and still attends most of the meetings. He is always there to lend a willing hand in any way he can. This includes interviewing and writing articles about Club Members for The Box and Fiddle. Away from music his time is still given generously to charity work, including volunteering at St John’s Hospital in Livingston.
In conclusion Murdo comments that he is so appreciative of the abilities of the players who attend the Club and perform so effortlessly, often with no music, he is reminded of the lines in Oliver Goldsmith’s ‘Deserted Village’ :
“And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew
That one small head could carry all he knew.”
As was the way of many teenage islanders, Murdo moved to the mainland for work in various locations before going to Aberdeen University, where he obtained his Geography Degree. Whilst in Aberdeen Murdo had digs with Mr and Mrs Mair, who turned out to run an open house for musicians. Here he met many bandleaders including Alastair Hunter and Ian Powrie, also the aforementioned fiddler Hector MacAndrew. Mr and Mrs Mair had had two sons and a daughter, Florence, who played the fiddle and eventually joined Alistair Hunter’s Band. One of the young ladies who went to the same school as Florence was Evelyn Carle, who was to become Murdo’s wife many years later.
His first teaching post was in Glasgow and during this time he attended many social occasions at The Glasgow Highlanders’ Institute. He attended most of the grand dances and so heard most of the great Scottish dance bands of the time and made friends with many of the bandleaders (which was very useful later when he formed the Accordion Club!)
After marrying Evelyn in 1965 the newly-weds moved to Thornhill, as Murdo had a teaching job in Dumfries. As always his love of Scottish dance music was there and this led him to the famous ‘”Hole in the Wa’ “ pub owned by Max Houliston. Murdo became friendly with him and was privileged to be at what was to be the first Accordion and Fiddle Club as we know it today. The first guest was Kenny Wilson, the Leadhills fiddler. In 1967 the family moved to Livingston when Murdo became a Lecturer at the Edinburgh College of Commerce which later became Napier College. As ever Murdo’s interest brought him into contact with many musicians including John MacGregor, the bandleader, and John Know, the folk singer; and together they instigated informal gatherings at The West End Hotel in Edinburgh. Among the many guests there were Iain MacPhail, Jack Stalker and Alex MacArthur. Roger suggested a guest might be a folk singing friend of his and Murdo turned down the idea. It turns out that this singer was Barbara Dickson!
Nearer home he organised music sessions in The Ladywell Community Centre, when people came to play together without an audience. This led him to founding The Livingston Accordion and Fiddle Club in September 1973 in Rab’s Bar in Livingston Station. Murdo is very proud to be the founder of the Club and also of becoming the first Honorary Member.
The amount of time and energy these projects involved is due to his wife Evelyn giving him free rein to indulge his interest, so she is deserving of the grateful thanks of everyone who has enjoyed the music and companionship of the Club. Evelyn and Murdo have a son and daughter who both carry on the musical tradition. Niall plays bass guitar and used to play in a band and Aline plays guitar and sings a good Gaelic song.
Through his friendship with John MacGregor he met the Edinburgh accordion teacher Chrissie Letham, who encouraged many of her pupils to attend the Club and his friendship with so many bandleaders meant it was easy for the Club to get great guests.
Since the beginning, the Club has changed venues in and around Livingston 14 times and Murdo has attended and still attends most of the meetings. He is always there to lend a willing hand in any way he can. This includes interviewing and writing articles about Club Members for The Box and Fiddle. Away from music his time is still given generously to charity work, including volunteering at St John’s Hospital in Livingston.
In conclusion Murdo comments that he is so appreciative of the abilities of the players who attend the Club and perform so effortlessly, often with no music, he is reminded of the lines in Oliver Goldsmith’s ‘Deserted Village’ :
“And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew
That one small head could carry all he knew.”