Box and Fiddle
Year 16 No 07
April 1993
James Scott Skinner – 150 Year Celebration
by Bill Smith
When asked to write an articles on the above mentioned Banchory born genius, I felt that there are many hundreds of musicians with more talent and knowledge of the man than myself. For that reason I will not enter into the technical aspects of Scott Skinners’ methods of bowing expertise.
The name of James Scott Skinner became familiar to me when I would have been about 10 years of age and started to play the fiddle. My father was the fifth son in a family of ten buys and two girls. All the boys played the fiddle and their instruments were made by my grandfather who was a fine player and enthusiastic follower of Scott Skinner.
It was inevitable that I would hear Skinners’ music played, and arguments on how his tunes should be bowed. I also heard how his following would travel many miles either walking or cycling to hear him play at concerts in the North East. I would hear that the halls would be packed and that when the great man played a slow air you could hear a pin drop, and Woe Betide anyone who tapped his or her feet when the pace quickened. This would bring a comment from Skinner “If you must tap your feet, do it inside your shoe!”
The violinist was a man of tremendous ability and strength of character. When taking part in a competition in America and asked to play set pieces in a fixed time he said “I refuse to cast my pearls before swine” and walked off stage.
Scott Skinner also had his hard-up times and during one of these periods he was befriended by the Laird of Drumblair in Forgue near Huntly, hence such fine tunes as ‘The Burn of Forgue’, ‘Bogniebrae’, ‘Huntly Castle’ and ‘The Laird of Drumblair’.
Another story from my mother who recalled seeing him in huntly Post Office with the violinist in conversation with the Post Master and wearing a rather well worn kilt. The maestro was explaining how a new composition would be played and was bending low thus exposing his under clothes which like kilt had seen better days.
The legacy of some six hundred compositions speaks for itself. It is a great pity that the recording facilities were poor and not in the advanced state of the present day.
Aberdeen City Library has printed a facsimile of the Logie Collection and this is on sale at £30 and is a must for all Scottish fiddle players and will rank as one of the finest and lasting tributes to the Banchory genius.
Skinner benefited from training and playing with an orchestra called Dr Marks Little Men and also getting tuition in classical theory and technique from Charles Rougier of the Halle Orchestra. The violinist also had mentors in Peter Milne, the renowned Tarland fiddler and Gavin Greig, musician and playwright. Peter Milne once said that he was “that happy with his fiddle he could sit inside it and look oot”. I am certain that Skinner, like Peter Milne, felt the same. They both had in addition to their talent a fondness for a dram.
On one occasion, their final dram was paid for by scraping the odd pence from their pockets together, a fact that is remembered by a joint composition, “The Shakin’ of the Pokie”, a fine strathspey.
This practice has not gone out of date in the present day, the only difference now is that it costs pounds not pennies. I can recall a similar occasion involving some of Scotland’s leading players after the Banchory Festival.
The writer is too young to have heard Skinner play in person, but in my sixty five years I have met many like the late Sandy Milne who worshipped the man and his music.
The late Miss Margaret Guthrie of Huntly also played the piano for Skinner at his concerts in the Huntly area. Miss Guthrie, like Skinner, was also a dancing teacher.
Harry Nicol, another excellent fiddle player who still plays, has had many a tune and nae doubt a dram with Skinner.
James Scott Skinners’ memory will be commemorated in many ways this year with concerts and fiddle workshops taking place in Banchory.
Also, the Fiddlers Spectacular in H.M. Theatre, Aberdeen, involving the combined Strathspey and Reel Societies of Aberdeen, Banchory and Elgin in the first week of November.
I am sure that someone else will write an article on this talented genius, but these are a few of the items that may be of interest from my personal memories.
Scott Skinner Celebrations
Deeside, well known for oils and royals, is planning a celebration of the birth of one of its sons – famous long before the coming of either oils or royals!
This year is the 150th Anniversary of the birth of J. Scott Skinner. Better known perhaps as the Strathspey King. He was a great Scots fiddler and prolific composer of strathspeys, songs and other traditional music.
The celebration will go on from 25th June until 3rd July and includes many different events.
We started the week with a Grand Concert given by Banchory’s Strathspey and Reel Society – just before they take off for a tour of Canada!
Retired Headmaster, John Junor, a noted authority on the subject, will give a talk. This promises to be a highly enjoyable occasion and supper and music will be included in the evening to be held at a local hotel.
Workshops of traditional dance, music and fiddle repair are being arranged and should be fun for those with or without experience.
Episodes from Scott Skinner’s varied and colourful life will be presented in a drama with each performance followed by a ceilidh. Local bands will provide the music.
There will also be a music composition competition. The prize for this will be a copy of the new Logie Collection – a beautiful red and gold leather bound limited edition of 500. We, of course, have chosen number 150!
As you can see Banchory will be buzzing with music, song, dance and all sorts of artistic endeavours.
For more information contact Mrs Val Bridger, The forge, Strachan, Banchory, AB31 3NN. Tele 0330 45362.
by Bill Smith
When asked to write an articles on the above mentioned Banchory born genius, I felt that there are many hundreds of musicians with more talent and knowledge of the man than myself. For that reason I will not enter into the technical aspects of Scott Skinners’ methods of bowing expertise.
The name of James Scott Skinner became familiar to me when I would have been about 10 years of age and started to play the fiddle. My father was the fifth son in a family of ten buys and two girls. All the boys played the fiddle and their instruments were made by my grandfather who was a fine player and enthusiastic follower of Scott Skinner.
It was inevitable that I would hear Skinners’ music played, and arguments on how his tunes should be bowed. I also heard how his following would travel many miles either walking or cycling to hear him play at concerts in the North East. I would hear that the halls would be packed and that when the great man played a slow air you could hear a pin drop, and Woe Betide anyone who tapped his or her feet when the pace quickened. This would bring a comment from Skinner “If you must tap your feet, do it inside your shoe!”
The violinist was a man of tremendous ability and strength of character. When taking part in a competition in America and asked to play set pieces in a fixed time he said “I refuse to cast my pearls before swine” and walked off stage.
Scott Skinner also had his hard-up times and during one of these periods he was befriended by the Laird of Drumblair in Forgue near Huntly, hence such fine tunes as ‘The Burn of Forgue’, ‘Bogniebrae’, ‘Huntly Castle’ and ‘The Laird of Drumblair’.
Another story from my mother who recalled seeing him in huntly Post Office with the violinist in conversation with the Post Master and wearing a rather well worn kilt. The maestro was explaining how a new composition would be played and was bending low thus exposing his under clothes which like kilt had seen better days.
The legacy of some six hundred compositions speaks for itself. It is a great pity that the recording facilities were poor and not in the advanced state of the present day.
Aberdeen City Library has printed a facsimile of the Logie Collection and this is on sale at £30 and is a must for all Scottish fiddle players and will rank as one of the finest and lasting tributes to the Banchory genius.
Skinner benefited from training and playing with an orchestra called Dr Marks Little Men and also getting tuition in classical theory and technique from Charles Rougier of the Halle Orchestra. The violinist also had mentors in Peter Milne, the renowned Tarland fiddler and Gavin Greig, musician and playwright. Peter Milne once said that he was “that happy with his fiddle he could sit inside it and look oot”. I am certain that Skinner, like Peter Milne, felt the same. They both had in addition to their talent a fondness for a dram.
On one occasion, their final dram was paid for by scraping the odd pence from their pockets together, a fact that is remembered by a joint composition, “The Shakin’ of the Pokie”, a fine strathspey.
This practice has not gone out of date in the present day, the only difference now is that it costs pounds not pennies. I can recall a similar occasion involving some of Scotland’s leading players after the Banchory Festival.
The writer is too young to have heard Skinner play in person, but in my sixty five years I have met many like the late Sandy Milne who worshipped the man and his music.
The late Miss Margaret Guthrie of Huntly also played the piano for Skinner at his concerts in the Huntly area. Miss Guthrie, like Skinner, was also a dancing teacher.
Harry Nicol, another excellent fiddle player who still plays, has had many a tune and nae doubt a dram with Skinner.
James Scott Skinners’ memory will be commemorated in many ways this year with concerts and fiddle workshops taking place in Banchory.
Also, the Fiddlers Spectacular in H.M. Theatre, Aberdeen, involving the combined Strathspey and Reel Societies of Aberdeen, Banchory and Elgin in the first week of November.
I am sure that someone else will write an article on this talented genius, but these are a few of the items that may be of interest from my personal memories.
Scott Skinner Celebrations
Deeside, well known for oils and royals, is planning a celebration of the birth of one of its sons – famous long before the coming of either oils or royals!
This year is the 150th Anniversary of the birth of J. Scott Skinner. Better known perhaps as the Strathspey King. He was a great Scots fiddler and prolific composer of strathspeys, songs and other traditional music.
The celebration will go on from 25th June until 3rd July and includes many different events.
We started the week with a Grand Concert given by Banchory’s Strathspey and Reel Society – just before they take off for a tour of Canada!
Retired Headmaster, John Junor, a noted authority on the subject, will give a talk. This promises to be a highly enjoyable occasion and supper and music will be included in the evening to be held at a local hotel.
Workshops of traditional dance, music and fiddle repair are being arranged and should be fun for those with or without experience.
Episodes from Scott Skinner’s varied and colourful life will be presented in a drama with each performance followed by a ceilidh. Local bands will provide the music.
There will also be a music composition competition. The prize for this will be a copy of the new Logie Collection – a beautiful red and gold leather bound limited edition of 500. We, of course, have chosen number 150!
As you can see Banchory will be buzzing with music, song, dance and all sorts of artistic endeavours.
For more information contact Mrs Val Bridger, The forge, Strachan, Banchory, AB31 3NN. Tele 0330 45362.