Bruce Lindsay Snr (? - 6th Nov 2020)
by Catherine Speight
Very very sad to hear about the passing of Bruce Lindsay Snr. A man who was so important to so many people, and one of the kindest and most humble souls I’ll likely ever know. Bruce has always encouraged me since I was wee and only just beginning to play traditional music, anyone who knows me knows how important Bruce was to me both as a person and as a musician and it’s thanks to him that I hold some of the musical values that are now most important to me. When I was 11/12 years old, playing music in Windygates every Wednesday night was my favourite time of the week – supposed to be 7-9pm but more often we’d finish at around 10.30pm! Visiting Bruce at the house and sitting around the fire with others, playing tunes and listening to stories, and speaking about how important it is to keep traditions alive. He spoke about how every time someone entered our sessions at Windygates they would ‘put the key in the door and turn back 50 years’ and how important it was that we still play this kind of music and keep the community alive. For all his successes, I never heard of them from Bruce; always from other people and he constantly showed patience with me right from the very beginning. I always looked forward to playing music with Bruce and enjoyed all the performances he let me be a part of, the trips to Ireland, the trips to Fort William and all the other general chaos. Every performance running way over time and people constantly being brought up from the audience to play a piece, sing a song or even tell a story. I definitely would never have been where I am now if it wasn’t for the influence Bruce Lindsay has had on me; I will miss him as will so many others. Love to all of Bruce's friends and family.
A friend of mine posted the Provosts tribute to Bruce which I thought was very fitting so I’ve included it here. It’s taken from a website detailing an Accordion Festival, ‘The Big Squeeze’, in Ireland in 2016, one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had.
“David Bruce Lindsay (known as Bruce) has been involved in the local community for over 50 years. As a young man he played the piano at many local functions throughout the Leven and Windygates area. Later on in life he took up playing the accordion and played with many bands over the years both as an entertainer and a fund raiser. At this time he played for local amateur dramatic groups, old folks clubs, bowling clubs, Burns Clubs, Women’s Guilds and general fund raising for local halls and churches.
In 1987, his passion for traditional music and the accordion made him start the Button-Key Accordion and Fiddle Club based at the Greig Institute, Windygates. As key founder of the Club since its conception he is as passionate about the music as he was 28 years ago. Through the years Bruce and his committees have raised considerable sums of money for charities as well as providing unique entrainment to the local community.
Bruce has led the well-renowned “Shand Morino Day" for 20 years where musicians and members of the public come from all over Scotland, Ireland and England to play and listen to the accordion as designed by his friend, the late, great Sir Jimmy Shand.
He was also heavily involved in leading the Accordion Club to provide Scottish entertainment in Böblingen, Germany when Glenrothes visited its twin town. The Club has visited Germany twice and on his last visit he was made an honorary member of Dagersheim Harmonica Club for appreciation of his exceptional leadership, friendship and music he has provided over the years. Bruce has also been an excellent host providing true Scottish hospitality to the Harmonica Club when they visited Fife on three separate occasions.
In 2001, he started a group called the Buttons & Bows to encourage players to come along and learn to play the left hand of the accordion. It started with about 5 or 6 players but soon expanded until now he regularly has 30 – 40 accordion players, singers, drummers and mouth organ players each week who meet at Windygates where the ages range from 12 to 86.
Bruce as leader of the Button & Bows has given up his own time to entertain many, many groups over the years and helped groups to raise money for their own well- deserved and much needed local funds. The groups have included ENABLE St Andrews, Leng Home, Newport on Tay; Ladywalk Care Home, Anstruther; Leven Beach Care Home; Glenrothes Hospital and Gibson Home, St. Andrews to name a few. Entertainments at churches, fetes and highland games include Star of Markinch, Ceres, Anstruther, Dunfermline, Cupar, Springfield, Ladybank, Kingskettle, Scoonie, Buckhaven and many more.
He has led the group on a very successful visit to Kilkenny, Ireland and each year they travel to Fort William to play and raise money for a local hall.
Bruce’s love of music has led him to be a patient, enthusiastic, encouraging and infectious leader with an extremely warm and friendly personality. He will happily spend his time helping others to learn the accordion or “fixing or repairing” instruments in need of attention. He is a modest man and a great story teller who is as happy helping an 80 year old man learn the accordion as he was playing on one occasion with Sir Jimmy Shand at the Usher Hall.”
http://thebigsqueeze.ie/bruce-lindsay/
A friend of mine posted the Provosts tribute to Bruce which I thought was very fitting so I’ve included it here. It’s taken from a website detailing an Accordion Festival, ‘The Big Squeeze’, in Ireland in 2016, one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had.
“David Bruce Lindsay (known as Bruce) has been involved in the local community for over 50 years. As a young man he played the piano at many local functions throughout the Leven and Windygates area. Later on in life he took up playing the accordion and played with many bands over the years both as an entertainer and a fund raiser. At this time he played for local amateur dramatic groups, old folks clubs, bowling clubs, Burns Clubs, Women’s Guilds and general fund raising for local halls and churches.
In 1987, his passion for traditional music and the accordion made him start the Button-Key Accordion and Fiddle Club based at the Greig Institute, Windygates. As key founder of the Club since its conception he is as passionate about the music as he was 28 years ago. Through the years Bruce and his committees have raised considerable sums of money for charities as well as providing unique entrainment to the local community.
Bruce has led the well-renowned “Shand Morino Day" for 20 years where musicians and members of the public come from all over Scotland, Ireland and England to play and listen to the accordion as designed by his friend, the late, great Sir Jimmy Shand.
He was also heavily involved in leading the Accordion Club to provide Scottish entertainment in Böblingen, Germany when Glenrothes visited its twin town. The Club has visited Germany twice and on his last visit he was made an honorary member of Dagersheim Harmonica Club for appreciation of his exceptional leadership, friendship and music he has provided over the years. Bruce has also been an excellent host providing true Scottish hospitality to the Harmonica Club when they visited Fife on three separate occasions.
In 2001, he started a group called the Buttons & Bows to encourage players to come along and learn to play the left hand of the accordion. It started with about 5 or 6 players but soon expanded until now he regularly has 30 – 40 accordion players, singers, drummers and mouth organ players each week who meet at Windygates where the ages range from 12 to 86.
Bruce as leader of the Button & Bows has given up his own time to entertain many, many groups over the years and helped groups to raise money for their own well- deserved and much needed local funds. The groups have included ENABLE St Andrews, Leng Home, Newport on Tay; Ladywalk Care Home, Anstruther; Leven Beach Care Home; Glenrothes Hospital and Gibson Home, St. Andrews to name a few. Entertainments at churches, fetes and highland games include Star of Markinch, Ceres, Anstruther, Dunfermline, Cupar, Springfield, Ladybank, Kingskettle, Scoonie, Buckhaven and many more.
He has led the group on a very successful visit to Kilkenny, Ireland and each year they travel to Fort William to play and raise money for a local hall.
Bruce’s love of music has led him to be a patient, enthusiastic, encouraging and infectious leader with an extremely warm and friendly personality. He will happily spend his time helping others to learn the accordion or “fixing or repairing” instruments in need of attention. He is a modest man and a great story teller who is as happy helping an 80 year old man learn the accordion as he was playing on one occasion with Sir Jimmy Shand at the Usher Hall.”
http://thebigsqueeze.ie/bruce-lindsay/