Scottish Country Dance Bands 8
The Hawthorn Lads Won’t Forget VJ Night
Four out of the five members of the present Hawthorn Band are original members of the group formed by brothers James and Andy Tosh of Blairgowrie in 1945.
James has clear memories of their first dance, which was at Clunie, by Blairgowrie, on VJ night.
“Nobody knew just when VJ night would come and there could be no advertising’
“Anyway, when it was announced over the radio everyone was in great spirits and after some bother over transport, as petrol was very scarce, we managed to hire a lorry to get there with a load of dancers as well.
“It was a very enjoyable night and finished about four in the morning. This was the start of many dances at Clunie”.
Seven Players Then
The band first broadcast in 1948 with seven players (three accordions, two violins, piano and drums) but they have reduced to a five-piece band.
In James’s opinion dancing has changed since the war.
“When we started most of the dances were sets dances or ‘heavies’, as they were better known, with an occasional waltz for a ‘breather’. Only a few of these are done now, mixed with other couple-dances and modern dances.”
Recently an old friend of Tommy McDonald, the drummer, said to him, “I mind fine when ye started playin’ wi’ the boys. Ah could jist aboot see the nappies stickin’ oot abine yer breeks.” Tommy was 15 then.
Jimmy Howe, the violinist, declares he has spent the last 15 years “farming and fiddling”.
Andy and James Tosh, who play piano and button-key accordions, were both brought up in the country and are engineers to trade. “Sometimes the engineering is a bit neglected, should any music crop up”.
Sheena Smart, the pianist, who used to live around Arbroath, joined the band four years ago. She handles any music writing and arranging.
Island Trips
The band average 2,000 miles per month. “Most of this is done between March and October, as we try to keep to short journeys during the bad weather”.
They have visited the Orkney and Shetland Islands and most of the islands up the West Coast of Scotland. Occasionally we go down to the Midlands of England to play for Scottish and Irish Clubs there. We have toured Ireland extensively four times”.
The band dress consists of maroon jackets and black trousers. They also have tartan jackets which were specially made for their first Irish tour.
Scots and Irish
“There are only two kinds of music I really like,” says James Tosh – “Scottish and Irish, which reminds me of part of the speech made by the Provost of Cork at a Civic Reception given to us. He said, “The Scots and Irish have much in common. The Scots play the pipes. The Irish play the pipes. The Scots wear the kilt. The Irish wear the kilt. The Scots like their Scotch. The Irish like their Irish.”
The Hawthorn Lads Won’t Forget VJ Night
Four out of the five members of the present Hawthorn Band are original members of the group formed by brothers James and Andy Tosh of Blairgowrie in 1945.
James has clear memories of their first dance, which was at Clunie, by Blairgowrie, on VJ night.
“Nobody knew just when VJ night would come and there could be no advertising’
“Anyway, when it was announced over the radio everyone was in great spirits and after some bother over transport, as petrol was very scarce, we managed to hire a lorry to get there with a load of dancers as well.
“It was a very enjoyable night and finished about four in the morning. This was the start of many dances at Clunie”.
Seven Players Then
The band first broadcast in 1948 with seven players (three accordions, two violins, piano and drums) but they have reduced to a five-piece band.
In James’s opinion dancing has changed since the war.
“When we started most of the dances were sets dances or ‘heavies’, as they were better known, with an occasional waltz for a ‘breather’. Only a few of these are done now, mixed with other couple-dances and modern dances.”
Recently an old friend of Tommy McDonald, the drummer, said to him, “I mind fine when ye started playin’ wi’ the boys. Ah could jist aboot see the nappies stickin’ oot abine yer breeks.” Tommy was 15 then.
Jimmy Howe, the violinist, declares he has spent the last 15 years “farming and fiddling”.
Andy and James Tosh, who play piano and button-key accordions, were both brought up in the country and are engineers to trade. “Sometimes the engineering is a bit neglected, should any music crop up”.
Sheena Smart, the pianist, who used to live around Arbroath, joined the band four years ago. She handles any music writing and arranging.
Island Trips
The band average 2,000 miles per month. “Most of this is done between March and October, as we try to keep to short journeys during the bad weather”.
They have visited the Orkney and Shetland Islands and most of the islands up the West Coast of Scotland. Occasionally we go down to the Midlands of England to play for Scottish and Irish Clubs there. We have toured Ireland extensively four times”.
The band dress consists of maroon jackets and black trousers. They also have tartan jackets which were specially made for their first Irish tour.
Scots and Irish
“There are only two kinds of music I really like,” says James Tosh – “Scottish and Irish, which reminds me of part of the speech made by the Provost of Cork at a Civic Reception given to us. He said, “The Scots and Irish have much in common. The Scots play the pipes. The Irish play the pipes. The Scots wear the kilt. The Irish wear the kilt. The Scots like their Scotch. The Irish like their Irish.”