Box and Fiddle
Year 38 No 01
September 2014
Allan Kindness (27/03/1936 – 1/7/2014) Obituary
by Ian Lees
A capacity crowd was present in Perth Crematorium on Wednesday, 9th July, to bid farewell to one of Scotland’s most prolific bandleaders – Allan Kindness, leader of the Glendaruel Band, who passed away suddenly on July 1st. Just the weekend before, Allan and Gladys had been present at the Armed Forces’ Day Parade in Stirling with daughter Alison.
Born in the Scottish Borders, Allan and his family moved up to the Dunning area of Perthshire, and he attended Auchterarder High School, where a lifelong friendship was formed with the late John Napier, founder of Perth Strathspey & Reel Society. Allan always loved Scottish musicand bought his first button-key accordion at the age of 15. He taught himself how to play, and indeed, how to read music.
Allan spent a number of years at sea, before returning to the Perth area to take up a post with General Accident Insurance. Here he met a young lady by the name of Gladys Annand. The pair married on October 13th, 1962, and Gladys was to be a stalwart and rock to Allan throughout their married life. In the early days, she would assist Allan’s musical development by taping Scottish music from the radio, from where he would learn the tunes!
Allan and Gladys had three children; Alison, followed by twins Gillian and Graham, but Graham tragically passed away at the age of 11.
Allan’s Glendaruel Band was not the original band bearing that title; Tony Reid led the first Glendaruel Band, but he had ceased to broadcast before Allan assumed the name. Allan’s first band was formed in the early 1960’s, and for the next 30 years, they were extremely busy playing at Country Dances, weddings and other social functions, not only in the Perth area, but all over the U.K. Indeed, Allan was known to drive as far as Leicester to play at a Country Dance, then jump in the car to drive straight home again, reaching Perth between 5 and 6 a.m. Bearing in mind that this happened before the age of mobile ‘phones, Gladys antennae always ensured that the boiled eggs for breakfast awaited Allan on his return!
Allan played, broadcast and recorded alongside many talented musicians, but he was also well known for taking on board promising youngsters and assisting them with their craft. Players such as Gary Mair, Neil Copeland, Mo and Ann Rutherford, and Allan’s own niece, Fiona Ballantine, all benefited from Allan’s expertise. Mo actually played the organ at her ‘uncle’ Allan’s funeral service, a promise that had been made many years ago. Mo rattled off the reel Gladys Kindness, the tune Allan had composed for his wife.
Allan was no mean composer either, and many of his tunes have received wide acclaim. The jig Christian Cato is the original tune for the popular RSCDS dance, Pelorous Jack, whilst another jig, Allanna Creighton, serves the same purpose for the dance James Gray. Many other excellent tunes were written for family and friends, but one of significance has to be the pipe march, Scottish Week in Aschaffenburg. Aschaffenburg is Perth’s twin town in Bavaria, and Allan and Gladys were involved with the Twinning Association over a number of years.
Allan suffered from two heart attacks, and after the second in 1988, decided to give up playing, but continued to attend Accordion Clubs and Festivals to catch up with his cronies. He was not a fan of the more up-to-date musical arrangements that perhaps demanded a faster tempo, a greater use of syncopation, and more modern ideas. Allan preferred the steady, traditional RSCDS tempo that was his great forte and trademark over the years, standing by his principles until the very end. He was also an avid listener to Radio Tay, especially the programmes of fellow presenter Billy Anderson and myself, often corresponding with comments, or requests for other people.
Apart from music, Allan loved gardening, he and Gladys possibly boasting one of the prettiest ‘cottage’ gardens in Perthshire. The couple also enjoyed many excellent holidays and more recently, Allan and Gladys hankered back to the area of his birth – the Scottish Borders, so that we could say that he went ‘full circle’. There is no question that Allan lived life to the full, even when his life was not quite as good.
I had the pleasure of meeting Allan and Gladys on a number of occasions, finding him to be a warm, gentle and interesting individual who will be sadly missed.
Our condolences go to Gladys, Alison, Gill and the wider family, with many happy memories of Allan.
by Ian Lees
A capacity crowd was present in Perth Crematorium on Wednesday, 9th July, to bid farewell to one of Scotland’s most prolific bandleaders – Allan Kindness, leader of the Glendaruel Band, who passed away suddenly on July 1st. Just the weekend before, Allan and Gladys had been present at the Armed Forces’ Day Parade in Stirling with daughter Alison.
Born in the Scottish Borders, Allan and his family moved up to the Dunning area of Perthshire, and he attended Auchterarder High School, where a lifelong friendship was formed with the late John Napier, founder of Perth Strathspey & Reel Society. Allan always loved Scottish musicand bought his first button-key accordion at the age of 15. He taught himself how to play, and indeed, how to read music.
Allan spent a number of years at sea, before returning to the Perth area to take up a post with General Accident Insurance. Here he met a young lady by the name of Gladys Annand. The pair married on October 13th, 1962, and Gladys was to be a stalwart and rock to Allan throughout their married life. In the early days, she would assist Allan’s musical development by taping Scottish music from the radio, from where he would learn the tunes!
Allan and Gladys had three children; Alison, followed by twins Gillian and Graham, but Graham tragically passed away at the age of 11.
Allan’s Glendaruel Band was not the original band bearing that title; Tony Reid led the first Glendaruel Band, but he had ceased to broadcast before Allan assumed the name. Allan’s first band was formed in the early 1960’s, and for the next 30 years, they were extremely busy playing at Country Dances, weddings and other social functions, not only in the Perth area, but all over the U.K. Indeed, Allan was known to drive as far as Leicester to play at a Country Dance, then jump in the car to drive straight home again, reaching Perth between 5 and 6 a.m. Bearing in mind that this happened before the age of mobile ‘phones, Gladys antennae always ensured that the boiled eggs for breakfast awaited Allan on his return!
Allan played, broadcast and recorded alongside many talented musicians, but he was also well known for taking on board promising youngsters and assisting them with their craft. Players such as Gary Mair, Neil Copeland, Mo and Ann Rutherford, and Allan’s own niece, Fiona Ballantine, all benefited from Allan’s expertise. Mo actually played the organ at her ‘uncle’ Allan’s funeral service, a promise that had been made many years ago. Mo rattled off the reel Gladys Kindness, the tune Allan had composed for his wife.
Allan was no mean composer either, and many of his tunes have received wide acclaim. The jig Christian Cato is the original tune for the popular RSCDS dance, Pelorous Jack, whilst another jig, Allanna Creighton, serves the same purpose for the dance James Gray. Many other excellent tunes were written for family and friends, but one of significance has to be the pipe march, Scottish Week in Aschaffenburg. Aschaffenburg is Perth’s twin town in Bavaria, and Allan and Gladys were involved with the Twinning Association over a number of years.
Allan suffered from two heart attacks, and after the second in 1988, decided to give up playing, but continued to attend Accordion Clubs and Festivals to catch up with his cronies. He was not a fan of the more up-to-date musical arrangements that perhaps demanded a faster tempo, a greater use of syncopation, and more modern ideas. Allan preferred the steady, traditional RSCDS tempo that was his great forte and trademark over the years, standing by his principles until the very end. He was also an avid listener to Radio Tay, especially the programmes of fellow presenter Billy Anderson and myself, often corresponding with comments, or requests for other people.
Apart from music, Allan loved gardening, he and Gladys possibly boasting one of the prettiest ‘cottage’ gardens in Perthshire. The couple also enjoyed many excellent holidays and more recently, Allan and Gladys hankered back to the area of his birth – the Scottish Borders, so that we could say that he went ‘full circle’. There is no question that Allan lived life to the full, even when his life was not quite as good.
I had the pleasure of meeting Allan and Gladys on a number of occasions, finding him to be a warm, gentle and interesting individual who will be sadly missed.
Our condolences go to Gladys, Alison, Gill and the wider family, with many happy memories of Allan.