Ena Wilson
by Callum Wilson
Ena comes from a musical family, her father John played the fiddle (latterly with the Border Strathspey & Reel Society), her mother Jane was very musical and her brother Ian also played the fiddle, so there was always music in the family home at Elvanfoot, also at the home of her Grandparents at Crookedstane Farm and at the homes of her aunt, uncle and cousins at Abington.
At the early age of ten Ena started piano lessons with Miss Margaret Carmichael at Trigony near Closeburn, Thornhill. She was a highly respected and qualified music teacher who had a substantial waiting list of pupils. Ena continued music lessons for five years taking her up to the fifth grade with a further year which included singing lessons. The music lessons were all classical with the exception of Burns Songs and music. At that time Ena was also taking dancing lessons with the Margaret Bell School of dancing from Dumfries, the dance teacher was Miss Allan who gave weekly lessons in Crawford and then Abington village hall doing Highland, Tap and Ballet dancing. Taking part in dancing displays locally was very much part of this which Ena enjoyed very much, however, it was the music scene that eventually took over.
The Scottish music influence was firstly when Ena would accompany her father and brother’s fiddle playing. In the mid 1950’s top Scottish Dance Bands would play for dances held in the luxurious ballroom of the Crawford Arms Hotel, with their parents Ena and her brother Ian attended many of these dances, the bands included Jimmy Shand, Bobby MacLeod and Andrew Rankine among others. On the occasions when Jimmy Shand played, Ena remembers the highlight of the evening for her was when Norman Whitelaw the pianist in the band would wave to her to come to the band stand to sit in on piano with the band for a waltz, what wonderful experience and encouragement for an aspiring young pianist.
Ena’s first engagements as a musician were in her early teens playing solo piano for local functions in Elvanfoot and the surrounding district village halls. In the late 1950’s The Cross Keys Hotel in Biggar held a Saturday and Sunday evening sing song with people coming from far and near, the resident pianist/accompanist had to give up due to illness, Ena was asked to stand in and was able to do the engagement which resulted in a two year residency. Many of the singers did not have any music and as Ena had a good ear she was able to accompany them, this was all good experience. Among the regular singers at that time was none other than the Alexander Brothers before they became well known artists, even at that time they stole the show. Another highlight in the early years was a call from the John Johnstone Band to play with them at Moniaive in Dumfriesshire a great experience with a top broadcasting band of that time which Ena was to do on further occasions.
Moving on from there Ena was asked to join a new band to be known as the Carlton Quintet led by accordionists Jack Gray and Tony Woodage both from Kirkfieldbank. After two years with them playing at a wide variety of venues and gaining a lot of good experience Ena joined the Wamphray Band, this was a busy band playing at town and village hall dances throughout Dumfriesshire. At that time (1960’s) village hall dances were in full swing every Friday and Saturday night and the Wamphray Band was a popular band in great demand.
Ena recalls some of the town/village hall venues :- Moffat , Lockerbie, Lochmaben, Moffat Water, Wamphray, Boreland, Bankshill, Eskdalemuir, Beattock, Templand, Eaglesfield, Johnstonebridge and many more all packed with good dancers.
In 1965 Ena applied and was successful in gaining a place with Post Office Telecommunications for training as a telephonist, this was a period of training in London and then working in London Mayfair telephone exchange. During that year she was dedicated to the training and work, however, on her weekends home and holiday leave she was able to play with the Wamphray band when required until they were able to get a pianist full time.
After a year in London, Ena was able to apply for a transfer to Scotland and was successful in getting a job with Post Office Telecommunications in Edinburgh. This also led to various opportunities for playing and eventually joining the Peter Innes Dance Band from Tranent, East Lothian. Ena played for three years with the Peter Innes Band which was a very busy band playing throughout Scotland mainly for general dancing. During that time Ena met Arlene Shand who was the lead accordionist, Arlene a former Scottish Junior Champion was taught by the well known respected accordion teacher Chrissie Letham of Edinburgh and had at that time recorded a solo accordion track on one of the Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band’s LP’s. Eventually Ena and Arlene decided to start up as a duo – accordion, piano and vocals going under the name of the Scott Sisters. They were very busy and after working together for a while they decided to enter the odd talent contest and had some success in various parts of the country. Eventually after being approached by theatrical agents they were offered a summer season with the Heather Mixture Show touring Scotland. They started working full time in the summer of 1968 and their first professional performance was at the Haddington Festival when they appeared along with Jack Milroy, Peter Malan, The Islanders and Archie Duncan and his Band. They then travelled around Scotland, performing twice nightly changing songs every week for the Heather Mixture Show which toured weekly in Aviemore, Campbeltown, Oban and Pitlochry , the other acts on the bill included The Islanders, Peter Mallan, Charlie Cowie, Ronnie Dale and Archie Duncan and his Scottish Dance Band. In addition to this they travelled over to Craignure on Mull to entertain, spent a week at Inveraray during their festival week, helping out at various events during the day and performing on stage in the evenings, on the bill on that occasion was accordionist Jack Emblow. Weekends were also busy, performing at Dunoon, Montrose, Cortachy, Dumfries, Irvine and the club circuit. Some notable engagements on their schedule were The Rangers Rally in The Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow with the Alexander Brothers and Lex McLean, The Ashfield Club Glasgow with Glen Daly, The Ibrox Club, Glasgow, City Halls, Sheffield with Jim Johnstone and his Band, Lockerbie Town Hall with Jimmy Shand and his Band , Greens Playhouse, Dundee with Donald Piers and Montrose Town Hall, on the bill on that occasion was Alistair MacDonald. In June 1971 they set off on an overseas tour initially to Germany. This was the first of a series of one month bookings on different US bases moving between Stuttgart, Wiesbaden (Germany), Vicenza (Italy) and Diyarbakir, Sinop and Adana in Turkey. On their return to the UK the girls continued to take part in various shows although their next challenge was something just a bit different to the work they had done before. They auditioned and joined the Ladies of the Court of Dalhousie Castle, near Bonnyrigg, this was choral work under the direction of James Farrer, where they performed Scots songs as part of the Jacobean Banquet evenings held there.
During the 1970’s Ena had more opportunity to do freelance playing helping out many bands also taking part in band and trio competitions and playing at fiddle and accordion clubs, she recalls the occasions when she had the honour of accompanying Ron Gonella and Angus Fitchet for guest artist spots.
In 1974 Ena was asked by fiddler Alec McPhie and accordionist George Meikle if she would join a new band called The Lothian Scottish Dance Band, this she did and was with them for thirteen years. Their engagements took them all over the UK and overseas playing mainly for Scottish Country Dancing also many guest artist spots at Accordion and Fiddle Clubs throughout Scotland and north of England. During that time the band did many BBC broadcasts after auditioning in 1977 also a number of broadcasts for Radio Forth. Their first commercial recording was in 1976 entitled “Introducing the Lothian Scottish Dance Band” this was soon followed by “Presenting the Lothian Scottish Dance Band” in 1977, “ The Lothian Scottish Dance Band In Strict Tempo” in 1981, “Something to Celebrate” in 1983 , and “ Second Celebration ” in 1986. Tracks from some of these recordings are included in Lismor Recordings compilation albums and REL compilation albums. The Lothian Scottish Dance Band continues to this day under the leadership of George Meikle.
Taking a well known pipe tune and then adding lyrics to it has been done on several occasions , however, it’s not so often that the tune and the lyrics come from within the same family. This was the case with the song “March, March, My Kiltie Lad” which Ena sang on the Lothian Scottish Dance Band’s first LP. The lyrics were by Margaret Sutherland and Betty Dingwall and the well known tune “The Piper’s Cave” was by Pipe Major J. Sutherland, Margaret Sutherland’s father. Margaret was chief supervisor when Ena worked with Post Office Telecoms in Edinburgh and gave the song to Ena at the time of her leaving to go full time as The Scott Sisters.
During Ena’s years with the Lothian Scottish Dance Band she organised many local concerts in the Elvanfoot area in aid of local good causes. These events were always very well supported and thanks go to the band members and local artistes for giving their services on these memorable occasions. Ena also enjoyed helping the local school Daer and Powtrail Primary with their entries into the music festivals at Biggar High School when she accompanied them on piano at these events. Another musical duty was as church organist at Elvanfoot Church which she shared with two other organists.
For the last twenty six years Ena has played in her husband’s band – Callum Wilson and his Scottish Dance Band. They first met in 1975 when playing with Iain MacPhail’s Band at a Scottish Country Dance Festival at Leeds University and again with the Lothian Scottish Dance Band in 1976 when Callum played second accordion on the Lothian Scottish Dance Band’s first LP. Ena and Callum married in 1982. Ena plays piano on two of the band’s recordings, “Scottish Country Dancing with Callum Wilson and his Scottish Dance Band” in 1997 and “Band Favourites” in 2007. These days there is not so much dancing going on, however, they still have sufficient engagements to “keep their hand in” mainly playing for Scottish Country Dancing. Over the last fifteen years and in addition to their band work Ena and Callum have performed at many concerts in hospitals and nursing homes through the charity “Music in Hospitals” this has taken them all over Scotland from Gretna in the south to Wick in the north and they have found it most satisfying bringing their music to people who are no longer fit or able to get out to dances and concerts.
At the early age of ten Ena started piano lessons with Miss Margaret Carmichael at Trigony near Closeburn, Thornhill. She was a highly respected and qualified music teacher who had a substantial waiting list of pupils. Ena continued music lessons for five years taking her up to the fifth grade with a further year which included singing lessons. The music lessons were all classical with the exception of Burns Songs and music. At that time Ena was also taking dancing lessons with the Margaret Bell School of dancing from Dumfries, the dance teacher was Miss Allan who gave weekly lessons in Crawford and then Abington village hall doing Highland, Tap and Ballet dancing. Taking part in dancing displays locally was very much part of this which Ena enjoyed very much, however, it was the music scene that eventually took over.
The Scottish music influence was firstly when Ena would accompany her father and brother’s fiddle playing. In the mid 1950’s top Scottish Dance Bands would play for dances held in the luxurious ballroom of the Crawford Arms Hotel, with their parents Ena and her brother Ian attended many of these dances, the bands included Jimmy Shand, Bobby MacLeod and Andrew Rankine among others. On the occasions when Jimmy Shand played, Ena remembers the highlight of the evening for her was when Norman Whitelaw the pianist in the band would wave to her to come to the band stand to sit in on piano with the band for a waltz, what wonderful experience and encouragement for an aspiring young pianist.
Ena’s first engagements as a musician were in her early teens playing solo piano for local functions in Elvanfoot and the surrounding district village halls. In the late 1950’s The Cross Keys Hotel in Biggar held a Saturday and Sunday evening sing song with people coming from far and near, the resident pianist/accompanist had to give up due to illness, Ena was asked to stand in and was able to do the engagement which resulted in a two year residency. Many of the singers did not have any music and as Ena had a good ear she was able to accompany them, this was all good experience. Among the regular singers at that time was none other than the Alexander Brothers before they became well known artists, even at that time they stole the show. Another highlight in the early years was a call from the John Johnstone Band to play with them at Moniaive in Dumfriesshire a great experience with a top broadcasting band of that time which Ena was to do on further occasions.
Moving on from there Ena was asked to join a new band to be known as the Carlton Quintet led by accordionists Jack Gray and Tony Woodage both from Kirkfieldbank. After two years with them playing at a wide variety of venues and gaining a lot of good experience Ena joined the Wamphray Band, this was a busy band playing at town and village hall dances throughout Dumfriesshire. At that time (1960’s) village hall dances were in full swing every Friday and Saturday night and the Wamphray Band was a popular band in great demand.
Ena recalls some of the town/village hall venues :- Moffat , Lockerbie, Lochmaben, Moffat Water, Wamphray, Boreland, Bankshill, Eskdalemuir, Beattock, Templand, Eaglesfield, Johnstonebridge and many more all packed with good dancers.
In 1965 Ena applied and was successful in gaining a place with Post Office Telecommunications for training as a telephonist, this was a period of training in London and then working in London Mayfair telephone exchange. During that year she was dedicated to the training and work, however, on her weekends home and holiday leave she was able to play with the Wamphray band when required until they were able to get a pianist full time.
After a year in London, Ena was able to apply for a transfer to Scotland and was successful in getting a job with Post Office Telecommunications in Edinburgh. This also led to various opportunities for playing and eventually joining the Peter Innes Dance Band from Tranent, East Lothian. Ena played for three years with the Peter Innes Band which was a very busy band playing throughout Scotland mainly for general dancing. During that time Ena met Arlene Shand who was the lead accordionist, Arlene a former Scottish Junior Champion was taught by the well known respected accordion teacher Chrissie Letham of Edinburgh and had at that time recorded a solo accordion track on one of the Edinburgh City Police Pipe Band’s LP’s. Eventually Ena and Arlene decided to start up as a duo – accordion, piano and vocals going under the name of the Scott Sisters. They were very busy and after working together for a while they decided to enter the odd talent contest and had some success in various parts of the country. Eventually after being approached by theatrical agents they were offered a summer season with the Heather Mixture Show touring Scotland. They started working full time in the summer of 1968 and their first professional performance was at the Haddington Festival when they appeared along with Jack Milroy, Peter Malan, The Islanders and Archie Duncan and his Band. They then travelled around Scotland, performing twice nightly changing songs every week for the Heather Mixture Show which toured weekly in Aviemore, Campbeltown, Oban and Pitlochry , the other acts on the bill included The Islanders, Peter Mallan, Charlie Cowie, Ronnie Dale and Archie Duncan and his Scottish Dance Band. In addition to this they travelled over to Craignure on Mull to entertain, spent a week at Inveraray during their festival week, helping out at various events during the day and performing on stage in the evenings, on the bill on that occasion was accordionist Jack Emblow. Weekends were also busy, performing at Dunoon, Montrose, Cortachy, Dumfries, Irvine and the club circuit. Some notable engagements on their schedule were The Rangers Rally in The Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow with the Alexander Brothers and Lex McLean, The Ashfield Club Glasgow with Glen Daly, The Ibrox Club, Glasgow, City Halls, Sheffield with Jim Johnstone and his Band, Lockerbie Town Hall with Jimmy Shand and his Band , Greens Playhouse, Dundee with Donald Piers and Montrose Town Hall, on the bill on that occasion was Alistair MacDonald. In June 1971 they set off on an overseas tour initially to Germany. This was the first of a series of one month bookings on different US bases moving between Stuttgart, Wiesbaden (Germany), Vicenza (Italy) and Diyarbakir, Sinop and Adana in Turkey. On their return to the UK the girls continued to take part in various shows although their next challenge was something just a bit different to the work they had done before. They auditioned and joined the Ladies of the Court of Dalhousie Castle, near Bonnyrigg, this was choral work under the direction of James Farrer, where they performed Scots songs as part of the Jacobean Banquet evenings held there.
During the 1970’s Ena had more opportunity to do freelance playing helping out many bands also taking part in band and trio competitions and playing at fiddle and accordion clubs, she recalls the occasions when she had the honour of accompanying Ron Gonella and Angus Fitchet for guest artist spots.
In 1974 Ena was asked by fiddler Alec McPhie and accordionist George Meikle if she would join a new band called The Lothian Scottish Dance Band, this she did and was with them for thirteen years. Their engagements took them all over the UK and overseas playing mainly for Scottish Country Dancing also many guest artist spots at Accordion and Fiddle Clubs throughout Scotland and north of England. During that time the band did many BBC broadcasts after auditioning in 1977 also a number of broadcasts for Radio Forth. Their first commercial recording was in 1976 entitled “Introducing the Lothian Scottish Dance Band” this was soon followed by “Presenting the Lothian Scottish Dance Band” in 1977, “ The Lothian Scottish Dance Band In Strict Tempo” in 1981, “Something to Celebrate” in 1983 , and “ Second Celebration ” in 1986. Tracks from some of these recordings are included in Lismor Recordings compilation albums and REL compilation albums. The Lothian Scottish Dance Band continues to this day under the leadership of George Meikle.
Taking a well known pipe tune and then adding lyrics to it has been done on several occasions , however, it’s not so often that the tune and the lyrics come from within the same family. This was the case with the song “March, March, My Kiltie Lad” which Ena sang on the Lothian Scottish Dance Band’s first LP. The lyrics were by Margaret Sutherland and Betty Dingwall and the well known tune “The Piper’s Cave” was by Pipe Major J. Sutherland, Margaret Sutherland’s father. Margaret was chief supervisor when Ena worked with Post Office Telecoms in Edinburgh and gave the song to Ena at the time of her leaving to go full time as The Scott Sisters.
During Ena’s years with the Lothian Scottish Dance Band she organised many local concerts in the Elvanfoot area in aid of local good causes. These events were always very well supported and thanks go to the band members and local artistes for giving their services on these memorable occasions. Ena also enjoyed helping the local school Daer and Powtrail Primary with their entries into the music festivals at Biggar High School when she accompanied them on piano at these events. Another musical duty was as church organist at Elvanfoot Church which she shared with two other organists.
For the last twenty six years Ena has played in her husband’s band – Callum Wilson and his Scottish Dance Band. They first met in 1975 when playing with Iain MacPhail’s Band at a Scottish Country Dance Festival at Leeds University and again with the Lothian Scottish Dance Band in 1976 when Callum played second accordion on the Lothian Scottish Dance Band’s first LP. Ena and Callum married in 1982. Ena plays piano on two of the band’s recordings, “Scottish Country Dancing with Callum Wilson and his Scottish Dance Band” in 1997 and “Band Favourites” in 2007. These days there is not so much dancing going on, however, they still have sufficient engagements to “keep their hand in” mainly playing for Scottish Country Dancing. Over the last fifteen years and in addition to their band work Ena and Callum have performed at many concerts in hospitals and nursing homes through the charity “Music in Hospitals” this has taken them all over Scotland from Gretna in the south to Wick in the north and they have found it most satisfying bringing their music to people who are no longer fit or able to get out to dances and concerts.