Ian Crichton (1934-1999) - Obituary
by John Renton (Glen Shira, Inveraray)
The 9th December, 1999 saw the passing of Ian Crichton, ‘Rowancroft’, Marybank, Stornoway.
Ian was born in 1934 in the village of Lower Bayble on the Eye Peninsular of Lewis.
The name Ian Crichton, though well-known on his native island, did not come to the attention of the general public until the publication of his first book of compositions in 1992.
Ian, a fine 5-row button accordionist, had been composing tunes for many years and recording them onto cassettes, which he simply ‘filed away’. This came to the attention of his friend, Capt. Alex Morrison of Borve, who applied a wee bit of pressure to Ian to have his tunes transcribed and published.
As Ian could not do this himself, he enlisted the help of Charlie Sherrit, himself a fine composer, to transcribe the music from the cassettes. This now underway, Ian applied himself to learning the ‘ins and outs’ of publishing, and set about collating the music for his first book ‘Puirt a Eilan Leodhas’ Book 1.
An interesting feature of Ian’s books is the brief description of the subject of each tune. This helps to being the titles to life, and has called the books to be called ‘story books for musicians’, a Who’s Who of the Western Isles and beyond.
My first contact with Ian was due to a congratulatory call following the purchase of his first book. I was very impressed by the quality and originality of the music, especially the strong Hebridean flavour, and felt that the composer was due some ‘feedback’.
This phone call led me to being appointed his official ‘vet’, and a great friendship followed. After the death of Charlie Sherrit, Ian tried printing his music with the help of Noel Eadie and his computer, but this proved to be a tedious affair.
Incredibly, into the breach came his wife Ishbel who purchased a small keyboard and set about teaching herself how to write out Ian’s tunes. A formidable task, but quickly mastered. To date they have published seven books, and the tunes in most of them have been hand written by Ishbel. A wonderful achievement.
Ian’s career as a musician started around 1953 following a childhood dogged by health problems, including 5 years in hospital encased in plaster due to a spinal problem.
He joined the Stornoway dance band in 1953, having taught himself to play the 5-row box, and played with them for a few years before leaving to form his own band. The Stornoway Dance Band played mostly for modern dancing, but Ian’s heart was in Scottish music so he started his ‘Lewis Ceilidh Band’ which he led very successfully until the late 1960’s. He married Ishbil in 1971.
In later years Ian suffered from eyesight problems and in 1993 he had a heart attack. These problems, far from making him feel sorry for himself, released his indomitable spirit and he carried on composing almost up to the time of his death.
Ian was a man who seldom complained and, in spite of a further heart attack and finally a stroke, he remained bright, alert and optimistic – surely a lesson to us all.
In 1996, Ian was awarded the Glasgow Lewis and Harris Quaich for his great contribution to Scottish music and for the honour he had brought to his native island.
His funeral on 11th December 1999 was attended by a large gathering of friends, and he was laid to rest at the cemetery at Aignish.
The music that he has left behind will ensure that the name Ian Crichton is remembered for a long time.
Box and Fiddle
April 2000
Ian was born in 1934 in the village of Lower Bayble on the Eye Peninsular of Lewis.
The name Ian Crichton, though well-known on his native island, did not come to the attention of the general public until the publication of his first book of compositions in 1992.
Ian, a fine 5-row button accordionist, had been composing tunes for many years and recording them onto cassettes, which he simply ‘filed away’. This came to the attention of his friend, Capt. Alex Morrison of Borve, who applied a wee bit of pressure to Ian to have his tunes transcribed and published.
As Ian could not do this himself, he enlisted the help of Charlie Sherrit, himself a fine composer, to transcribe the music from the cassettes. This now underway, Ian applied himself to learning the ‘ins and outs’ of publishing, and set about collating the music for his first book ‘Puirt a Eilan Leodhas’ Book 1.
An interesting feature of Ian’s books is the brief description of the subject of each tune. This helps to being the titles to life, and has called the books to be called ‘story books for musicians’, a Who’s Who of the Western Isles and beyond.
My first contact with Ian was due to a congratulatory call following the purchase of his first book. I was very impressed by the quality and originality of the music, especially the strong Hebridean flavour, and felt that the composer was due some ‘feedback’.
This phone call led me to being appointed his official ‘vet’, and a great friendship followed. After the death of Charlie Sherrit, Ian tried printing his music with the help of Noel Eadie and his computer, but this proved to be a tedious affair.
Incredibly, into the breach came his wife Ishbel who purchased a small keyboard and set about teaching herself how to write out Ian’s tunes. A formidable task, but quickly mastered. To date they have published seven books, and the tunes in most of them have been hand written by Ishbel. A wonderful achievement.
Ian’s career as a musician started around 1953 following a childhood dogged by health problems, including 5 years in hospital encased in plaster due to a spinal problem.
He joined the Stornoway dance band in 1953, having taught himself to play the 5-row box, and played with them for a few years before leaving to form his own band. The Stornoway Dance Band played mostly for modern dancing, but Ian’s heart was in Scottish music so he started his ‘Lewis Ceilidh Band’ which he led very successfully until the late 1960’s. He married Ishbil in 1971.
In later years Ian suffered from eyesight problems and in 1993 he had a heart attack. These problems, far from making him feel sorry for himself, released his indomitable spirit and he carried on composing almost up to the time of his death.
Ian was a man who seldom complained and, in spite of a further heart attack and finally a stroke, he remained bright, alert and optimistic – surely a lesson to us all.
In 1996, Ian was awarded the Glasgow Lewis and Harris Quaich for his great contribution to Scottish music and for the honour he had brought to his native island.
His funeral on 11th December 1999 was attended by a large gathering of friends, and he was laid to rest at the cemetery at Aignish.
The music that he has left behind will ensure that the name Ian Crichton is remembered for a long time.
Box and Fiddle
April 2000
A Tribute to Ian Crichton – the Musical Legend of Marybank
by Ian MacPherson (Vice Chairman of Lewis and Harris A&F Club)
It was a cold, bleak Saturday in December 1999 that his many friends, relatives and acquaintances from the Western Isles and beyond, said goodbye to a quite remarkable man – Ian Crichton from Marybank, Isle of Lewis. Ian was an accomplished accordion player and played for many years to packed dances in the Town Hall, Stornoway, and at rural halls throughout the Islands, in the days of the Lewis Ceilidh Band and other line-ups. An electrician to trade, he had been plagued with poor health over many years, but quite remarkably he became known in Scottish music circles as one of the country’s most prolific and industrious composers of traditional music. Even more remarkable was the fact that Ian could neither read nor write music, and had to rely on his wife Isobel and other friends to commit to paper the excellent tunes that his talents produced. Over the last decade, or more, Ian with the skilful assistance of his devoted wife, has published from his home ‘Rowancroft’, at Marybank on the outskirts of Stornoway, numerous books of Scottish tunes suitable for the accordion and pipes. His repertoire is immense, and although many were in his favourite 6/8 and 2/4 time, Ian had the ability to compose tunes like you or I would read the newspaper. Many who were fortunate enough to know Ian, bit it through his music, or on the bowling green where he enjoyed friendship and humour with founder members of Stornoway Bowling Club, or indeed nursing or caring for him during times of poor health, were honoured to have their own tune composed and named after them. Ian was a founder and honorary member of the Lewis & Harris A&F Club, and most musicians who visited Stornoway as guests of the Club spent some time with this generous, unassuming man, no doubt exchanging opinions on his latest compositions. His music regularly features on recordings and programmes by musicians throughout the country, and a few years ago Robbie Shepherd featured Ian in one of his ‘Take the Floor’ programmes. Despite deteriorating vision and poor health, which he faced with fortitude and a ready smile, Ian’s remarkable talents of composition continued to the end, and the traditional music world is the richer for the publishing of his sixth and latest book of tunes in February 2000. Well-known bandleader John Renton was a particularly close friend of Ian, and probably played more of his tunes than any other musician, and was frequently called on by Ian to give an opinion and support. The Lewis & Harris A&F Club are hoping that John will take a guest spot at the Club later this year, and provide a programme of Ian Crichton tunes, as a tribute to a fine musician and ‘our friend’. The Scottish music scene and beyond, the local Club scene, and the community are the poorer with the passing of Ian Crichton, and our sympathies go out to his wife Isobel and his two sisters in their sad loss. Like all musical legends, the talents of this remarkable man will live on for the benefit of future generations.
Box and Fiddle
April 2000
Box and Fiddle
April 2000