Mr J. D. Michie (1884-1960)
by Roger Crook
There have been many well deserved tributes to the memory of Angus Fitchet. As well as joining in these tributes to the great violinist and character, his recent death led me to rekindle my memories of someone whom Angus considered to be one of his greatest friends – Mr J. D. Michie of Brechin – musician, shopkeeper, inventor, composer, teacher, craftsman, poet and character.
“Brechin has lost one of its oldest businessmen and one of its most interesting characters at the age of 75” – so ran the headline in the Brechin Advertiser in January 1960, on the death of J. D. Michie.
He was the proprietor of a music shop at 22 Panmuir Street which became a meeting place for musicians and his friends of many years. He sold sheet music, instruments and records, and had a proud boast that he was able to procure any piece of music or record that anyone wanted!
My own memories of him date from when I first went for violin lessons at the age of 6. The 2/- was duly paid at the end of the hour lesson – the amount of teaching depended on how busy the shop was between 4 and 5p.m.!
I have memories of Robert Wilson and Will Starr coming into the shop and being so thrilled that they wanted to hear me play. And the sight of Will Starr supporting the neck of a violin against the wall as he played, presumably to aid his fingering without having to support the instrument.
I was taught by Mr Michie for around nine years. I think the fee probably remained at 2/- and I was introduced to a wide range of music during these lessons. My eyes were opened to a wide repertoire, although deep down my love was for Scottish music. He had himself been a fine player, but a badly set broken bone in his wrist hampered his playing by the time I knew him.
Some of the material he taught me were his own fine published compositions – a Hornpipe Suite in Eb which he published in 1933 and consisted of ‘The Autocrat’, ‘The Jester’ and ‘The Optimist’.
Then came a Second Hornpipe Suite (with Introductory Slow Air) which gave us ‘The Dying Year’, ‘The Cynic’, ‘The Desclaimer’ and ‘The Recluse’.
Later he published a Suite of Old World Dances which included a Minuet, Hornpipe, Mazurka, Gavotte and Minuet, and a Cradle Song.
These pieces were all published with good piano accompaniments, but his last published work was an Unaccompanied Suite which contained a Prelude and Minuetto (which he dedicated to Thom B. Shaw), a Reverie and a Cradle Song again. This last piece featured a harmonized ‘rock’ which he was really proud of. That set was published in 1940 and ‘The Strad’ commented “These old dances have a strong sense of melody and individuality” and in ‘The Musical Opinion’ “There is something rare in the type of expression reached by the composer and his writing is always interesting.” I often wish that some of today’s players would play some of them! (I have copies of the music for anyone to try out).
Many readers will be acquainted with the two recordings which Angus Fitchet made of ‘The Dying Year’ (which was dedicated to him) and ‘The Autocrat’. I well remember Mr Michie’s own pride at the appearance of the march ‘Mr Michie’ which Angus had written and which was included in an early book of his compositions. This is also a very popular tune and was reckoned recently by some authorities on a recent Robbie Shepherd programme to have been Angus’ finest composition.
Mr Michie started his business in 1908 and on his death it was taken over by Lindsay Ross on March 8th, 1960 advertising ‘Accordions, new and second hand from £7’ and ‘Violins complete with case and bow’ from £2.
Lindsay also found quite a number of original manuscripts of tunes by Scott Skinner in the shop. Some of them had been written on menus and concert programmes as the tunes came into his head, and then later submitted to Mr Michie for his comments and approval.
As a craftsman he used the same deliberate and careful approach that he did with everything else in his life – my own fiddle only has a very small mark on it where it was repaired having been given a ‘gey good dunt’ in my youth. In 1929 he patented ‘An improved sound post’ and also a special mute. I have been unable to find fuller details of these – memory suggests that the sound post might have been flexible?
As well as music and the shop he wrote a lot of poetry. His ‘Rhymes fae Angus’ (published in 1946 by J. Balfour of Montrose) were marked, according to a critic of the time, by ‘pawky wit and warm humanity’.
Many of the poems had appeared over the years in the Montrose Standard and the Brechin Advertiser. Over 2,000 copies of the book were sold.
My own particular favourite is Bacchus (The Quick-Change Artist)
A young man who was feeling morose,
With drinking became quite jacose,
In rapid succession, he wound up the session,
Bellicose, lachrymose, comatose.
His love of nature and his fellow man was probably nurtured by his upbringing in Glenesk, where his father, and in particular his grandfather, were notable members of the community. The template of Mr Michie’s violin, along with correspondence from Scott Skinner, can be found in the museum at ‘The Retreat’ in Glenesk which also includes many other items of local and general interest.
His grandfather was a recognised authority on botany and geology as well as being known for forthright speech! Mr Michie was always happy to relate the story of his grandfather and father attending a concert in the Mechanics Institute in Brechin. A violinist was playing and the grandfather jumped to his feet and shouted “Stop!” His son remonstrated “Wheesht, we’ll be put out o’ the hall” to which the reply was “He canna go on – he’s out of tune!”
I hope that my reminiscences will inspire other memories of Mr Michie. I would be pleased to hear from anyone who remembers him and the shop.
A memory I have of the Doric Trio is when the late Ron Gonella, accompanied by my wife Nancy, included ‘The Dying Year’ at my request in our programme which we gave for the Brechin Arts Guild in the Mechanics Institute a few years ago. It linked for me two men (and a lady) each of whom have had an influence on my musical life – I feel that Mr Michie’s grandfather would not have jumped up on that occasion and shouted “Stop!”
4th July 1998
Box and Fiddle
October 1998
“Brechin has lost one of its oldest businessmen and one of its most interesting characters at the age of 75” – so ran the headline in the Brechin Advertiser in January 1960, on the death of J. D. Michie.
He was the proprietor of a music shop at 22 Panmuir Street which became a meeting place for musicians and his friends of many years. He sold sheet music, instruments and records, and had a proud boast that he was able to procure any piece of music or record that anyone wanted!
My own memories of him date from when I first went for violin lessons at the age of 6. The 2/- was duly paid at the end of the hour lesson – the amount of teaching depended on how busy the shop was between 4 and 5p.m.!
I have memories of Robert Wilson and Will Starr coming into the shop and being so thrilled that they wanted to hear me play. And the sight of Will Starr supporting the neck of a violin against the wall as he played, presumably to aid his fingering without having to support the instrument.
I was taught by Mr Michie for around nine years. I think the fee probably remained at 2/- and I was introduced to a wide range of music during these lessons. My eyes were opened to a wide repertoire, although deep down my love was for Scottish music. He had himself been a fine player, but a badly set broken bone in his wrist hampered his playing by the time I knew him.
Some of the material he taught me were his own fine published compositions – a Hornpipe Suite in Eb which he published in 1933 and consisted of ‘The Autocrat’, ‘The Jester’ and ‘The Optimist’.
Then came a Second Hornpipe Suite (with Introductory Slow Air) which gave us ‘The Dying Year’, ‘The Cynic’, ‘The Desclaimer’ and ‘The Recluse’.
Later he published a Suite of Old World Dances which included a Minuet, Hornpipe, Mazurka, Gavotte and Minuet, and a Cradle Song.
These pieces were all published with good piano accompaniments, but his last published work was an Unaccompanied Suite which contained a Prelude and Minuetto (which he dedicated to Thom B. Shaw), a Reverie and a Cradle Song again. This last piece featured a harmonized ‘rock’ which he was really proud of. That set was published in 1940 and ‘The Strad’ commented “These old dances have a strong sense of melody and individuality” and in ‘The Musical Opinion’ “There is something rare in the type of expression reached by the composer and his writing is always interesting.” I often wish that some of today’s players would play some of them! (I have copies of the music for anyone to try out).
Many readers will be acquainted with the two recordings which Angus Fitchet made of ‘The Dying Year’ (which was dedicated to him) and ‘The Autocrat’. I well remember Mr Michie’s own pride at the appearance of the march ‘Mr Michie’ which Angus had written and which was included in an early book of his compositions. This is also a very popular tune and was reckoned recently by some authorities on a recent Robbie Shepherd programme to have been Angus’ finest composition.
Mr Michie started his business in 1908 and on his death it was taken over by Lindsay Ross on March 8th, 1960 advertising ‘Accordions, new and second hand from £7’ and ‘Violins complete with case and bow’ from £2.
Lindsay also found quite a number of original manuscripts of tunes by Scott Skinner in the shop. Some of them had been written on menus and concert programmes as the tunes came into his head, and then later submitted to Mr Michie for his comments and approval.
As a craftsman he used the same deliberate and careful approach that he did with everything else in his life – my own fiddle only has a very small mark on it where it was repaired having been given a ‘gey good dunt’ in my youth. In 1929 he patented ‘An improved sound post’ and also a special mute. I have been unable to find fuller details of these – memory suggests that the sound post might have been flexible?
As well as music and the shop he wrote a lot of poetry. His ‘Rhymes fae Angus’ (published in 1946 by J. Balfour of Montrose) were marked, according to a critic of the time, by ‘pawky wit and warm humanity’.
Many of the poems had appeared over the years in the Montrose Standard and the Brechin Advertiser. Over 2,000 copies of the book were sold.
My own particular favourite is Bacchus (The Quick-Change Artist)
A young man who was feeling morose,
With drinking became quite jacose,
In rapid succession, he wound up the session,
Bellicose, lachrymose, comatose.
His love of nature and his fellow man was probably nurtured by his upbringing in Glenesk, where his father, and in particular his grandfather, were notable members of the community. The template of Mr Michie’s violin, along with correspondence from Scott Skinner, can be found in the museum at ‘The Retreat’ in Glenesk which also includes many other items of local and general interest.
His grandfather was a recognised authority on botany and geology as well as being known for forthright speech! Mr Michie was always happy to relate the story of his grandfather and father attending a concert in the Mechanics Institute in Brechin. A violinist was playing and the grandfather jumped to his feet and shouted “Stop!” His son remonstrated “Wheesht, we’ll be put out o’ the hall” to which the reply was “He canna go on – he’s out of tune!”
I hope that my reminiscences will inspire other memories of Mr Michie. I would be pleased to hear from anyone who remembers him and the shop.
A memory I have of the Doric Trio is when the late Ron Gonella, accompanied by my wife Nancy, included ‘The Dying Year’ at my request in our programme which we gave for the Brechin Arts Guild in the Mechanics Institute a few years ago. It linked for me two men (and a lady) each of whom have had an influence on my musical life – I feel that Mr Michie’s grandfather would not have jumped up on that occasion and shouted “Stop!”
4th July 1998
Box and Fiddle
October 1998
