Jim Berry
by David Cunningham Snr
B&F June 2012
On Friday 13th April, Scottish music and the Accordion Club scene lost one of its most loyal and enthusiastic musicians and, as anyone who has enjoyed a night at Newburgh Accordion Club will know, Jim was one of its founding members. Only a few weeks ago, he was joined by many of Scotland’s top musicians to celebrate the Club’s 40th Anniversary.
When I was approached to pen a few words about Jim I jumped at the chance, having known and admired him for well over 50 years.
I first met Jim when I was 11 or 12 in the mid-1950s at a music festival in Perth City Hall. We were both competing and, as he came off the stag down the half dozen or so steps (probably every box player in Scotland will have stood here at some time) passing the collection of anxious-faced fellow contestants, he turned to me and said, “My knees were knocking all the way through that and they weren’t even knocking in time!”
To this day, I have never forgotten this occasion of almost 60 years ago because it epitomized what Jim was all about: a man with a warm, canny, and friendly disposition which belied a sharp pawky humour often directed towards himself in a typically self-effacing manner.
In 1966, Jim married his school sweetheart, Netta, and in time along came son Graham and a daughter Lorna. The family all had music in their genes so it was only to be expected that they would entertain as a family in the local area and beyond. In the very early 80s, Jim and I discovered we had something other than box-playing in common: his son, Graham, and my son, David, met at high school. The 12-year-olds had no idea that their parents knew each other, however it wasn’t long before they were going to each other’s home for a tune and were making use of the recording equipment I had lying around. Jim’s Scottish Dance Band was very popular at Scottish Country Dances around Scotland and, as a result, he was persuaded to record a commercial album of the most popular dances. Jim approached me to record and manufacture the cassette (which was the preferred medium of the time) and, as the recording venue, he hired the function hall of Elmwood College, in Cupar, where he worked as a lecturer. The album was a great success and eventually led to the release of a further equally-popular album.
Scottish Country Dance music was Jim’s great passion; he gave unselfishly of his time to play at dance classes and functions. He had a wonderful philosophy on playing; he just loved to play whether it was to a class of little more than a single dance set; a large function in the Perth City Hall; or a BBC broadcast – he treated them all the same.
When Jim first began playing as a youngster, he was given a great deal of help and advice from the late bandleader and master of the melodeon, Jim Crawford. To get an insight into these very early years, I asked Jim Crawford’s brother, John, the well-known accordionist, adjudicator and accordion tuner/repairer, to share his memories of this time over half a century ago.
John recalls that the young Jim Berry was always dedicated to playing for Scottish Country Dancing with an eagerness to play all the ‘original’ tunes for the many hundreds of dances published by the RSCDS. As new books of dances were published, John would play through the new tunes to his brother, Jim (who didn’t read music at the time), and the young Jim Berry would listen intently and then play the tune the following week from memory. Eventually, young Jim bought a Shand Morino and proudly brought it to show his mentor. To his surprise and delight, whilst he was there, Sir Jimmy Shand, who was a close friend of Jim Crawford, arrived and, seeing the new Morino, played a few tunes just to check it out.
Jim’s life-long interest and incredible knowledge of Scottish Country Dance music was particularly evident to Scottish Country Dancers from all over the world, whether it be at a local dance class, and annual ball, or playing at St Andrews University during the RSCDS Summer School. Jim was a true ‘one-off’, his playing style evoked memories of a time when the melody created the dance rhythm without the need for a dominant rhythm section – in my mind a disappearing art.
Everyone who ever met Jim will have their own special memories. My own personal view is simply that the Scottish music scene has not only lost a great champion and a talented musician but, most of all, a man who was a loyal friend whose cheerful disposition could brighten the darkest day.
When I was approached to pen a few words about Jim I jumped at the chance, having known and admired him for well over 50 years.
I first met Jim when I was 11 or 12 in the mid-1950s at a music festival in Perth City Hall. We were both competing and, as he came off the stag down the half dozen or so steps (probably every box player in Scotland will have stood here at some time) passing the collection of anxious-faced fellow contestants, he turned to me and said, “My knees were knocking all the way through that and they weren’t even knocking in time!”
To this day, I have never forgotten this occasion of almost 60 years ago because it epitomized what Jim was all about: a man with a warm, canny, and friendly disposition which belied a sharp pawky humour often directed towards himself in a typically self-effacing manner.
In 1966, Jim married his school sweetheart, Netta, and in time along came son Graham and a daughter Lorna. The family all had music in their genes so it was only to be expected that they would entertain as a family in the local area and beyond. In the very early 80s, Jim and I discovered we had something other than box-playing in common: his son, Graham, and my son, David, met at high school. The 12-year-olds had no idea that their parents knew each other, however it wasn’t long before they were going to each other’s home for a tune and were making use of the recording equipment I had lying around. Jim’s Scottish Dance Band was very popular at Scottish Country Dances around Scotland and, as a result, he was persuaded to record a commercial album of the most popular dances. Jim approached me to record and manufacture the cassette (which was the preferred medium of the time) and, as the recording venue, he hired the function hall of Elmwood College, in Cupar, where he worked as a lecturer. The album was a great success and eventually led to the release of a further equally-popular album.
Scottish Country Dance music was Jim’s great passion; he gave unselfishly of his time to play at dance classes and functions. He had a wonderful philosophy on playing; he just loved to play whether it was to a class of little more than a single dance set; a large function in the Perth City Hall; or a BBC broadcast – he treated them all the same.
When Jim first began playing as a youngster, he was given a great deal of help and advice from the late bandleader and master of the melodeon, Jim Crawford. To get an insight into these very early years, I asked Jim Crawford’s brother, John, the well-known accordionist, adjudicator and accordion tuner/repairer, to share his memories of this time over half a century ago.
John recalls that the young Jim Berry was always dedicated to playing for Scottish Country Dancing with an eagerness to play all the ‘original’ tunes for the many hundreds of dances published by the RSCDS. As new books of dances were published, John would play through the new tunes to his brother, Jim (who didn’t read music at the time), and the young Jim Berry would listen intently and then play the tune the following week from memory. Eventually, young Jim bought a Shand Morino and proudly brought it to show his mentor. To his surprise and delight, whilst he was there, Sir Jimmy Shand, who was a close friend of Jim Crawford, arrived and, seeing the new Morino, played a few tunes just to check it out.
Jim’s life-long interest and incredible knowledge of Scottish Country Dance music was particularly evident to Scottish Country Dancers from all over the world, whether it be at a local dance class, and annual ball, or playing at St Andrews University during the RSCDS Summer School. Jim was a true ‘one-off’, his playing style evoked memories of a time when the melody created the dance rhythm without the need for a dominant rhythm section – in my mind a disappearing art.
Everyone who ever met Jim will have their own special memories. My own personal view is simply that the Scottish music scene has not only lost a great champion and a talented musician but, most of all, a man who was a loyal friend whose cheerful disposition could brighten the darkest day.