Jim Halcrow - Guest of Honour
by Nicol McLaren
B&F July 2012
Jim Halcrow did not touch an accordion until he was 17½ when, in 1951 he had saved the necessary £22 to buy the second hand Alvari 80 bass from Forbes of Dundee – his first box. He then taught himself how to play it, transferring the self-taught techniques he had previously developed on his mother’s pedal driven American organ. How was it then, that a youngster who never even had a music lesson, who still can’t read music and who stayed in the relatively isolated Shetland village of Scalloway was to develop into the renowned and revered musician he is today?
The teenager of 1951 already had a very keen ear, which has not deserted him in the 60 years since; rather it has become finer tuned and more discriminating as his eclectic musical taste discarded no tuneful option without a thorough testing. Within a year of picking up the box he was playing in what was to become Shetland’s top band for the next 15 years – ‘The New Players’. The line-up included Lollie Young on saxophone, Tammy Cogle on fiddle, Sonny Young on drums and Tom Georgeson on piano and vocals.
In later years, the band was supplemented by another young local hopeful on bass, Ron Mathewson, who went on to be resident in Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London.
The band was in constant demand for dances and functions throughout the islands as well as playing each weekend in the T.A. Hall, Lerwick, where they regularly attracted crowds of 400+. The band eventually folded after Lollie Young’s health failed and Jim went on to form his own band after guesting with a local jazz group, which included Peerie Willie Johnston, Drew Robertson and Frankie Sinclair, themselves refugees from Tammy Anderson’s Islesburgh Band.
By this time Jim had, after experiencing the vagaries of the construction and fishing industries (he had been a slater and plasterer for many years), decided on a career move and, between 1972 and 1974, took himself off to college in Newark to train as a piano tuner. The box had, of course, accompanied him to England and he was not without offers at the end of his training, but thankfully returned home to live and work. His new line-up had Ian Stewart on electric guitar, Ronnie Hunter on bass guitar and Jackie Sinclair on vocals, with Mitchell MacLeod on drums, and was soon the top band around, resident at the newly opened Lerwick Hotel. Jackie and Ian dropped out, eventually to be replaced by Jim’s pupil Ian Nicolson ob second box and daughter, Hazel, on keyboard, as public taste began to demand a return to more traditional music.
Jim’s love affair with Scandinavian accordion music goes back to his earliest days and it has been said the nobody, including the Norwegians, play a Norwegian Waltz like him, although Jim himself scoffs at the idea. He is, however, a leading exponent of this king of music and can expect a chorus of requests for it whenever he plays in Shetland. Jim has visited Norway on several occasions, and he and the band had a most successful tour of West Norway in 1978. His guru over the past 60 years has been Norwegian virtuoso Arnstein Johansen, whom he was eventually to meet in November 1991 when Arnstein was a guest at the Shetland A&F Club. And what a meeting it was, over a weekend that took in the traditional breakfast tune in Gordon Jamieson’s Cullivoe home – suffice to say, the two became friends and corresponded for many years.
Another hero Jim was to meet at the Club was Jack Emblow, but confesses to being so tongue-tied at the occasion that he didn’t make the most of it. However, if you ask Jim for his most treasured musical memories, he immediately refers to his tours with his pals in The Hamefarers Band. How they all enjoyed their playing and the freshness and spontaneity and sheer fun of their performances will certainly live with those of us who remember them.
The Hamefarers Dance Band was formed in the mid 1960s when some of Shetland’s best known musicians came together to make the first Thule record, a 4 track EP entitled ‘St Ninian’s Isle’. The line-up was Willie hunter (fiddle), Ronald Cooper and Jim Halcrow (accordions), Eric Cooper (piano), Willie Johnston (double bass) and Drew Robertson (drums). Ronnie Cooper composed the title tune for the recording.
A second EP, ‘Dance to The Hamefarers’ soon followed and contained three of Ronnie’s most popular compositions - ‘Da Tushkar’, ‘Ronas Voe’ and ‘Sunset Over Fouls’. Some years later the EPs were reissued on the LP, ‘Dance to The Hamefarers’ which also included 4 fiddle solos by Willie Hinter from the EP ‘Shetland and the Fiddle’.
With these recordings and a broadcast on the BBC’s ‘Scottish Dance Music’ the band became well-known all over Scotland although, throughout its life, the members played together on only a few occasions each year.
Other such memories include the visits, in the 1960s, of the original Ian Powrie Band and the mega sessions in Hayfield House Hotel in Lerwick (proprietor Frank Chadwick, first Chairman of the Shetland A&F Club) and the visit he, Willie Hunter and Ronnie Cooper made to the second Mull Festival and first met that other musical legend, Bobby MacLeod. He also fondly recalls the trip to The Lorient Festival in Brittany with Alistair Hunter and the Lorne Band. Not surprisingly, Jim has many requests for tuition from local hopefuls, who would probably all be astonished to learn that Jim himself is still awaiting his first formal lesson. Over the years he has guided many players, the best known of whom include Colin Sutherland, Alan Nicolson, Ian Nicolson and Norma Tulloch, Caroline Irvine, not to mention son, David Halcrow.
Jim remains modest about his composing abilities, dismissing his dozen or so tunes as of little account but, if pressed, will probably own up to a preference for the fine waltz he wrote to his wife of over 50 years, Doreen. A dedicated family man, he was proud to hand over his daughter Hazel’s hand in marriage to bandleader Craig McCallum in July 1992 and always looks forward to spending time with them and granddaughters Lisa and Lauren.
Jim’s adroitness at accordion repairs and modifications were apparent at one of the early Shetland A&F Festivals when Jim turned out on stage playing ‘another Gola’ – but this one was very different. The bass buttons were black! No-one could recall Hohner making such an instrument so all were curious. As it turned out, Jim had constructed a grille for the accordion, mimicking the iconic gold grille of the Gola, using welding rods! – and how authentic it was!
For the last 60 years, Jim Halcrow has enthralled audiences with his ear for, feeling for, and application of his music. Currently, he plays with son David’s band (David and Jim Halcrow on accordions, Ian Williamson on fiddle, Graham Jamieson on drums and Margaret Scollay on piano) and Catticloo (Caroline Irvine, Callum Irvine and Jim Halcrow on accordions, Linda Irvine and Pauline Irvine on fiddles, Margaret Scollay on piano and Graham Jamieson on drums).
The NAAFC is delighted to honout Jim at this year’s Celebrity Luncheon and Ceilidh at The Huntingtower Hotel, Perth.
The teenager of 1951 already had a very keen ear, which has not deserted him in the 60 years since; rather it has become finer tuned and more discriminating as his eclectic musical taste discarded no tuneful option without a thorough testing. Within a year of picking up the box he was playing in what was to become Shetland’s top band for the next 15 years – ‘The New Players’. The line-up included Lollie Young on saxophone, Tammy Cogle on fiddle, Sonny Young on drums and Tom Georgeson on piano and vocals.
In later years, the band was supplemented by another young local hopeful on bass, Ron Mathewson, who went on to be resident in Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London.
The band was in constant demand for dances and functions throughout the islands as well as playing each weekend in the T.A. Hall, Lerwick, where they regularly attracted crowds of 400+. The band eventually folded after Lollie Young’s health failed and Jim went on to form his own band after guesting with a local jazz group, which included Peerie Willie Johnston, Drew Robertson and Frankie Sinclair, themselves refugees from Tammy Anderson’s Islesburgh Band.
By this time Jim had, after experiencing the vagaries of the construction and fishing industries (he had been a slater and plasterer for many years), decided on a career move and, between 1972 and 1974, took himself off to college in Newark to train as a piano tuner. The box had, of course, accompanied him to England and he was not without offers at the end of his training, but thankfully returned home to live and work. His new line-up had Ian Stewart on electric guitar, Ronnie Hunter on bass guitar and Jackie Sinclair on vocals, with Mitchell MacLeod on drums, and was soon the top band around, resident at the newly opened Lerwick Hotel. Jackie and Ian dropped out, eventually to be replaced by Jim’s pupil Ian Nicolson ob second box and daughter, Hazel, on keyboard, as public taste began to demand a return to more traditional music.
Jim’s love affair with Scandinavian accordion music goes back to his earliest days and it has been said the nobody, including the Norwegians, play a Norwegian Waltz like him, although Jim himself scoffs at the idea. He is, however, a leading exponent of this king of music and can expect a chorus of requests for it whenever he plays in Shetland. Jim has visited Norway on several occasions, and he and the band had a most successful tour of West Norway in 1978. His guru over the past 60 years has been Norwegian virtuoso Arnstein Johansen, whom he was eventually to meet in November 1991 when Arnstein was a guest at the Shetland A&F Club. And what a meeting it was, over a weekend that took in the traditional breakfast tune in Gordon Jamieson’s Cullivoe home – suffice to say, the two became friends and corresponded for many years.
Another hero Jim was to meet at the Club was Jack Emblow, but confesses to being so tongue-tied at the occasion that he didn’t make the most of it. However, if you ask Jim for his most treasured musical memories, he immediately refers to his tours with his pals in The Hamefarers Band. How they all enjoyed their playing and the freshness and spontaneity and sheer fun of their performances will certainly live with those of us who remember them.
The Hamefarers Dance Band was formed in the mid 1960s when some of Shetland’s best known musicians came together to make the first Thule record, a 4 track EP entitled ‘St Ninian’s Isle’. The line-up was Willie hunter (fiddle), Ronald Cooper and Jim Halcrow (accordions), Eric Cooper (piano), Willie Johnston (double bass) and Drew Robertson (drums). Ronnie Cooper composed the title tune for the recording.
A second EP, ‘Dance to The Hamefarers’ soon followed and contained three of Ronnie’s most popular compositions - ‘Da Tushkar’, ‘Ronas Voe’ and ‘Sunset Over Fouls’. Some years later the EPs were reissued on the LP, ‘Dance to The Hamefarers’ which also included 4 fiddle solos by Willie Hinter from the EP ‘Shetland and the Fiddle’.
With these recordings and a broadcast on the BBC’s ‘Scottish Dance Music’ the band became well-known all over Scotland although, throughout its life, the members played together on only a few occasions each year.
Other such memories include the visits, in the 1960s, of the original Ian Powrie Band and the mega sessions in Hayfield House Hotel in Lerwick (proprietor Frank Chadwick, first Chairman of the Shetland A&F Club) and the visit he, Willie Hunter and Ronnie Cooper made to the second Mull Festival and first met that other musical legend, Bobby MacLeod. He also fondly recalls the trip to The Lorient Festival in Brittany with Alistair Hunter and the Lorne Band. Not surprisingly, Jim has many requests for tuition from local hopefuls, who would probably all be astonished to learn that Jim himself is still awaiting his first formal lesson. Over the years he has guided many players, the best known of whom include Colin Sutherland, Alan Nicolson, Ian Nicolson and Norma Tulloch, Caroline Irvine, not to mention son, David Halcrow.
Jim remains modest about his composing abilities, dismissing his dozen or so tunes as of little account but, if pressed, will probably own up to a preference for the fine waltz he wrote to his wife of over 50 years, Doreen. A dedicated family man, he was proud to hand over his daughter Hazel’s hand in marriage to bandleader Craig McCallum in July 1992 and always looks forward to spending time with them and granddaughters Lisa and Lauren.
Jim’s adroitness at accordion repairs and modifications were apparent at one of the early Shetland A&F Festivals when Jim turned out on stage playing ‘another Gola’ – but this one was very different. The bass buttons were black! No-one could recall Hohner making such an instrument so all were curious. As it turned out, Jim had constructed a grille for the accordion, mimicking the iconic gold grille of the Gola, using welding rods! – and how authentic it was!
For the last 60 years, Jim Halcrow has enthralled audiences with his ear for, feeling for, and application of his music. Currently, he plays with son David’s band (David and Jim Halcrow on accordions, Ian Williamson on fiddle, Graham Jamieson on drums and Margaret Scollay on piano) and Catticloo (Caroline Irvine, Callum Irvine and Jim Halcrow on accordions, Linda Irvine and Pauline Irvine on fiddles, Margaret Scollay on piano and Graham Jamieson on drums).
The NAAFC is delighted to honout Jim at this year’s Celebrity Luncheon and Ceilidh at The Huntingtower Hotel, Perth.