In Memory –
Tom Clark (15th May 1931 – 25th Jan 2020)
by Stella Wilkie & Kevin Clark
B&F June 2020
Many readers will remember accordionist Thomas (Tom) Clark from Dundee who passed away on 25th January 2020.
Tom started playing the accordion at the age of 12, and by his late teens was playing in a local concert party. He continued with this until he met up with the Kerr brothers, Ron and (Angus) Cameron, and the Cameron Kerr Band was formed. They went on to have great success playing across the country and broadcasting regularly for the BBC Home Service for many years.
In the mid-sixties Tom left the band owing to work commitments and Bobby Crowe took over the lead box. They, and their families, became lifelong friends, with Tom and Bobby sharing their mutual interests in a wide range of music. Many a good night was had at the Balmullo Burns Club and the music nights in the pub in Balmullo opposite the Crowe household.
After a few years away from band work, Tom met John Strachan through work and, as a result of john’s persistence, Tom once again picked up the box, something he continued to do right up until his death. Together they formed The Invertay Dance Band and played most weekends throughout the local area and beyond for some 15 years until John’s work took him away to Glasgow. These were happy times for dad.
At around the same time the Dundee A&F Club was formed. Through the club Tom met fiddler Peem Edwards. They were like chalk and cheese but became the best of friends. Their wives developed a close friendship which for many years led to weekly music and chat sessions as well as many trips abroad.
During this time we (Tom’s son and daughter, Kevin and Stella) were becoming more involved with traditional music. Both Tom and Peem were a source of great encouragement and guidance, not only for us, but for all the young members of the Club. Kevin went on to form The Craigowl Band with Bruce Quirie, Margaret Quirie, Gill Simpson and David Scott. He also supported all the young musicians at the Club. People such as, for example, a young Andrew Knight used to come to the house for a tune.
Tom and John Strachan were regular musicians at the Western Isles Hotel in Tobermory, introducing young people including Tom’s children to the beauty of Tobermory, its people, its music and the Festival. Visits to the Festival were one of the highlights of Tom’s musical year. Many lifelong friendships were made during these musical Festival trips. We all cherish those times when we came home sleep deprived after three days of playing through till sunrise.
Tom also taught accordion from the house for many years. He really enjoyed passing on his love of music and Scottish music in particular. Tom was the Editor of the box and fiddle for 5 years. It was this role that brought him into very close contact with Jimmy and Joan Blue and deepened his friendship with Jack Cooper and Angus Fitchet who used to come to the house regularly. They all became lifelong friends.
Tom had a mean sense of humour which only became obvious once you knew him well. For example, when Stella’s now husband, Allan, asked Tom if he could marry her, he felt he should appeal to Tom’s musical passion by simply asking, “Do you mind if I marry your fiddler?” Dad paused for a second and with a chuckle answered, “Why on earth do you want to marry Peem Edwards?”
Music remained his passion to the very end. Last Christmas the family had a magical time together at Stella’s home in Falkland where Dad and Stella entertained with some beautiful tunes on fiddle and box. These are treasured memories indeed.
Tom, always a man of strong faith, was ordained in 1994 and for the next 23 years served as a Deacon in the Friary and latterly St Mary’s churches in Dundee. His wife May took to organising Lunch clubs for the elderly, fundraising and helping single mums and those less fortunate than herself as well as anyone she believed to be a victim of any form of social injustice. For many years May also organised monthly ceilidhs in the Friary church hall. Many of the Dundee A&F Club musicians were roped into playing at the dances. Dad and Stella did most of the ceilidhs as by this time Kevin was living in Bothwell. Mo Rutherford and Neil Copland, the Craigowl Band, Peem Edwards, Joan Blue and Jack Cooper are just a few of the people who gave of their time to the fundraising events.
The untimely death of his eldest daughter Pauline in 2016 devastated Tom and he struggled to come to terms with this. Tom did not fear death. He passed away while attending daily mass at the church where he married May in 1955.
Tom started playing the accordion at the age of 12, and by his late teens was playing in a local concert party. He continued with this until he met up with the Kerr brothers, Ron and (Angus) Cameron, and the Cameron Kerr Band was formed. They went on to have great success playing across the country and broadcasting regularly for the BBC Home Service for many years.
In the mid-sixties Tom left the band owing to work commitments and Bobby Crowe took over the lead box. They, and their families, became lifelong friends, with Tom and Bobby sharing their mutual interests in a wide range of music. Many a good night was had at the Balmullo Burns Club and the music nights in the pub in Balmullo opposite the Crowe household.
After a few years away from band work, Tom met John Strachan through work and, as a result of john’s persistence, Tom once again picked up the box, something he continued to do right up until his death. Together they formed The Invertay Dance Band and played most weekends throughout the local area and beyond for some 15 years until John’s work took him away to Glasgow. These were happy times for dad.
At around the same time the Dundee A&F Club was formed. Through the club Tom met fiddler Peem Edwards. They were like chalk and cheese but became the best of friends. Their wives developed a close friendship which for many years led to weekly music and chat sessions as well as many trips abroad.
During this time we (Tom’s son and daughter, Kevin and Stella) were becoming more involved with traditional music. Both Tom and Peem were a source of great encouragement and guidance, not only for us, but for all the young members of the Club. Kevin went on to form The Craigowl Band with Bruce Quirie, Margaret Quirie, Gill Simpson and David Scott. He also supported all the young musicians at the Club. People such as, for example, a young Andrew Knight used to come to the house for a tune.
Tom and John Strachan were regular musicians at the Western Isles Hotel in Tobermory, introducing young people including Tom’s children to the beauty of Tobermory, its people, its music and the Festival. Visits to the Festival were one of the highlights of Tom’s musical year. Many lifelong friendships were made during these musical Festival trips. We all cherish those times when we came home sleep deprived after three days of playing through till sunrise.
Tom also taught accordion from the house for many years. He really enjoyed passing on his love of music and Scottish music in particular. Tom was the Editor of the box and fiddle for 5 years. It was this role that brought him into very close contact with Jimmy and Joan Blue and deepened his friendship with Jack Cooper and Angus Fitchet who used to come to the house regularly. They all became lifelong friends.
Tom had a mean sense of humour which only became obvious once you knew him well. For example, when Stella’s now husband, Allan, asked Tom if he could marry her, he felt he should appeal to Tom’s musical passion by simply asking, “Do you mind if I marry your fiddler?” Dad paused for a second and with a chuckle answered, “Why on earth do you want to marry Peem Edwards?”
Music remained his passion to the very end. Last Christmas the family had a magical time together at Stella’s home in Falkland where Dad and Stella entertained with some beautiful tunes on fiddle and box. These are treasured memories indeed.
Tom, always a man of strong faith, was ordained in 1994 and for the next 23 years served as a Deacon in the Friary and latterly St Mary’s churches in Dundee. His wife May took to organising Lunch clubs for the elderly, fundraising and helping single mums and those less fortunate than herself as well as anyone she believed to be a victim of any form of social injustice. For many years May also organised monthly ceilidhs in the Friary church hall. Many of the Dundee A&F Club musicians were roped into playing at the dances. Dad and Stella did most of the ceilidhs as by this time Kevin was living in Bothwell. Mo Rutherford and Neil Copland, the Craigowl Band, Peem Edwards, Joan Blue and Jack Cooper are just a few of the people who gave of their time to the fundraising events.
The untimely death of his eldest daughter Pauline in 2016 devastated Tom and he struggled to come to terms with this. Tom did not fear death. He passed away while attending daily mass at the church where he married May in 1955.