On 19 November, long-time Scottish Country Dance musician Peter Elmes passed away in his sleep.

Johnsonville Club members were amongst the many Scottish country dancers who attended Peter’s funeral at Old St Paul’s Cathedral on Monday 23 November. Many more would have taken part in the service via livestreaming on YouTube.

Scottish country dancing was very much to the fore. There was Scottish country dance music playing as we arrived, record sleeves of Peter’s early recordings on display (two are pictured below), as well as his old jacket worn thin in places from where the accordion rested.

We heard tributes from family members, and from former Johnsonville Club tutors Iain Boyd and Ian Simmonds, much of it focusing on the importance of music in Peter’s life, especially Scottish country dance music.

Before the words of committal, we were given time for private reflection on Peter’s life. Fellow Scottish Country Dance musicians Aileen Logie and Hilary Ferral played the Shetland tune The Light has gone out (Da Slockit Light) by Tom Anderson, the perfect choice.

Peter left a great legacy of Scottish country dance music sets and compositions. Much of his musical collection and treasured accordions are now in the care of Aileen Logie, ensuring that legacy lives on.

Aileen met Peter within a week of arriving in New Zealand in 2009, and their friendship and musical relationship has grown ever closer since then. Aileen has been kind enough to share her personal recollections of Peter.

Read Aileen’s tribute to Peter Elmes: the man, the musician, his legacy below.

Kristin Downey

Peter: The man, the musician, his legacy

Peter was the first person to contact me in New Zealand. Imagine my surprise when, a day after arriving in Wellington in early 2009, I got an email from an unknown Kiwi called Peter Elmes – and he wanted us to have a tune together! The music jungle drums had sounded all the way from Scotland to New Zealand.

The next day he appeared to our rental house in Days Bay – we had no furniture other than two old garden chairs found round the back. He came armed with two accordions and some music – and wasn’t deterred at all by the fact my accordion and furniture were all at sea for three months on a container ship. Neither was he fazed by being given weird things called bannocks (Scottish oatcakes) for lunch.

We sat down and then – ‘could I play this, had I heard of that, did I know so-and-so?’ For hours, we discovered our worlds were overlapping to an amazing degree – and I had my first New Zealand friend.

I couldn’t believe there were all these Scottish Country Dance clubs in and around Wellington – and the list of gigs he left me ‘to think about’ was very long.

Over the next months, well years, I learned many things about and from Peter. He had a really deep knowledge of tunes and was impressive in emulating the Scottish sound. I learned how much he had shaped the live music scene for Scottish Country Dance clubs in New Zealand.

He generated enormous respect by all who played with him – and he was very generous in his support. Wellington now has many more Scottish Country Dance musicians than any other area in New Zealand – and this is all due to Peter’s influence and encouragement over the years.

As a mentor and band-leader, he was very steady and secure. Just about nothing would force a deviation or distraction from the tune in hand…even when the sound system one memorable evening was not behaving. I very rarely saw him rattled.

Playing with Peter was a real treat – sometimes challenging, always good, lots of new people, halls, dances and music. I learned the favourite dances here were different (dolphin reels??) – and so was the tempo. Here strathspeys went faster, but jigs and reels a bit slower. The tune repertoire was quite traditional and the New Zealand Scottish Country Dancing ambience is pleasantly more relaxed.

Peter’s musical output over the decades was quite prodigious. He took great care in matching tunes to dance movements and has left hundreds of superbly crafted dance music sets as his legacy. These are well known and well loved by us all – I’m frequently asked for particular Peter sets when compiling the music for a programme.

He also wrote many original tunes – original in all senses of the word – Peter tunes often have a quirky twist in them! There are two books of his compositions.

Peter lived for music, and we worried when he became unwell and was unable to play as he had before. Peter’s strength of character – his calm acceptance, his steadiness in the face of such adversity was humbling as his physical strength gradually ebbed.

With Kath and his family by his side, his reserves ran out on Wednesday 18 November – their wedding anniversary.

Thankyou Peter for all you achieved, the music, the inspiration, the care. It was a real honour to play with and learn from you – and I will keep your great music alive.

Aileen Logie
20 November 2020

Click here to see more photos of Aileen playing in the band with Peter in Loralee Hyde‘s photo history of Peter Elmes. Aileen makes her first appearance in this photographic record at the Wellington Region Guid Nychburris (Good Neighbours) event in 2010 – just a year after she arrived in New Zealand.

André Nies is one of a number of mathematicians who’ve become involved with Scottish Country Dancing through their professional connections with Johnsonville tutor Rod Downey.

Rod is someone who’s always keen to share his enthusiasms, and the Johnsonville Scottish Country Dancing Beginners’ Class poster permanently attached to his Victoria University of Wellington office door is a good conversation starter.

Over the years, Rod’s brought along quite a few mathematicians who’ve given dancing a go or come along for a look. Some have stayed on and danced at Johnsonville whilst working or studying at Victoria University, often for relatively short periods. Others have danced with the club for years, and return to visit us when they can

André has never been based in Wellington, nor taken up Scottish Country Dancing. However he has sat in as an occasional musician, playing with bands at Johnsonville events since Rod introduced him to the music of Scottish Country Dancing.

Learning violin in Germany, André had never encountered traditional Scottish music till he came to New Zealand on a work visit. Band leader Peter Elmes gave the OK and Rod invited André to come along and play with the band when his work visits aligned with Johnsonville Scottish Country Dancing events. For a while he even left his violin with Rod rather than carry it back and forth.

Peter Elmes is not the only band leader who has allowed André to join the band as a guest musician. More recently André has played with Lynne Scott’s band, travelling from Auckland to play for the first Johnsonville & Island Bay Joint Annual Dance in 2018.

Read what André has to say below about discovering Celtic music. Hopefully his love for the music means we’ll see him again in the future.

Kristin Downey

A German violinist discovers Celtic music

I fondly remember my first visit to Wellington in 1996, when Rod took me surfing and also introduced me to Celtic music.

My musical upbringing back in Germany was based on the serious music of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Wagner. I received my violin lessons from my father who was a concert master in an opera house.

Now in New Zealand, I adored the different moods provided by the Scottish music, and discovered with wonder that many tunes are just as old as the ‘opus pieces’ I knew and played. The excitement was augmented by being dressed up in a kilt that Rod has lent, complete with woollen socks, leather bag, and a knife.

Once I had settled in Auckland in 2002, I returned as often as possible to play at the annual events, as an extra musician. I’ll never, even remotely, be able to play the Cadgers in the Canongate (danced here at Johnsonville Club’s 2015 Annual Dance) like John Smith can((Listen to a brief clip of John Smith playing Cadgers in the Canongate here. For more of John’s playing (and a very brief glimpse of John in action), watch Pat Reesby’s video of Fight About the Fireside at Johnsonville Club’s 2013 Annual Dance.)), but I will always love it.

André Nies
24 September 2020

Despite so many interruptions to our dancing this year with Covid-19 restrictions, Johnsonville Club was fortunate to have lots of live music to raise our spirits

Our cancelled tartan night in April became a Live Music at Home event on 13 July, with Aileen Logie, Hilary Ferral and Jason Morris up front at this year’s new club venue of Johnsonville Bowling Club. It was a great night, with a great buzz.

Since then, Aileen has become a regular player at club night every few weeks, adding that extra touch of excitement. It’s really nice to get to know a musician in a club setting, and for Rod as tutor to develop that relationship. Plus we get the bonus of Aileen dancing with us in the second half of the night.

In July, Lynne Scott got in touch to say she had a Monday night free and could bring musicians our way. So on Monday 3 August, Lynne, Mary McDonald and Heather Elder gave us another fun night of fine music. Lynne came back with Mary and Ann Goodbehere to play for our club night on 14 September.

All this music got me to thinking about how lucky we are to have so many musicians giving up their time for the love of Scottish music and Scottish Country Dancing.

With not a lot of dancing events to feature in our club newsletter, I asked these musicians if they could write something about their musical journeys and how they came to play for Scottish Country Dancing. Each one of these musical ‘bios’ tells a fascinating story, and they are all posted here on our website as part of our musical history.

Sadly, because of Covid-19 Level 2 restrictions, we had to cancel our Annual Dance on 19 September, with music planned from Lynne, Sharlene Penman and Richard Hardie.

We hope to add more stories to the club’s website over time to acknowledge the part musicians play in our community.

from Kristin Downey

Originally published in the RSCDS Wellington Region Harbour City Happenings Volume 23 No. 3, September 2020

Mary McDonald is well known as both a dancer and a musician in the Wellington Scottish Country Dance community.

Mary plays regularly in a number of bands for dances in the Wellington region, as well as travelling widely to both perform and attend music workshops, as she pursues her love of Scottish music and dance.

Mary also shares that love of Scottish music and dance with a more general audience through her Family Celtic Dances held in Plimmerton each year. 2019 marked 20 years of these annual dances, which encourage anyone aged 8-80 to give Scottish dancing a go. ((Find out more about the Family Celtic Dance by Johnsonville member Désirée Patterson, who attended the 2016 Family Celtic Dance and wrote about it in her blog, with photos by husband John.))

It’s only in more recent years that Mary’s been part of Johnsonville Scottish Country Dance Club’s musical scene. Her name is first listed on a tartan night programme poster on 28 September 2015 when Mild Heather (Lynne Scott, Anne-Marie Forsyth and Mary) played for the club’s Tribute to Wellington Devisors, showcasing dances by 11 of the Region’s many fine dance devisors.

Since then Mary’s been a regular performer at our tartan nights, sharing her music and the joyful experience of dancing to live music. Long may it last.

Read Mary’s story of her Scottish fiddling around the world below.

Kristin Downey

My Scottish fiddling journey

A born and bred Wellingtonian, I have lived all my life in the Wellington area, apart from four years that my husband Duncan and I spent in London. The daughter of a meteorologist and a teacher, I was raised in an environment which fostered both arts and science. My heritage contains the surnames Borthwick, McLaughlin and Fletcher, and my husband is a McDonald whose ancestors came from the island of Mull off the west coast of Scotland.

My early childhood musical memories are of my mother playing classical piano pieces, the notes rippling effortlessly under her fingers. After a year of recorder lessons at about age seven, I was allowed piano lessons. No matter how hard I concentrated (in that one year!!) I could not achieve the beautiful sounds Mum was producing, so I was happily redirected to the violin, taking over the 3/4 size instrument now outgrown by my older sister.

With two of us learning the violin we shouldn’t have been surprised when, in recent years, my younger sister admitted that the reason for her taking up the trumpet was to drown out the noises of us practising!

Throughout my primary and secondary schooling, the orchestras were held together by pairs of sisters from three families who were all friends and learned violin from the same teacher. Hence the orchestral environment was a very friendly and supportive one, and so established the delights of group playing – listening to all the parts which contributed to the whole, and working with other musicians, not just alongside them.

The orchestral involvement continued at Victoria University, Wellington, in the days when the orchestra was open to any student, not just those in the Music Department – I was in the Science Faculty studying subjects such as Geology, Geophysics and Maths. I have to admit that my violin was mothballed during the latter university and family years.

Alongside the music was a love of dancing. Ballet lessons were (just about) every little girl’s dream back then, and I was lucky enough to learn during my school years. The school curriculum in those olden days included Folk Dancing. In retrospect I realise that we were actually doing Scottish Country dances, which I adored. Music and dancing were inextricably woven into my upbringing.

A coincidental meeting with Lynne Scott caused the dusting off of the violin, and it was she who introduced me to the Hutt Valley Orchestra. This was followed by an invitation to play for some Scottish Country Dancing at Island Bay Club. As I only had music for a few sets, I was encouraged to dance the rest. As my competence grew, I was welcomed onto the stage by Peter Elmes, to play behind John Smith, learning from him and gaining great encouragement into the world of Scottish fiddling.

I have attended many dancing and fiddle schools here and around the world, with exposure to Scottish music styles ranging from the Scottish Outer Hebrides to Shetland; West Highlands to Cape Breton, with its mix of Irish, Scottish, French and First Nations; American-Celtic to Australian-Scottish.

Particularly memorable were two week-long schools held in Scotland, organised by Anne-Marie Forsyth, one in Haddon Castle near Perth, and the other in Foyers Lodge on the banks of Loch Ness, learning from local fiddlers.

There have been many more highlights on the path to my developing as a Scottish fiddler.

I attended the Musicians Class at the week-long RSCDS Summer School at St Andrews in Scotland, which culminated in playing on stage in the hallowed Younger Hall for the Final Night, seated next to the young Scottish piano and accordion player James Gray.

Being one of four fiddlers on the TAC (Teacher’s Association of Canada) Music Course in Denver, unexpectedly invited to play the whole night with Scottish fiddlers Keith Smith and Judy Nicholson, was a fiddler’s dream come true.

Duncan and I spent a month in Edinburgh playing with the Shetland Fiddlers (Hjaltibonhoga) in the Royal Military Tattoo (26 performances) on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle, and I had the honour of being chosen from their number to perform at Holyrood Palace for Prince Charles and Prince William (the first time they had attended the tattoo), and to speak to both of them.

Kiwi Kilties – Sharlene Penman (keyboard), Duncan (drums) and I played for dances put on in our honour in Grenoble and Lyon in France, and on Manhattan Island for the Scotia Dancers of New York.

I have enjoyed playing for numerous dancing classes with Lynne Scott, and we were asked to provide music for the sound track of the New Zealand film about Sheila Natusch, No Ordinary Sheila, that reflected her Orkney heritage.

I play in a number of bands. Wild Heather (Lynne Scott, Sharlene Penman, Anne-Marie Forsyth and I) played as the headline band at the Nelson Summer School, when the overseas musician was forced to pull out. As part of the Wellington-based ceilidh band Schiehallion, I had an immense amount of enjoyment playing for a visiting group of Scottish Reelers in the ballroom of Larnach Castle in Dunedin.

In establishing my Saltire Scottish Dance Band last year, I have had to rapidly develop band leadership skills, and the ability to arrange sets of music which assist and energise the dancers.

I am very grateful to the many people who have encouraged and assisted me on my Scottish fiddling journey, and so allow me to share a love of music, dancing and things Scottish with others.

Mary McDonald
20 August 2020

Lynne Scott is well known in the Scottish Country Dancing music scene both locally and nationally, playing for any number of Scottish Country Dancing events throughout New Zealand with a variety of musicians joining her bands.

She is the current Music Advisor for the RSCDS NZ Branch, writing articles and running workshops to help dancers, musicians and tutors have a better understanding of Scottish Country Dancing music.

Lynne is also known for her car number plate Violyn and the dance Violynne which club tutor Rod Downey wrote for her in 2004.

It’s hard to say when Lynne first played at Johnsonville, as she was initially ‘sitting in’ rather than a band member. Additionally, there was a longstanding convention of listing bands by the name of the leader e.g. Peter Elmes’ Band or Peter Elmes and Associates. We now list all musicians by name on dance programmes. ((Lynne is part of a long history of live music at Johnsonville Club. Johnsonville has supported musicians, engaging them to play at Tartan Nights and Annual Dances since the early years. Since Rod became club tutor at the end of 1996, he has continued this tradition, building relationships with all the musicians in the bands that play for Johnsonville, including Lynne.))

Enjoy what Lynne has to say below about the musical journey that led her to Scottish fiddling.

Kristin Downey

Violynne

I grew up in Feilding, the eldest of four. The old lady down the road gave me piano lessons, and once I got to high school in Palmerston North, I discovered an affinity with the violin. Youth Orchestra was a passion for a long time! My uncle lent me his piano accordion for a couple of years, and I taught myself the basics sitting on my bed.

An abiding love of Scottish dance grew when, as a teenager, I followed the district’s pipe bands to their regular Saturday night ‘Inglesides’. An Ingleside is a monthly social and dance, which loosely translated means a ‘gathering around the fireside’.

I never wanted to play the pipes, but oh, how I longed for some Scottish ancestry to validate the thrill of dancing! Some years later I discovered that my grandfather was actually born in Dundee – but nobody had ever mentioned it!

My university studies brought me a music degree and a library school diploma. James and I married and took up Scottish Country Dancing in Christchurch. Then, living in England for seven years gave us access to Europe and, of course, Scotland. I worked as a Systems Analyst in Farnborough, and we danced at a local Scottish Country Dancing club.

Back in New Zealand it was time for babies and back to dabbling in music: re-learning the violin, then teaching violin, recorder, piano and theory as well. I find teaching a most rewarding job. The accordion came back to me and did sterling duty at Playcentre. Our daughters have grown up to be excellent musicians  – perhaps it was never an option to be otherwise!

We joined the Island Bay Scottish Country Dancing Club (this was 1985) and danced with great pleasure to Peter Elmes Band. Fiddling lessons with John Smith, followed by the opportunity to sit in on stage, gave me a real incentive to learn Scottish fiddle style.

Then one day I was watching the pianist, Merren Simmonds, and casually said to Peter “if you’re ever short of a pianist…” And so, eventually, a new career was born as a band pianist. I will be forever grateful to Peter and John for their support and guidance, and the opportunity to play for dancing with them for so many years.

My interest in fiddling grew alongside the band work. There were many fiddle camps (SHISSF in Upper Hutt and Scotstringnz in Auckland). A couple of silver medals from the Waipu Solo Fiddle Contest decorate my wall, but that Gold is still out of reach!

A real career highlight was playing as one of the Shetland fiddle team Hjaltibonhoga, in Edinburgh Military Tattoos in Wellington, Edinburgh and Sydney – a most amazingly surreal and emotional experience, as well as being physically, musically and technically challenging.

Chasing the goal of Scottish Country Dancing-musicianship, I attended the very first Musicians course at the RSCDS Summer School at St Andrews (and then two more), and then music courses in Germany, Portland Oregon, and Denver. In time I became the NZ RSCDS Branch Music Adviser, and with this hat on I have tried to encourage and mentor New Zealand’s growing bunch of Scottish Country Dancing musicians, assist dancers and provide support and advice to dance event organisers.

 I now have two Scottish Country Dancing bands: Wild Heather (two fiddles, viola and piano) and Strings Attached (fiddle, piano and double bass), and also play casually with other local musicians. There’s also Schiehallion, my seven-piece Ceilidh band that plays for weddings and social events.

Other music activities these days include teaching, conducting a community orchestra, and leading the 2nd violins in the Hutt Valley Orchestra. There’s my monthly Scottish Music club, Ceol Alba. And this year I’ve had my first piano lessons for fifty years! You’re never too old to learn…

But playing for Scottish Country Dancing classes and events is my all-time favourite activity! Thank you to Rod, Jeanette, and all the other tutors over the years who have taken a chance on me. It’s been (and still is) a great ride.

Lynne Scott
13 August 2020

Heather Elder was one of the more than 30 people who came along to Johnsonville beginners’ classes in February 2017.

In April 2017, Heather was one of the group of new dancers at our first Tartan Night of the year. By the time our October Tartan Night came along, she was up the front sitting in with Lynne Scott’s band – a swift transition!

Heather went on to play as a band member in Lynne’s bands for our first shared annual dance with Capital City in 2018 and at our April and July Tartan Nights in 2019. Check out the photos and you’ll see Heather with her game face on, which is why some people call her a ‘serious’ fiddle player.

See more about Heather’s fascinating journey to becoming a Scottish Country Dancing musician below.

Kristin Downey

I’m rejoicing on the inside!

I’ve been told I look very serious when I’m playing my fiddle. You’ll just have to take my word that I’m rejoicing on the inside!

I fell in love with the instrument aged nine. My mother taught me piano when I was seven, and I went to Saturday morning recorder classes for a while, after which the teacher suggested to my mother that I learn the violin.

I remember sneaking into the living room after everyone had gone to bed and opening up the case, just so I could admire my new instrument: the curved shape, the delicate, perfectly symmetrical F holes, the gleam of the wood. I mean, it was a rental and looking back it was probably a cheap mass-produced violin but I thought it was gorgeous.

In high school I played in the Auckland Secondary Schools and then the Auckland Youth Orchestras. I loved being an orchestral player – the feeling of immersion in this big musical machine, the camaraderie of camps, tours and concerts, the glorious repertoire.

At the time, I was also working my way through the Trinity College exams – I passed Grade 8 aged 15 and ATCL the following year. Looking back, this was way too young and I honestly don’t know how I managed: I loved ensemble playing but if I had to perform solo I would quake with fear and my bow would bounce and stutter across the strings.

After I left school I kept up the fiddle for a while, playing in a pit orchestra and a few chamber groups and once, long ago, the title role in a community theatre product of Fiddler on the Roof, unrecognisable behind a highly unconvincing Life of Brian-style beard.

Eventually work, study and travel took precedence and I stopped playing properly for years. I finally picked it up again in the UK when my daughter was very young and played with a local folk group called, believe it or not, Swinging with the Chickens.

When we came back to New Zealand in 2005 I started looking around for more folk opportunities. I joined a klezmer (Jewish folk music) band, and had another baby. My younger daughter gestated to klezmer music, and both my girls spent a lot of their early lives dancing at gigs.

I stayed in the Klezmer Rebs for 10 years, playing at musical festivals around the country, as well as for weddings, birthdays and bar mitzvahs. We also made a few CDs – I wrote the title track on the latest one, Always a Pleasure (2016, available on Bandcamp) and even sang a number on it too!

Singing’s also been part of my musical life – I conducted my house choir at school, sang in the Auckland University Choir and later in the Cambridge University Music Society Chorus under the late Sir Stephen Cleobury, former musical director at King’s College, Cambridge – a huge privilege. Closer to home, I joined the Festival Singers in Wellington last year.

But the fiddle will always be my musical home. In 2014, after a few years  in the kIezmer band, I decided it was time to try something new and signed up for a Scottish fiddle camp that I’d found online – the Southern Hemisphere International School of Scottish Fiddle, or SHISSF, in Kaitoke. Just as well I did – it was the last one they ran.

There I met Lynne Scott, who suggested I come to Ceol Alba, her monthly Scottish music session. When she ran a workshop for musicians interested in playing for Scottish Country Dancing, I went to that too. Shortly afterwards I started playing with her at the Island Bay Scottish Country Dance Club (now Capital City), and gradually venturing onto the dance floor.

I’ve learned (and am still learning!) a lot from Lynne and she’s been a patient and generous mentor as I’ve got to know the music and the community and have played at club nights and dances.

So far, the highlight of my admittedly very short career as a Scottish fiddler has been playing with Lynne’s band Wild Heather for Hogmanay 2018 at the Summer School – my first Hogmanay gig and my first Hogmanay. It was a blast!

What with work, teenagers and a new puppy, life is pretty busy and so music-wise I mostly stick to Scottish fiddling. I do branch out from time to time, though – I’ve played traditional Persian music in Parsima, an Iranian band founded by a colleague from RNZ Concert (where I worked for a while as a music librarian). Later it morphed into a world music band called Sounds Like Us.

I’ve done a bit of session work, including with a friend who produces ambient techno under the name Jet Jaguar. And a few years ago I played a ghostly musician in a Fringe Festival show-slash-installation called Traces in a pub basement. But nothing beats playing for a hall full of happy dancers.

Heather Elder
3 August 2020

Those of us who’ve been dancing for a while would have first met Hilary Ferral on the dance floor when she began dancing as a member of Tawa Club. Then in 2016 she joined Johnsonville Club, and also emerged as a Scottish Country Dancing musician in Peter Elmes’ band at Johnsonville’s very memorable 50 Golden Years Celebration

Despite the fact that Hilary has continued as a dancing member of Johnsonville Club since 2016, we don’t get to see her very often on the dance floor. She has standing musical commitments on many Mondays, and only makes it to Johnsonville when they permit.

As with Aileen Logie, Hilary has been encouraged and influenced by longstanding Wellington Scottish Country Dancing musician Peter Elmes who played for Johnsonville events from at least 1984 until his retirement in 2018. You can see photos of Peter across the decades in the photographic history Loralee Hyde put together.

Find out more about Hilary’s Scottish Country Dancing journey below.

Kristin Downey

I’ll never be a fiddler!

As a child I learned piano initially, and then added violin lessons a few years later. The violin took over, and eventually I got the hang of practising properly, moved on to music college and acquired a degree in violin performance. So I am unashamedly a classically trained violinist, and will never be a fiddler!!

I have found my ‘calling’ in teaching and have always taught music/violin while attending to various concurrent distractions such as raising children, and adding another stint of study followed by a job as a statistician. I have now (happily) retired from the job in statistics, which gives me a little more time for teaching and spending time with my grandchildren.

I took up Scottish Country Dancing about 10 years ago as a response to a fast emptying nest. Like many people who start Scottish Country Dancing late in life I wished I had started very much earlier. I was, however, hooked within a week of starting!

I have been a member of Tawa Club since then, and have made some very good friends – just one of the happy side-effects of Scottish Country Dancing. I realised fairly soon that dancing more than once a week was a good idea if I wanted to acquire the skills needed, and look like I have the right amount of intelligence that Rod often refers to. So I have also been a member of Johnsonville and Lower Hutt clubs at various times as well as joining classes, schools, and annual dances.

I was very fortunate that long-time member of Tawa Club, Kath Ledingham (Elmes), asked me at some point whether I was interested in playing music for Scottish Country Dancing. She knew I played but had never heard me, so I will always appreciate her leap of faith!

I was pretty diffident to begin with, knowing that classical violin doesn’t sound anything like Scottish fiddling. After a little gentle persuasion I cautiously joined Peter Elmes’ band for about five dances at the Johnsonville Annual Dance celebrating 50 Golden Years in 2016.

Peter, Don McKay and Aileen Logie have been nothing but welcoming and encouraging in the process of inculcating me into the ‘idiom’. I do feel especially grateful that I have been able to play with Peter and learn from his huge experience and expertise for those few years before his retirement.

I have no previous knowledge of Scottish dance music, no Scottish blood, and no previous fiddling experience. However, I do love the dance music (and dancing), and it’s been an enormously entertaining learning curve that I’ve been travelling on.

Since Peter Elmes’ retirement in 2018 I have continued to play with Aileen on a regular basis, and last year we formally named our duo The Cranberry Tarts. This was announced at the Waikanae final night in 2019 and was received with hoots of laughter and many smiles. I really appreciate Aileen’s deep knowledge of the repertoire and playing, and her limitless enthusiasm.

It’s great that the local Wellington clubs support live music – not just for the big annual dances, but also for their Tartan nights, and other special occasions. The live music really does bring its own special atmosphere. It’s always a joy to play the music, but also good to get up and dance when other bands are playing.

from Hilary Ferral
29 July 2020

Jason Morris is one of the more recent musicians to transition into playing music for Scottish Country Dancing.

His first musical engagement for Johnsonville was at the 2019-2020 RSCDS Wellington Region Hogmanay celebration which Johnsonville organised. Jason played as a member of Aileen Logie’s band together with Iain Matcham, bringing us great music for a very special night of dancing.

This was Jason’s first Hogmanay as a dancer or musician, and he also kindly agreed to take on the duties of ‘First Foot’ on the night. Watch Pat Reesby’s video Piping in the First Foot

Jason has quickly become part of the Scottish Country Dancing musical scene, performing at club nights, dances, region classes and one summer school. Our recent July Live Music Night was the first time Aileen, Hilary and Jason had performed as a group.

See Jason’s story of his musical life below.

Kristin Downey

A musical trail of family history

As with many musicians, there’s a trail of family history – my Grandfather played piano and accordion in dance bands from the 1930s, and my parents met when he and Dad got talking about music at work. Mum was accomplished on the piano and has taught locally in the Hutt Valley.

I received a mustard-yellow ukulele for my 5th birthday, and proceeded to learn all the chords I could. The first sheet music I learnt was a Shirley Temple album, I still have a recording of me singing On the Good Ship Lollipop (cringe).

I was playing in the church music team from age seven on the ukulele, a great introduction to playing together as a group. I started piano lessons at age nine and learnt for many years from a Polish lady – initially we were warned that she was strict and used to rap students’ knuckles with a violin bow if they made mistakes. Nothing could be further from the truth, she was a big softy and ended up more like an extra Grandmother.

The yearly cycle of exams, and being ushered with great silence and reverence into the presence of a tweed-jacketed examiner from England was a great preparation for external exams at school – which seemed far less stressful by comparison.

At high school I was encouraged to take up another instrument so I chose Clarinet. School Orchestra was great fun and I liked to explore the music store cupboard. My first discovery was a vintage Alto Sax, probably from the 1940s. I got this working, and started using it in the orchestra.

After a year I bought my own Tenor sax and spent a lot of time arranging music for big-band type ensembles at school. The ukulele was ditched in favour of piano, synthesiser or saxophone in church music teams. Fortunately digital instruments have come a long way since the 1980s!

My final discovery in the school store, up on a high shelf, was a very dusty Tuba … only three buttons. How hard could it be? I collared a trumpet player one lunchtime and away I went – definitely the easiest instrument to play. When the music teacher arrived back from holiday he was suitably bemused now seeing me in the brass section. I played in the Hutt Municipal brass band for a couple of years and enjoyed playing at ANZAC parades, track races and band competitions.

On my first ANZAC parade, walking around central Eastbourne, the waist belt that takes the weight of the Tuba slipped off just before marching off. The section leader was quite strict so I dared not let the instrument slip. At the end of the march my outstretched arms were literally shaking in pain after carrying that lump around. If you’ve seen the movie Brassed Off, that’s a very accurate insight into Brass Band culture.

This year a neighbour asked me to play the last post for our lockdown ANZAC day at 6am: I can report that it doesn’t sound quite as majestic on Tuba, but my in-laws heard it a couple of kilometres away down the hill. I’m threatening to drag it along next time we play Trip to Bavaria.

It was during a 4th-form (year 10) music class I first heard a pipe organ – and was amazed at the ‘wall’ of sound it could produce. That first piece I heard is etched in my memory – Bach BWV578 Little Fugue in Gm.

In my early twenties, a ‘friend of a friend’ told me of a large reed organ that was available at very low cost, it was an 1888 two-manual instrument with a full concave pedal board. I lugged this from flat to flat over the years (hands up who wants to help Jason shift), and it was a great practice instrument for many years. I had a few organ lessons over a two year period, even with a decent piano background I can honestly say it was very challenging.

Much later I had the opportunity to purchase a real pipe organ, which I’ve progressively been rebuilding. I was able to allocate a nice spot for it half way up the stairs during our (ongoing) house building project. During lockdown I played it nearly every day, but Bach’s BWV578 still eludes me. It’s been a real privilege to play for many family funerals and weddings over the years (this is a mixed blessing, the black and white keys blur together with moist eyes!).

Although my Grandfather had accordions, as a child I only remember these being loud things that came out occasionally, usually accompanied fairly promptly with calls to put it away from the rest of the family. I was loaned an old Scandalli about 20 years ago by a friend, and when he retired back to Australia his wife insistedhe leave the accordion here in New Zealand.

I tinkered with it off and on, playing kids’ songs and accompanying carol singers. To honour my Grandfather’s legacy, when it came time to farewell my Grandmother, I borrowed a big black Titano accordion and led the hymns with that rather than organ.

I was introduced to Scottish Country Dancing when my eldest daughter started dancing at primary school with Ann Cole, then subsequently at the Lower Hutt club kids’ class. All four of my children have attended dancing there for varying lengths of time, but I stayed on after it became too cool for the kids. I kept my musical interests quiet for a very long time, but eventually got roped in to play piano for a wedding Ceilidh. After that there was no turning back.

My first ever club night gig was playing for Linden with Iain Matcham. Back in the early days just keeping up with which tune was next was a big challenge. 1-2-3-4-2-3-4-1 is a simple concept, but early on this provided much stress. During that first event I remember losing my place, and essentially stopped playing for a couple of bars. I glanced up from the keyboard and glimpsed the look of panic on Ann Oliver’s face; which spurred me back in to action.

It became second nature after a while, and I’ve enjoyed playing for club nights, annual dances, region classes and one summer school. Lynne Scott has been a continued support and provided coaching along the way, and actively encourages new musicians to join in.

As part of that, I’ve played piano regularly at Island Bay/Capital City Club, and have begun to try out (inflict) some accordion there also. Mastering the bass buttons has proved to be a much easier task than getting my rusty fingers to play fast melodies on a sideways keyboard I can’t see!

During the working week I am an electronics engineer, on weekends I am supposed to be finishing building the house when not distracted by music, dancing or tinkering underneath a long succession of French or Italian vehicles.

Jason Morris
22 July 2020

Aileen Logie is a relatively recent addition to the Wellington Scottish Country Dancing music scene, having arrived here from Scotland in 2009.

Aileen hadn’t expected there would be Scottish music opportunities in Wellington, but was ‘delighted’ to be contacted by long-time Wellington band leader Peter Elmes, and taken under his wing. From being Peter’s ‘apprentice’ she’s now forming partnerships and leading her own bands.

Read all about Aileen’s Scottish music and dance background as a child in Scotland, and the story of how she came to be part of the Wellington Scottish Country Dancing community below.

Kristin Downey

A musical life starting young

My musical life started when I was five years old, desperate to learn piano. I remember sitting on the stairs (when I should be in bed) listening to all the music and party happening in the living room – and wanting to play too. This happened often as my Dad played in a band and I was surrounded by people playing music.

My family had frequent musical gatherings – my grandpa was ace on a 5-string banjo and I had two music teacher aunts. Playing something was the norm and seemed great fun! I was always given spoons or something percussive to keep me occupied, but by five years old it just wasn’t enough.

I was taken to a piano teacher, but as I was small (still am!), my first practice routine was stretching my hands and fingers so I could reach note spans. I went through the classical music system of grades and exams, sitting grade 8 when I was 13 years old.

Meanwhile, at primary school, we had Scottish Country Dancing lessons every Tuesday afternoon all through winter. Mrs MacGeachy taught us steps then played the piano while we danced – I loved this.

Tunes such as Petronella, Corn Rigs, Flowers of Edinburgh, Duke of Perth and Waltz Country Dance bring me right back to being eight years old in our school gym hall. My favourite was a dance where we were trains weaving in and out through the boys’ side and chasing back to our own side – it was called Waverley (after the Edinburgh train station).

When I was 15 years old, we moved From St Andrews to Inverness for two years. This was good and bad. I had no piano there and really missed playing, however my social life suddenly ramped up with parties and dances galore. Dances were family affairs, sometimes at a farm in a big barn, sometimes a church hall. The latter was more comfortable, but the dances had to stop by midnight if you were in church facilities – so barn dances were more popular.

The bands and music were fantastic and I became interested in playing this kind of music. A guitar was the only instrument to hand, so I played along on this and thus learned rhythms and chord progressions while enjoying myself. I also like singing and joined a folk band.

After Uni and child bearing stuff, we lived near Dundee and my daughter took up Highland dancing. She needed me to play for her, so this was my next stage – the tunes, tempo and rhythms had to be very precise – I did this on the piano.Meanwhile, my Dad had picked up an old accordion from somewhere and was playing along with Robbie Shepherd on Take the Floor broadcasts on radio, so I learned the geography of the instrument and started to try it out.

I had also started hill walking and climbing in a big way – often staying in bothies (mountain huts) where we all spent the evenings singing and dancing. I started to take a small accordion in my rucksack and this went down very well on overnighters.

When I did my last Munro (284 hills over 3000 feet in Scotland), we had an Orcadian Strip the Willow on the top! My brother was especially memorable playing his fiddle like a demented demon and dancing at the same time.

I joined the SFO – not the Fraud Office – but the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra. This was a big band which did quite a bit of touring (came to New Zealand in 2006 I think). Mostly fiddles, but there were cellos, two double basses, a piano and six accordions.

In this SFO You Tube Scottish Fiddle Orchestra Eightsome Reel you’ll hear us play at Borthwick Castle and see the dance (and speed) as I know it. The arrangements and tunes were excellent under John Mason and I learned a lot about putting sets together.

By this time, I was playing in three bands as well – one was a ceilidh/wedding band, one was a Strathspey and Reel society group playing for Scottish Country Dancing and the last was a local village band playing for our local community events. My children played six instruments between them – and we still had big family musical gatherings with my Dad on piano, me on accordion, all my siblings on fiddles/guitars/banjo, my children on bass, clarinet, sax, whistle. Lots of singing and dancing – Highland, step, ceilidh, country.

Within days of arriving in New Zealand in 2009, I received an email from Peter Elmes. A Scottish Fiddle Orchestra contact from the New Zealand visit had kept in touch with Peter and had told him an accordionist was arriving in Wellington shortly! I was truly gob-smacked and delighted. My accordion was still in a container somewhere on its three-month journey to New Zealand. I had sold off all my band equipment before emigrating – not expecting much opportunity to use it here. Little did I know!

Peter encouraged me to join in his gigs here and I began to learn the New Zealand Scottish Country Dancing preferences. I saw myself as his apprentice for many years – sometimes on accordion, sometimes piano. In Scotland, accordionists are ten a penny, but not so here…

Sadly, as you’ll know, Peter became unwell and retired from playing in 2018. He wrote some great sets over a 40-year playing career and it’s my privilege and pleasure to be able to keep them going. When I’m asked to play at a dance, I ask the tutor for musical preferences – and Peter’s sets are requested time and time again – they are gold.

I retired from work last year, and the urge to start Scottish Country Dancing again took root. I now go to the Tuesday afternoon dancing group and really enjoy this – I’m a bit rusty on the formations, but am picking it up again. It really does help with knowing which dance needs what in terms of the music – and I like hearing what tutors choose to dance to … and picking up ideas. The dancing community has been very welcoming/forgiving to a stray musician in their midst!

I play with violinist Hilary Ferral as a duo The Cranberry Tarts. Hilary’s precision and musicianship is wonderful and so enjoyable to play with. We sometimes expand to include a piano (Jason) and/or drummer (Terry) as required by the occasion/club.

The Wellington Scottish Country Dancing musician scene isn’t large, so it involves some mixing and matching to make things work to the satisfaction of individual clubs/dates … hence you might see the same face in different band line ups!

It’s absolutely great Johnsonville Club supports live music – we all enjoy these nights, whether a club night or an annual dance. Keeps us all on our tapping toes!

Sláinte and thank you Rod and Kristin.

Aileen Logie
16 July 2020

On Monday 29 June, club member Liz Hands was telling me what a lot of fun she had at the most recent Ceol Alba get-together. Since I don’t speak the gaelic, I didn’t immediately twig, but once she mentioned Lynne Scott, things clicked into place.

Lynne is a very active Wellington musician and Scottish Country Dance band leader, who is also Music Adviser to the NZ Branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society.

What is Ceol Alba? It’s a group organised by Lynne for those who love playing Scottish music for their own enjoyment, rather than as performers. They play not just dance music, but also airs, marches, laments, waltzes, and polkas!

At past gatherings, Johnsonville club member Liz Hands has played double bass, but this time no double bass was available. Happily for Liz, Lynne produced a flute, and Liz played the flute for the first time since 1970 – and enjoyed every minute of it. Others in the group played fiddles, guitars, drums and percussion.

Liz first got involved with Scottish music making at a workshop Lynne ran last year, which Johnsonville Club members Désirée Patterson and Helen Thompson also attended.

You are welcome to attend Ceol Alba’s monthly meetings. Lynne keeps it low pressure to make it fun for music-makers of all levels. To find out more, check out the Ceol Alba website, or email Lynne. You can also read more about Scottish music in Lynne’s music articles on the RSCDS NZ website.

Ceol Alba has now been running for thirteen years. Read Lynne’s story below about the group’s origins and the ceilidh band that grew out of it.

from Kristin Downey

The origins of Ceol Alba

I started Ceol Alba at the beginning of 2007. The impetus grew from my involvement in the Scottish Country Dance community in Wellington, where I have been dancing and playing for some years – I really love playing for dancing.

But aside from playing for dances, there was literally nowhere else where folk could get together and play tunes on a regular basis. There was at the time, an annual fiddle school, and the Irish community had a couple of pubs in Wellington where you could go and join in if you knew the tunes. But Irish music is mostly very different from Scottish, and I know what I prefer!

The name Ceol Alba was suggested by a member of the Gaelic Club who came along to see what was going on. I have been told since that we neither spell nor pronounce it correctly(!!) but I’ve opted to leave it as it is. It means ‘the music of Scotland’.

Initially we met twice a month but this settled into a monthly meeting (fourth Friday) pattern fairly quickly. Our gatherings vary in size, from maybe only 2 or 3, up to a high of 22. That one has never been repeated! In fact, recruiting members is an ongoing challenge. Some have been superbly loyal, but It’s always good to see some new faces.

You can see from the tunes on the Ceol Alba website that I try to cover the gamut of styles in Scottish music, not just jigs, reels and strathspeys. I’ve been a bit slack about keeping the music on the website up to date, but I still send out a new tune, almost every month.

Meetings usually consist of the group playing the new tune over several times, and I will suggest technical tips to fiddlers and accordionists to help make it more playable. (I play fiddle, accordion and piano.) Then as we’re usually in a circle, we go round the circle, each in turn choosing a tune or a set that they’d like to play. I keep the speeds to the level of the less able most of the time, though I’ll let the fiddlers have their head on occasion!

I’ve been adamant that the club is just that – a club for people to enjoy playing Scottish music under as little pressure as possible. We don’t do performances or play for dancing. However, when a need for a Ceilidh band arose in about 2008, by then I had a pool of musicians who had a common repertoire and were keen to put themselves forward.

So the dance band Schiehallion was formed. It’s had a pretty stable line-up from the start: accordion (me), two fiddles, flute, drums, piano and guitar. We play several times a year for weddings/parties/social, teaching the dances and playing lively tunes for the punters.

In fact, we were in Dunedin right at the end of February, to play at Larnach Castle for a group of Reelers who were travelling in New Zealand. I’m so glad we got that in before the world turned upside down! It was enormous fun.

from Lynne Scott
2 July 2020