WHO IS WHO? People, groups, organisations, events, places.
ARTHUR ARGO
Aberdeenshire born Argo was a direct descendant of folk song collector Gavin Greig. Singer and collector Arthur Argo was a key activist in the Revival, co-creator of the Aberdeen Folk Club, initiator and editor of Chapbook magazine, and broadcaster.
JOHN BARROW
Tynesider Barrow came to study at Edinburgh University and stayed to organise folk events and run a booking agency for Dick Gaughan and others.
DOMINIC BEHAN
Irish songmaker and singer, brother of playwright Brendan Behan, Dominic Behan moved to Glasgow and wrote and performed in Scotland.
THURSO BERWICK
The literary pseudonym of Morris Blythman.
BOB BLAIR
Glasgow singer, member of the group Stramash, for a time a member of the London-based Critics group.
MARION BLYTHMAN
With her husband Morris an activist in the work of the Glasgow Song Guild, and a member of the Glasgow Eskimos.
MORRIS BLYTHMAN
The Spring 1982 issue of the literary magazine ‘Chapman’ was ‘In memoriam Thurso Berwick’, Blythman’s pen name. Several chapters of this book detail aspects of his work - writing, organising others to write and sing, and publishing Scots political song. He was one of the three architects of the Scottish Folk Revival, and was also a considerable poet in Scots. His best known songs include ‘Coronation Coronach’ aka ‘The Scottish Breakaway’, ‘Sky High Joe’ and ‘Lucky Wee Prince Chairlie’, but through the Glasgow Song Guild he contributed to many other Holy Loch and Republican songs.
ERIC BOGLE
One of the major songmakers of the Revival, Bogle’s work includes several songs much sung and respected as part of Scotland’s political song repertoire, but Bogle began songmaking after he emigrated to Australia, and his topics reflect the life and history of that country much more than Scotland. His best known political songs are ‘And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda’ and ‘The Green Fields of France’.
THE BO’NESS REBELS LITERARY SOCIETY
From the 1940s to the 1960s the ‘Society’ organised regular ceilidhs and the publication of songbooks, as detailed in Chapter 2.
MARY BROOKSBANK
Dundee poet, songmaker and mill worker. Her best known songs include ‘Oh Dear Me’ (aka ‘Ten and Nine’), ‘Strathmartine Braes’, and ‘The Spinner’s Wedding’.
BROOMHILL BUMS
The Broomhill Bums were a social grouping of singers and friends in 1959-61 who sang together at the Glasgow Folk Club in its first year, and were named after the ‘19 month party’ in Hamish Imlach’s house in Broomhill, Glasgow. They included Imlach himself, Ray and Archie Fisher, Mrs Fisher, Josh and Sheila McRae, Jim McLean, Jackie O’Connor and Ewan McVicar.
JIM BROWN
Glasgow born songmaker, singer and shipyard worker Brown moved to live in Cumbernauld and was active in Cumbernauld Little Theatre. There is a chapter on Brown’s work in ‘Song And Democratic Culture in Britain’ by Ian Watson. Brown’s best known songs include ‘As I Walked On The Road’ and ‘The Waverley Polka’.
NORMAN AND JANEY BUCHAN
Norman, MP and song book editor, and his wife Janey, MEP, were tireless workers for Scotland’s culture, and, through organising concerts and support for young singers, key in the early development of the Revival in Glasgow.
ROBERT BURNS
Scotland’s ‘National Bard’, Burns not only wrote poetry and songs, he collected traditional Scots songs and tunes. He often shore off all the old verses after the first verse and chorus, and wrote new verses for the songs. He wrote many political and social comment songs and poems.
DAVID CAMPBELL
Storyteller, BBC Radio Scotland producer, writer.
WILLIAM CAMPBELL
A contemporary of Robert Burns, Campbell was a right wing Glasgow poet and songwriter who wrote various anti-Jacobin songs but also anti-slavery songs.
THE CENTRE FOR POLITICAL SONG
Based in the Caledonian University, Glasgow, the Centre and its archives are an invaluable resource, and much enriched the making of this book.
CHAPBOOK
Chapbook, ‘Scotland’s Folk-Life Magazine’, was the major periodical of the Scottish Folk Revival, published quarterly, initially in Aberdeen then Edinburgh, from 1963 to 1968, edited by Arthur Argo and co-edited by Ian Philip.
CHAPMAN
Chapman, ‘Scotland’s Quality Literary Magazine’, is still published in Edinburgh.
RONNIE CLARK
Glasgow based singer and folk club organizer. See his involvement with the Grand Hotel Folk Song and Ballad Club in Glasgow, and ‘Chapbook’ magazine.
THE CLYDEBANK RENT STRIKE
This 1920s campaign was led by Clydebank women, who resisted the efforts of the private housing owners and their factors to enforce rent increases. A pamphlet on the strike, written by academic Seán Damer, was published in 1982 by Clydebank District Library.
BILLY CONNOLLY
World known Glasgow comedian, actor, songmaker and singer, Connolly began his performing career in Glasgow folk clubs as a member of various groups, including The Humblebums which was first a duo of Connolly with Tam Harvey and later with Gerry Rafferty, then Connolly went solo.
JAMES CONNOLLY
Edinburgh born of Irish parents, Connolly was a union organiser, writer and heroic figure, who was one of the leaders of the 1916 Dublin Easter Rising and was executed. His best known song was ‘Rebelsong’.
HARRY CONSTABLE
Bo’ness SNP councillor on Falkirk Council, active in the Bo’ness Rebels Literary Society.
JOE CORRIE
Fife miners’ poet and dramatist.
THE CORRIES
This Edinburgh-based folk group was best known as the folk duo Ronnie Browne and Roy Williamson, who recorded many albums. Earlier it was the Corrie Folk Trio, the third member being Bill Smith. The singer Paddie Bell performed and recorded with the Trio.
DANNY COUPER
Aberdeen singer, folk club and concert organiser, and fish merchant.
IAN DAVISON
Davison has throughout the Revival been a well-respected, clever and melodic songwriter, a performer earlier with his own Folk Group and latterly solo, and a developer of the songmaking skills of others. He has written and recorded several CDs of his political and other songs including ‘Mandela Danced in the Square’.
BARBARA DICKSON
Fife singer Dickson was a member of the Great Fife Road Show. Her initial recordings were of folk songs, but she achieved national fame as a singer of popular song and as an actress.
SHEILA DOUGLAS
Scone based Douglas has played many important roles in the Revival, as singer, author, collector, club organiser, storyteller. Her books include ‘Come Gies A Sang’, ‘The Sang’s The Thing’ and ‘Last Of The Tinsmiths’.
BOB DYLAN
American, the best known political songmaker of our times after Pete Seeger.
EDINBURGH PEOPLE’S FESTIVAL
One of the early elements of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the People’s Festival ran from 1951 to 1954, as a left-wing counterbalance to the official Edinburgh Festival. The Friday night ceilidhs each year were seminal in the Scottish Folk Revival.
EURYDICE
Gordeanna MacCulloch was the initiator and for many years the key figure in Eurydice. In Greek myth Eurydice was the wife of harper and singer Orpheus, and the Orpheus Choir was the premier Glasgow choir for many years.
WINNIE EWING
Long term SNP politician, elected to the UK Parliament in 1967 for Hamilton, later a member of the European Parliament and the Scottish Parliament.
FASLANE PEACE CAMP
A long running vigil and protest camp based near an entrance to Faslane Nuclear Submarine base, Helensburgh.
FIANNA NA H’ALBA
Different writers give varying spellings of this 1940 -1950s Glasgow youth organization, sometimes naming it Clann na h-Alba. The association was later renamed The League of Young Scots. The Fianna is referred to in various ‘rebel songs’ of the time.
ARCHIE FISHER
Fisher has been one of the most praised Scottish traditional song and guitar stylists throughout the Revival. He initially sang in a duo with his sister Ray and has more recently worked with Irish and Canadian singers, but his major contribution has been as a solo singer, songmaker, broadcaster and an organiser of clubs and festivals.
DICK GAUGHAN
Edinburgh-based singer, musician and the foremost interpreter of politically committed song in the Scottish Revival. Among his best known political works are ‘Both Sides The Tweed’ and ‘Do You Think That The Russians Want War?’ The following and earlier material is quoted with permission from his own website and shows his work extends much further and deeper into Scots tradition.
ROB GIBSON
A political and musical activist, Rob Gibson moved from Glasgow to Easter Ross, and was an SNP MSP.
ANNE LORNE GILLIES
Dr Gillies is a distinguished singer of and writer about Gaelic song, a song tutor, an organiser and a project and resource creator.
GLASGOW ESKIMOS
A group of singers active in the 1960s Holy Loch campaign against the siting of an American nuclear submarine base in the Holy Loch on the Firth of Clyde near Dunoon. Members of the Eskimos included Morris and Marion Blythman, Josh McRae, Jim McLean, Jackie O’Connor, Nigel Denver, and Jackie Keir.
THE GLASGOW SONG GUILD
A grouping of songmakers around Morris Blythman. See earlier for a listing of the songmakers involved and their approach.
GREENTRAX
Scotland’s premier folk and traditional music record label, created by former policeman and folk club organiser Ian Green.
JOHN GREIG
Born in Inverness, Edinburgh-based, singer, organiser and activist. His accounts of his political song cassette label, of his involvement in the Edinburgh folk scene, and of Hamish Henderson, are in this book.
WOODY GUTHRIE
Highly influential 1940s American balladeer and songmaker.
OWEN HAND
Edinburgh based singer and songwriter, his best known song is ‘My Donald’.
HAMISH HENDERSON
The third architect of the Scottish Folk Revival. Edinburgh-based writer, collector, organiser, enthuser, songmaker, inspirer. His songs include ‘The Freedom Come-All-Ye’, ‘Rivonia’ and’Farewell to Sicily’, and his books include ‘Alias MacAlias, and ‘The Armstrong Nose’. A two volume biography of Henderson has been written by Timothy Neat.
JAMES HOGG
18th – 19th Century poet, songmaker and author, ‘The Ettrick Shepherd’. His 1819 two volumes of the words and music of ‘Jacobite Relics’ include many fine songs made or remade by Hogg himself.
ALISTAIR HULETT
Glasgow-based singer, songmaker, activist.
FIONA HYSLOP
Born in Alloway, at the time of interview she was Culture Minister for the Scottish Government. When aged ten her interest in political song was sparked by hearing a recording of The Cheviot The Stag and the Black Black Oil, and by the songs of Burns.
HAMISH IMLACH
Glasgow then Motherwell based, in the 1960s Imlach was the best known young singer and raconteur of the Scottish Revival, and worked and recorded extensively. From the 1970s on he mostly toured abroad. In his autobiography, ‘Cod Liver Oil and the Orange Juice’, he talks in detail about the political song aspect of his work.
ARTHUR JOHNSTONE
Glasgow left wing powerfully voiced singer Johnstone sang for some years with the Laggan folk group, then as an unaccompanied solo singer. For many years he ran the Star Folk Club, which at the time met in the Communist Party’s Glasgow HQ. It later moved to St Andrews In The Square.
WILLIE KELLOCK
A bank manager in Bo’ness and later in Spean Bridge, Kellock was central to the development of the Bo’ness Rebels Literary Society and its songbooks, to the Fianna Na h’Alba and other SNP initiatives.
JIM KELMAN
Glasgow novelist.
DANNY KYLE
Paisley buddie Kyle was a singer, folk club and festival organiser and broadcaster on BBC Scotland’s ‘Travelling Folk’.
T S LAW
Tom Law, Scottish poet, contributor of ‘Reivin Sang’ to ‘Sangs O The Stane’, credited in the ‘Second Rebel Ceilidh Song Book’ as writer of ‘The Glesca Eskimos’ and ‘Fidel Says No’, though it is likely that other members of the Glasgow Song Guild also contributed lines.
TOM LEONARD
Glasgow poet. While he was writer in residence in Paisley Leonard researched and edited the ‘Radical Renfrew’ collection of radical song and poetry.
ALAN LOMAX
America’s most influential collector and consciousness-raiser of folk song and music. In the 1950s Lomax lived in London, and his 1951 collecting trip around Scotland was a spur for the creation of the School of Scottish Studies and the subsequent collecting work of Hamish Henderson.
NORMAN MACCAIG
Eminent Scots poet MacCaig was also a very popular singer of traditional songs at Bo’ness Rebels ceilidhs.
IAN MACCALMAN
Edinburgh songmaker, recording studio engineer, ‘Front man’ for the mostly accapella group The MacCalmans.
EWAN MACCOLL
English, of Scots parentage. Singer, songmaker, playwright, actor, teacher, writer, organiser. The single most important figure of the Folk Revival in Britain.
JOHN MCCREADIE
Glasgow singer and songwriter with the group Diggery Venn and solo. His best known song is ‘Doomsday In The Afternoon’.
GORDEANNA MCCULLOCH
Introduced to Scots traditional song at school by Norman Buchan, MacCulloch sang with the Glasgow group The Clutha for many years, and became known as one of Scotland’s premier solo traditional singers. She initiated and led Eurydice, the Glasgow Women’s Socialist Choir.
HUGH MACDIARMID
The major Scots 20th Century poet, he inspired the Lallans movement in which younger poets began to write in a version of older Scots Language, though McDiarmid himself later moved to write in standard English. He is credited by some with initiating the idea that the Stone of Destiny be ‘lifted’ and returned to Scotland. Born Christopher Grieve, he took Hugh MacDiarmid as his pen name.
HUGH MACDONALD
An energetic SNP activist and singer since the 1940s, living partly on Islay and partly in Glasgow.
CARL MACDOUGALL
Glasgow writer, editor and folksong enthusiast who was a contributor to ‘Chapbook’ magazine and one of the organisers of the Grand Hotel Folk Song and Ballad Club in Glasgow.
JOHN MCEVOY
In the early 1950s McEvoy was an actor, and the writer of ‘The Wee Magic Stane’, the best known song about the Stone of Destiny. McEvoy was celebrated at the Bo’ness ceilidhs as a fine singer with a wide repertoire. He emigrated to Canada in the late 1950s to work in industry, and returned to Scotland in 1987.
ANGUS MCGILLVERAY
A West Lothian based key SNP activist, organising the Alba Pools fundraising scheme, and SNP publications including the Bo’Ness songbooks.
MATT MCGINN
From the 1960s to the 1980s McGinn wrote songs, recorded and performed extensively, and was an extremely popular singer-songmaker with a distinctive urban Scots voice and a fiercely committed political stance. The book ‘McGinn of the Calton’ is in part autobiographical, in part a collection of some of his many songs.
JIMMIE MCGREGOR
Glasgow singer, musician and broadcaster. In partnership with singer Robin Hall he made many recordings and TV appearances, and then became very well known as a broadcaster, particularly through his long running BBC Scotland Radio programme ‘McGregor’s Gathering’.
STUART MCHARDY
Dundonian, Edinburgh-based, writer of many books, braodcaster, musician.
GEORDIE MCINTYRE
Influential Glasgow folk club organizer, singer and songwriter. He has done important work as a collector and resource creator. More recently he and key Revival singer Alison McMorland have performed widely together.
IAN MACKINTOSH
Glasgow singer and musician Mackintosh performed with various groups before turning solo and making several albums that strongly featured contemporary folk song both Scots and American. He became very popular in continental Europe, and at times worked in duos with Hamish Imlach and with Brian MacNeill.
JIM MCLEAN
McLean was Morris Blythman’s principal fellow song-writer in the Glasgow Song Guild. McLean moved to London and created several themed albums of his own and other trenchant songs on Scottish Republicanism and other themes, which were recorded under his direction by Alastair McDonald and then Nigel Denver.
JOHN MACLEAN
Left wing political hero Maclean has repeatedly been the subject of or referred to on contemporary Scots folk song, particularly by Hamish Henderson and Morris Blythman. Marxist Maclean was referred to by the author’s grandfather as ‘the martyr’, and suffered greatly in prison because of his opposition to World War One and his urging of reform.
DOLINA MACLENNAN
The first Gaelic singer to become actively involved in the Folk Revival, Uist born MacLennan met Hamish Henderson when she attended Edinburgh University.
ADAM MCNAUGHTAN
Glasgow songmaker and teacher McNaughtan is best known for his authorship of such nostalgic or humorous songs as ‘The Glagow I Used To Know’, ‘Ye Canny Fling Pieces Oot a Twenty Story Flat’ (aka ‘The Height Starvation Song’) and ‘Oor Hamlet’. He has also penned several strongly political songs, including ‘Thomas Muir Of Huntershill’, and ‘Blood Upon The Grass’ which protests about a Scottish football team agreeing to play in Santigo Stadium where the Chile regime had killed many political opponents. McNaughtan has a central role in the ‘Stramash’ co-operative group of singers.
BRIAN MACNEILL
Glasgow singer, musician, writer and educationalist. His best known political songs include ‘No Gods And Precious Few Heroes’ and ‘Strong Women Rule Us All With Their Tears’. MacNeill was for many years a member of the Battlefield Band, then a soloist.
JOSH MCRAE
Glasgwegian singer McRae was extremely influential in the early days of the Folk Revival. He was a member of the Reivers group, the foremost singer of the Glasgow Eskimos, and had some Top Twenty success with several songs , ncluding ‘Messing About On The River’ and ‘Talking Army Blues’. The latter song was satirically critical of conscription.
MICHAEL MARRA
Dundonian songmaker, musician and performer Marra has an idiosyncratic and very attractive approach to songmaking. His songs often contain strong social comment and observation, but his musical approach does not draw on folk influences so his work is outwith the scope of this book.
JOHN MARTYN
Songmaker and musician Glasgwegian Martyn was born Iain McGeachy. His early influences and experiences were in the Glasgow folk scene, he initially learned guitar skills from Hamish Imlach but went on to be a major British stylist on both acoustic and electric guitar.
THOMAS MUIR OF HUNTERSHILL
A contemporary of Robert Burns, Muir was a leading Radical figure who was transported to Australia because of his views, but escaped to Revolutionary France.
MUNLOCHY GM CROPS VIGIL - See Rob Gibson’s account
LADY CAROLINE NAIRNE
In the mid 19th Century Carolina Oliphant, Baroness Nairne, was the anonymous maker of many songs on Scots themes, particularly on the Jacobites. She also rewrote many older songs, making them more anodyne.
PETER NARDINI
In the 1980s Largs born art teacher Nardini wrote and recorded songs that were fiercely politically critical. Songs criticising the actions of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher included ‘Why Sink the Belgrano?’ and ‘Now That Hitler’s Back In Style’. He is now better known as an artist.
NEW MAKARS TRUST
Formed in 1997, the Trust runs community songmaking projects in which groups of adults and schoolchildren work with professional Scots songmakers to write their own songs about their own lives and communities. Large scale projects have been run in Fife and South Lanarkshire, medium size projects have run in many locations around Scotland, and the approach developed by New Makars songmakers has been used in many more places. The key begetter of the Trust is its secretary Gifford Lind, based in Dunfermline.
ANNE NEILSON
A singer from Rutherglen near Glasgow, Neilson was much influenced by her teacher Norman Buchan. She is a member of the Stramash group.
NANCY NICOLSON
Caithness born, Edinburgh based, songmaker, singer, school teacher, children’s events organiser for Celtic Connections.
RAB NOAKES
Fife born Glasgow-based Noakes was a ‘cult’ Scottish songwriter and musician, maker of radio programmes, and record label organiser.
CATHIE PEATTIE
Peattie is a community organizer and singer from Grangemouth who became a Member of the Scottish Parliament, where she is a strong advocate for Scotland’s traditional culture.
EILEEN PENMAN
Edinburgh based strongly politically committed singer and occasional songwriter
PAT PLUNKETT
A former resident of Faslane Peace Camp, Plunkett moved to live in Renton. She was a member of the Scottish CND Buskers, and wrote many songs perfomed by them.
KARINE POLWART
Formerly an Edinburgh based children’s rights worker, Polwart in the 21st Century developed an poignant approach to songmaking and has become a much praised professional performer. Her politically commited songs include ‘Where Do You Lie My Father’ about Srebrenitsa and ‘Better Things’ which criticises the UK Government’s commitment to building a new generation of Trident nuclear missiles.
JOHN POWLES
Librarian Powles was Research Collections Manager for the Glasgow Caledonian University, where his responsibilities included managing The Centre for Political Song.
JEAN REDPATH
One of the best known singers of the Scots Revival, Fifer Redpath moved to sing professionally in the USA in the early 1960s.
THE REIVERS
A group of solo singers assembled by Norman Buchan in the late 1950s to sing on the Scottish Television show ‘Jigtime’. The initial members were Rena Swankey, Moyna Flanagan, Josh McRae and Enoch Kent. Flanagan left the group after one year, and McRae and Kent developed solo careers, Kent moving to Canada.
JEANNIE ROBERTSON
Aberdonian majestic Traveller singer whose much admired singing voice and repertoire were very influential for young Revival singers.
SANDY RODGER
19th Century Glasgow Radical poet and weaver.
JIMMY AND SUSAN ROSS
Glasgow based singers and songmakers, active in the Glasgow Song Guild and for many political causes.
ABBY SALE
When Abby Sale came from the USA in 1966 to do graduate work in social anthropology he was already involved in traditional song, studying with ballad authority MacEdward Leach, who introduced his students to Ewan MacColl, A L Lloyd, and Scottish ballads. Sale was learning Scots from the glossary in sleevenotes of the Riverside recording label Ballad collection.
SANDY BELL’S PUB
The bar, in Edinburgh’s Forrest Hill Road, was until recent years formally named the Forresthill Bar, but known colloquially as Sandy Bell’s after a barman there. It has since the 1960s been the social and musical centre of Edinburgh’s traditional song and music scene. Hamish Henderson was an habitual customer.THE SCND BUSKERS
This 1980s grouping of songmakers (Pat Plunkett, Ian Davison, Nancy Dangerfield, Ewan McVicar) and musicians (Joe Plunkett, Carol Sweeney, Harry Bickerstaff) made new peace songs and remade older Glasgow Eskimo songs, and performed and recorded them.
SCHOOL OF SCOTTISH STUDIES
Formed in 1953 as part of the University of Edinburgh, the School holds Scotland’s largest archive of traditional Scottish song, music, story and lore. Hamish Henderson worked there and collected on behalf of the School.
OLD SCOTIA BAR
This pub is on Glasgow’s Stockwell Street near the Clyde. It is named for the Scotia Music Hall which was beside it. For many years from the 1960s the bar was a key location for Glasgow’s traditional singers and musicians.
SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE
Situated beside John Knox House on Edinburgh’s High Street, the Centre has for several years supported and developed storytelling and allied arts in Scotland. Under former director Donald Smith. storytelling in Scotland has grown to remarkable strength under his leadership and guidance.
PEGGY SEEGER
American singer, musician and political songmaker Seeger was the personal and performing partner of Ewan MacColl, and is still very active in the USA writing and teaching about songmaking.
PETE SEEGER
American half-brother of Peggy Seeger, Pete Seeger is the doyen politically committed songmaker and singer of the American Folk Song Revival, and many Scots singers were inspired by him.
SIR WALTER SCOTT
19th Century Borderer, Scots novelist, poet and right wing songmaker. Scott edited the influential and important ballad collection, ‘Scott’s Minstrelsy Of The Border - though many of the ballads were specific to Borders life and history, many more had general currency in Scotland and beyond.
DONALD SMITH
Smith is a storyteller and organiser, Director of the Scottish Storytelling Centre and enthusiast for traditional Scottish song and culture.
JOHN MACK SMITH
Smith was a significant contributor of political songs to the Bo’ness songbooks. He is credited with making ‘Ding Dong Dollar’ because he had the initial idea for the song.
SONGS FROM UNDER THE BED
A cassette recording label of Scottish political songs, initiated and run by John Greig, who tells about it in detail in this website.
SOUTH SIDE BATHS CAMPAIGN
See singer Alistair Hulett’s account in Chapter 10 of this struggle to stop the closure of these Glasgow swimming baths.
STRAMASH
A co-operative group of Glasgow singers and musicians. The members include Adam McNaughtan and Ann Neilson. The group developed and performed a show about the work of Matt McGinn, under the title ‘McGinn Of The Calton’.
TRADITIONAL MUSIC AND SONG ASSOCIATION OF SCOTLAND (TMSA)
A national voluntary group which runs festivals and promotes Scotland’s non-Gaelic musical traditions.
UKES AGAINST NUKES
The duo George Gunn and Bob Macaulay perform in rather anarchic style their own idiosyncratic highly literate lyrics set to a variety of music forms. Their work is described in this website.
IAN WALKER
Bo’ness songwriter and singer, his best known political songs include ‘Hawks And Eagles Fly Like Doves’ and ‘Some Hae Meat’.
JOHN WATT
Fifer songmaker and club organiser.
ROY WILLIAMSON
Composer of the song ‘Flower of Scotland’, member of the Corries Folk Group.
BILLY WOLFE
Wolfe was a former Chairman of the Scottish National Party, and an enthusiast for Scottish song.
EWAN MCVICAR
Born in Inverness, in Glasgow had Morris Blythman as a school teacher. Worked for several years in East Africa and USA, returned to Scotland in 1967 and became active in songmaking. There is a very present author’s voice in this book, because I was an active participant in many of the movements and events I describe, and many of the other participants are or were friends and colleagues in songmaking and performing. I have written many political and social comment songs.