Hamish Henderson Archive appeal

Subject: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Steve Byrne
Date: 09 Jun 11 - 08:32 PM

Thought this would be of interest to several Mudcatters.

I've just launched a project over at sponsume.com, to help secure the fate of Hamish Henderson's papers. They've been somewhat in abeyance since Hamish died in 2002, with no satisfactory agreement reached as yet with the obvious public bodies.

Please have a look and support us if you can - info on Hamish is on the following page and embedded video:

http://www.sponsume.com/project/hamish-henderson-archive

Although we're quite near our target already (amazingly achieved in 48 hours!), we're allowed to keep fundraising over the target until our campaign deadline on 11th July. So we're going for broke to see how much we can get in towards the overall long term aim of securing the papers outright.

Thanks for whatever support you can give!

Steve Byrne
Hamish Henderson Archive Trust

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: GUEST,Guest Folkiedave
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 08:20 AM

Please support this every worthy cause - and keep pushing it to the top as well!

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Steve Byrne
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 11:10 AM

Thanks Folkiedave.

We've now trounced our target in just over two days, in an amazing feat of folkie community action, so if I could just reiterate we are aiming to raise more funds to secure the papers themselves in the long term, working in partnership with a suitable national repository.

We've had great support from a few Mudcatters so far; please spread the word as much as you can.

If it's not against the rules, perhaps a suitable way to keep this up top is for folk to share their favourite (printable!) stories about Hamish, or lyrics from his songs or poems?

I always loved the sentiment of the Gillie Mor -

Ane's the wish yokes us thegither—
Ane's the darg that lies afore.
You an' me: the man, the brither!
Me an' you: the Gillie Mor.

-
Many thanks!

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Anne Neilson
Date: 10 Jun 11 - 12:01 PM

My memory of Hamish is of visiting him in his top-floor office at the School of Scottish Studies. The conversation was wide-ranging, sparking off in different directions, and Hamish mentioned that he'd seen a letter on the (whatever) topic earlier in the week. Then he turned to his desk and surveyed the 4 or 5 tottering piles of books and papers along the top of it; he reached for one pile, hand hovering over it, but changed his mind and instead delved unerringly into the middle of another one and unearthed an entirely inconspicuous piece of paper -- which turned out to be exactly the thing he had mentioned!
I'm now wishing I had the same gift....

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Steve Byrne
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 08:13 AM

ON this day in 1964, the Rivonia trial sent Nelson Mandela and comrades to prison - Mandela spent 9,377 days behind bars. Hamish Henderson wrote one of the earliest songs of the Anti-Apartheid Movement, 'Rivonia', sometimes called 'Free Mandela', in the same year.

Listen to Hamish sing his own song over at Kist o Riches / Tobar an Dualchais (although it sounds as if the tape is a bit slow) - this was in 1973 and the song sounds like it had already become fairly well known.

And while you're at it, why not think about contributing to the campaign to secure the papers of this important folklorist, poet, and peace campaigner. Even a fiver would help! Link above.

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: peregrina
Date: 12 Jun 11 - 01:01 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: GUEST,susanne (skw) all at sea (on her way to Brit
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 10:45 AM

Steve, congratulations! What sterling work by your initiative as well as by the contributors. I'd assumed Hamish's papers would be in the School of Scottish Studies by now.

For those who don't know much about Hamish (well, not many of those will read this thread but still), the two fat volumes of Timothy Neat's biography make interesting and enjoyable reading and give an idea of how Hamish became a folklorist and of the many things he was besides.

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Clontarf83
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 11:20 AM

I will donate. Last year I wrote a lyric which used "Banks Of Sicily" as the starting point--it became "Hills of Afghanistan"I tracked down his family to get permission and they were most gracious.

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: GUEST,piper
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 11:28 AM

The melody for the Banks o Sicily was written by Pipe Major James Robertson and it should have been of his family Clontarf83 should have been asking permission, nothing todo with HH.

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Steve Byrne
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 01:28 PM

Thanks susanne! Hope you're well. Please spread the word in Germany if you can.

Hamish recorded PM Robertson in 1952 for the School of Scottish Studies, and an article by Gary West in 2005 in the School's journal 'Tocher' no. 58 features a transcription of it. This article is also reprinted in the Nov 2010 book, 'Borne on the Carrying Stream: The Legacy of Hamish Henderson', edited by Eberhard Bort of Edinburgh Folk Club.

Hamish wrote an obit of 'Pipie' as he was known for the May 1962 edition of 'Sing'. The melody was known as 'Farewell to the Creeks'. Hamish wrote:

"Farewell to the Creeks, his most celebrated tune, was composed in 1915 when he was a prisoner-of-war in Germany. The creeks are the Creeks of Port Knockie, on the Banffshire coast—an uncle of Jimmy's had a house there, and he spent a holiday at this uncle's when he was a child. I heard the tune played in the piazza of Linguaglossa in Sicily by the massed pipe band of 153 Brigade of the 51st Highland Division, shortly after the end of the Sicilian campaign in 1943, and wrote the song Farewell to Sicily to this noble tune of Jimmy's almost immediately. Twice, I had the opportunity of sending him greetings by singing the song on the radio."

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Steve Byrne
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 01:32 PM

I should have added the obit is also reproduced in Hamish's 'Alias MacAlias' collection of essays, ed. Alec Finlay.

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 02:52 PM

Sounds like a great and worthwhile appeal. If anyone needs to get an idea of just how much we owe Hamish, then listen to him working with traditional performers on the two CD set "Hamish Henderson Collects" volumes 1 & 2 (Kyloe CD107 & CD110). The albums are currently available from John Howson at Veteran.

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Steve Byrne
Date: 13 Jun 11 - 08:48 PM

Thanks Mike - I can thoroughly recommend both CDs.

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: peregrina
Date: 14 Jun 11 - 02:12 PM

refresh again

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Clontarf83
Date: 15 Jun 11 - 01:00 AM

Dear Guest Piper. I think hamish had plenty to do with it--he wrote the lyric. I have emailed the family of Pipe Major James Robertson tonight re permission to use the melody. I read a credit somewhere that the melody was trad, so obviously I missed on that--my goof.

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: GUEST,Piper
Date: 15 Jun 11 - 04:59 AM

Dear Clontarf83, I only mentioned it because lots of people think the tune is tradtional and the family of Pipe Major Robertson miss out. Good for you.

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Clontarf83
Date: 15 Jun 11 - 08:57 AM

Thanks for letting me know--much appreciated

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: GUEST,Drumshanty
Date: 16 Jun 11 - 08:09 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Steve Byrne
Date: 16 Jun 11 - 10:33 AM

Thanks for all the support folks. We're now at nearly £3,700 with both online and offline contributions.

Cheques can be made out to 'Hamish Henderson Archive Trust' and sent to 155/2 Broughton Road, Edinburgh, EH7 4JJ. Our account hasn't quite cleared the setup process at the bank so any cheques won't be cashed until July.

We now also have www.hamishhenderson.co.uk redirecting to the web fundraising page, which is a bit more memorable to pass on!

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jun 11 - 10:39 AM

Hi Steve, great work.
Is there any way you can reach Scottish expat organizations like the various St Andrews societies in various American states? Or American 'celtic' music groups?

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Steve Byrne
Date: 17 Jun 11 - 06:53 PM

Any tips in that direction would be very welcome if you have any.

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Steve Byrne
Date: 20 Jun 11 - 12:06 PM

Thanks for the PMs folks. Funds now nearly £4,300 including offline and online supporters.

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Steve Byrne
Date: 22 Jun 11 - 10:58 AM

With our collective donations we're fast approaching £4,600. Can Mudcatters help us reach £5,000 by the weekend?

In our research we've come across this fab Pete Seeger album released in 2009, a live recording from 1965 that has been found and restored with a lovely rendition of Hamish's 'Freedom Come-All-Ye'. Pete has recorded the song privately in the past but it's never been released; he gives a lovely introduction too, calling Hamish "the finest folklorist in Scotland."

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: peregrina
Date: 22 Jun 11 - 03:04 PM

refresh

Putting Hamish Henderson into the search box at the wonderful
Kist o Riches site gives an amazing glimpse of his collecting.

Kist o Riches

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Steve Byrne
Date: 28 Jun 11 - 09:49 PM

Time for a wee refresh. We're fast approaching £5k with on and offline donations, amazing! Please pass the word around, we need to raise as much awareness as possible for the long term future of the papers.

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: peregrina
Date: 08 Jul 11 - 06:37 AM

Refresh--the Sponsume appeal has just a few days left and has done wonderfully (see Steve's message on the Footstompin Forum)

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Steve Byrne
Date: 08 Jul 11 - 10:01 AM

Thanks peregrina. Yes just £365 short of £5,000 online - would be great if we could crack it by 10pm on Mon 11 July. Offline contributions still possible into the future of course. Our Trust website at www.hendersontrust.org launches next week.

Subject: RE: Hamish Henderson Archive appeal
From: Steve Byrne
Date: 10 Jul 11 - 11:29 AM

We have a day to go in the online campaign- still time for a last gasp contribution at Sponsume.com.

Of course this is just the first wee step - we'll need siginificantly more as time moves along. Keep an eye on http://www.hendersontrust.org/   for our forthcoming website and ways to donate.

Some initial images are on our Facebook page including a first draft of Banks of Sicily.