Talk to Celebrate Highland Folklorist
At the invitation of the Atholl Country Life Museum, Timothy Neat, art historian, lecturer, film maker and writer, is to give a talk, based on his biography, on the life and work of Hamish Henderson, at the Atholl Arms Hotel, Blair Atholl on 20 September at 7.30pm.
Hamish Henderson, who died in 2002 at the age of 82, led a varied and eventful life not only here in Scotland but during his wartime exploits, especially in Italy where his discovery of Italian folk tradition and culture greatly influenced both his political as well as his artistic thinking.
He came from humble beginnings but with a mother and grandmother who had instilled in him as a boy a love and knowledge of Scottish and Highland tradition, song and story be became a poet, translator, Highland folklorist, and a Scottish patriot, who cared deeply for democracy and the Scottish people and fought for a Scottish parliament.
In 1951 he was deeply involved in the setting up of a peoples’ festival which was the forerunner of the Edinburgh Fringe.
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Travelling Folk
As a leading figure in the establishing of the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University his contributions to folk scholarship from the grass roots of the Scottish people over the space of 40 years are unparalleled.
His particular field of activity was with the tinkers or travellers who gathered from all over Scotland each summer for the berry-picking at Blairgowrie where he documented the rich cultural traditions of families such as the Stewarts of Blair and the singer Jeannie Robertson. These discoveries sparked renewed interest and development of Scottish and Celtic music with far-reaching results.
Through Timothy Neat’s personal knowledge of Hamish Henderson the evening promises to be not only informative but also a witty and lively one which should appeal to a wide audience.
Tickets for the talk are priced at £3.50 each including coffee and are available from Lydia Busby (01796 474180), John Cameron (01796 481232) or at the door.
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