Iain Hamilton (1922-2000): Scottish Dances (1956)

Over the years I have heard a fair amount of Glasgow-born composer Iain Hamilton’s music, mainly through radio broadcasts or concert hall. His music impresses me with its subtle balance of lyricism, modernism and musical structure. He explored a wide variety of genres – from light music such as the Overture: Bartholomew Fair (1952) through to more ‘avant-garde’ pieces like the Sinfonia for Two Orchestras (1959) first heard at that year’s Edinburgh Festival.  His cycle of five symphonies demands the attention of all enthusiasts of this genre. The opera The Cataline Conspiracy (1974) surely deserves revival.

In 1956, Hamilton composed a delightful set of Scottish Dances, which included moments more suitable to smoke-filled New York jazz venues than a Highland ceilidh. It is one of the composer’s most approachable works. These Dances were commissioned by the BBC Light Music Festival and were first heard on St Andrew’s Day. The year 1956 also saw commissions for the important cantata The Bermudas and for the Symphony No.2. The previous year (1955) had seen the completion of his Three Piano Pieces, op.30

There is danger that the title Scottish Dances would “suggest a medley of lively tunes of strongly marked rhythmic characteristics and colourful orchestrations” taken from one of several books of Scottish song and dance tunes. There are certainly plenty of precedents for this approach. “C.G” writing a programme note for Hamilton’s Dances (SNO Proms, 5 July 1975) reminded the reader that “Scotland, is after all, one of the few European countries in which traditional songs and dances are alive and kicking.” Some 46 years later, I am sure that several nations would dispute this claim. What Iain Hamilton has done is to fuse Palais de Dance big band sound with music more appropriately heard at a Royal Scottish Country Dance Society event. Bear in mind these Scottish Dances were composed in 1956, long before the Twist, the Shake and the Funky Chicken changed popular dance floor routines.

The Scottish Dances are based ‘auld’ Scots’ tunes ‘collected’ by Rabbie Burns.  The first, ‘allegro molto’ uses the song Caller Herrin (Fresh Herring) which describes the dangerous work of Scottish fishermen. The words were written by Lady Nairne and the tune was composed by Nathaniel Gow. Hamilton has used relatively unusual metres such as 5/8 with a contrasting middle section 15/8 to give this energetic music a sense of propulsion. He has not been too precise in his transcription of the melody but uses the original as inspiration.   This is followed by a bluesy version of ‘Duncan Grey’ played ‘andante comodo’ (slow bounce). Hamilton has selected two tunes for the third dance, played ‘vivace’: ‘O Whistle and I’ll come to ye’ and ‘My love she’s but a lassie yet.’ The slow and thoughtful fourth dance (Lento semplice’ uses ‘The Lea Rig’.  The ‘Presto’ finale is a rousing version of ‘Gin I were where Gadie rins’ (Would I were where the River Gadie runs). The Gadie Burn is a tributary of the River Ury in Aberdeenshire, which itself flows into the River Don near Inverurie.  Paul Conway has noted a touch Malcolm Arnold’s vivacity in this last Dance.

It is interesting that Hamilton dedicated these dances to five members of his family: his mother and four aunts. Philip Lane has reminded listeners that Hamilton has stated that ‘their great good humour and laughter still seem, after [many] years to rise from every bar.’

The Scottish Dances were given a Proms performance on 6 August 1960. It was the work’s first London Performance. In a long evening of music, there was a definite Iberian-Scottish element. Other works heard that evening included Felix Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, Manuel de Falla, impressionistic Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Emanuel Chabrier’s Espana. Iris Loveridge was the piano soloist in the de Falla. Elgar, Prokofiev, Bizet and Litolff were also heard. The Times (8 August, p.5) reviewer (Either Frank Howes of William Mann) considered that “Hamilton’s Dances, though occasionally wild, are far from stern, and owe as much to the sound of the big swing band as to the [bag]pipes. Unlike Malcolm Arnold’s [Scottish Dances] …these make use of traditional tunes, allusively or uproariously, sometimes with a sense of caricature, and in the fourth Dance with deep and compelling tenderness.” Turning to Hamilton’s musical technique, he writes that “The blend of characteristic Scottish rhythms inside an uncharacteristic quintuple metre [5/8] in the first dance, is both ingenious and fetching. In the main, however, (except for the slow fourth dance) the set is marked by a hectic superficiality only half masked by the skilfully contrived colours and textures.’ He concludes by noting that “there is profuse entertainment, but not much revelation – on light as in serious music there are magic casements which the composer need to open.” I disagree with the critic. For me, there is enchantment a-plenty in these pages.

Iain Hamilton’s Scottish Dances were first recorded in 1962 and were issued on an LP coupled with Ross Lee Finney’s Symphony No.2. The Louisville Orchestra was conducted by Jorge Mester. In the following year it appeared on an LP of music recorded in the St Andrew’s Hall, Glasgow, shortly before it burnt down on 26 October 1962. It has been included in the recent Music from the Four Realms CD from the Heritage Label (HTGCD 169). Another excellent recording was issued on ASV performed by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia conducted by John Wilson (CD WHL 2123). 

The Royal Ballet Sinfonia’s version of Scottish Dances (1956) have been uploaded to YouTube (accessed 1 April 2021).