The Annual Manchester Scots’ Night (1961-2003) First-hand accounts of two organisations – Manchester Scots’ Night and the Scottish National Dance Company – which have helped to perpetuate Scottish dance and culture but now no longer exist. For 43 years, Scots from Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire and North Wales enjoyed an evening of traditional Scottish entertainment at the annual Manchester Scots’ Night. Many performers returned as spectators, and in many ways, the concert became a reunion for everyone. Over the years dedicated people gave their time to help with the concert – working on the Committee, advertising, producing the programmes, selling tickets and working behind the scenes. Sadly, during the last few years, audience numbers decreased and expenses increased. This came to the point where we could not continue – what was left in the bank account would be swallowed up very quickly in expenses. So the committee decided to donate the money, in memory of Manchester Scots’ Night, to the RSCDS for scholarships to encourage younger persons to learn about and to be involved in our Scottish heritage. The concert programs will be held in the RSCDS Archive, so Manchester Scots’ Night and all its wonderful history will not be lost or forgotten. I invited Ian Hall, who started and produced the concert, to write about the early years and his involvement until he retired to Scotland in 1997, and Catherine Mottram, who continued to produce the event after his retirement, to write about the later years. Thanks go to them both for their time and effort spent in producing this great show, and to all who worked towards or supported it.
Margaret Rowe, Chairperson The concerts began in 1961 when leaders of the Prince Charles Edward Pipe Band and the Manchester Gaelic Choir decided to run a concert in the Holdsworth Hall and invited the Manchester Branch of the RSCDS to join in. The concert was successful enough to be repeated in the following year, with the newly formed Manchester Scottish Singers replacing the Gaelic Choir. The next three concerts followed the same pattern with audiences of about 400 effectively filling the Houldsworth Hall. However, the small open stage of the hall with a single entrance door was not ideal, so the 1966 concert was moved to the Free
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Dance team with Ian Hall (centre front).
Trade Hall, which seated about 2000. The stage there was considerably larger, had access doors at both sides, a tiered area at the back and professional lighting facilities. After the first concert in the Free Trade Hall the same overall pattern was followed for the next 29 years with various improvements gradually woven in. The formal style of the country dancing was replaced by continuous movement between different formations and some efforts were made to use props and ‘scenery’. From 1986 onwards a ‘backcloth’ was added, designed and newly painted each year by Audrey Evans and subsequently by Catherine Jones. At the first concert the music for the dancing was produced by a pianist but for 25 subsequent concerts, music was provided by the Rattray Band led by Tom Hall. After he left Manchester other bands contributed, notably the Dalriada Band (Hugh Ferguson), the Border Reivers (Robert Baird), the Scottish Measure (Andrew Lyon) and the Manchester Scottish Dance Band (David Hall). After playing at the first 13 concerts the Prince Charles Edward Pipe Band was dissolved in 1973. Different pipe bands then contributed, particularly the City of Manchester Pipe Band which played at 19 concerts. Despite suggestions to invite professional performers, it was decided to involve only local talent. Fortunately the organisations sponsoring the concert included some talented singers and Highland dancers, and the solos and duets were often the highlights of the performances. Performers
included Thelma Moran who sang in almost all the 43 post-war concerts and Peter Phillips, Ray Peake, Isabel Kennedy and Lesley Thomson who performed in most of them. From 1974 onwards there was always a contribution from the children’s class, both Highland and country dancing. Duncan Leckie and David Hall, in particular, continued to dance as adults and performed regularly for many years. Tom Mullen was the solo piper for the Highland dancing in virtually every concert. Many other people made invaluable contributions (including a succession of stage managers like Roy Landsdale and for the last 20 years Margaret Rowe). In 1994, with the imminent sale of the Free Trade Hall, it was decided to use the Royal Northern College of Music which held about 600 and to run the concerts on two successive nights, Friday and Saturday. The stage was fully equipped for professional performances and the curtains in particular made staging the concert much easier. More efforts were made to use props and to produce coordinated items including a Fête Champêtre, a Burns Supper, The Jolly Beggars (Burns) and a musical rendering of Tam o’ Shanter.
Ian Hall The move to the Royal Northern College of Music Opera Theatre opened up many new opportunities. We now had a stage with an extendable apron as well as space behind the curtains to assemble sets, together with a very experienced stage crew. The professional staff of the RNCM were always most helpful, with their front-of-
