SKATING WITH MR GOW (A3 full score)

Commissioned by the Stockbridge and New Town Community Orchestra (SNCO), and made possible thanks to the generosity of Gail Harvey and Lesley Cameron, in memory of their Uncle “Nunk” Tony Flockhart, for many years a dedicated and much-loved clarinettist with SNCO.
First performance by the Stockbridge and New Town Community Orchestra, on May 31st, 2025, Stockbridge Parish Church, conducted by Louise Martin.
One of Stockbridge’s most famous former residents was the painter Sir Henry Raeburn (1756-1823). His portrait of the Reverend Robert Walker (aka the Skating Minister, from the 1790s), is one I have seen many times in person in the Scottish National Gallery, and although it is one of his most popular, I have always been drawn to its quirkiness. Alongside this, as a young musician growing up in Scotland, I was often told about one of the most well-known Scottish musicians of the 18th Century: Niel Gow (who wrote a vast number of dance tunes for the fiddle) which was always accompanied by the portait of him – by Raeburn – from 1787.
Considering these influences, I began to write my own ‘skaters waltz’ (preceded by a short fanfare) which takes up the opening section of the piece, and is then followed by two arrangements of melodies by Niel Gow: Lady Dalrymple of North Berwick’s Favourite – a slow air, also chosen because I grew up in the town of North Berwick – and Parks of Yester (a fast jig).
In the final portion of the piece, the Parks of Yester jig is overlayed by a version of Lady Dalrymple – played by a muted brass section – before the horns and trumpets introduce a final version of my waltz, as if imagining that I am Skating with Mr. Gow.

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