Hamish Henderson facts for kids
Hamish Henderson (born November 11, 1919 – died March 9, 2002) was a very important Scottish poet, songwriter, and thinker. He was also a soldier and a communist, which meant he believed in a society where everyone is equal and shares resources.
Hamish helped start the "folk revival" in Scotland. This was a time when old traditional Scottish songs and stories became popular again. He was also great at finding and collecting these folk songs. He discovered famous singers like Jeannie Robertson, Flora MacNeil, and Calum Johnston.
Contents
Hamish Henderson's Early Life
Hamish was born in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Scotland, on November 11, 1919. This was the first Armistice Day, which marked the end of World War I. His mother, Janet Henderson, was a nurse who had worked in France during the war.
He spent his first few years in Glen Shee before moving to England with his mother. Hamish won a scholarship to a school in London called Dulwich School. Sadly, his mother passed away just before he started there. He lived in a special home for children while he studied.
Later, he went to Downing College, Cambridge to study different languages. Before World War II began, he visited Germany. There, he secretly helped a group that was aiding the German resistance and helping Jewish people escape danger.
Hamish During World War II
At first, Hamish strongly believed in peace. But as the war continued, he realized that peace couldn't be achieved easily. So, he decided to join the war effort. He first joined the Royal Pioneer Corps. Later, he became an officer in the Intelligence Corps. This group gathers important information.
Hamish was very good at questioning people because he spoke six European languages. He also understood German culture very well. He fought in the Desert War in Africa. During this time, he wrote a long poem called Elegies For the Dead in Cyrenaica. This poem described what it was like to be a soldier in the deserts of North Africa.
On May 2, 1945, Hamish personally helped write the order for Italy to surrender. He also collected the words for a funny song called "D-Day Dodgers." This song was sung by soldiers in Italy. He also wrote the words to "The 51st (Highland) Division's Farewell to Sicily." This was set to a pipe tune. His book of war songs, Ballads of World War II, was published secretly to avoid censorship. Because of this, the BBC banned him from radio for ten years. In 1948, his war poetry book, Elegies for the Dead in Cyrenaica, won an important award called the Somerset Maugham Award.
Collecting Folk Songs
After the war, Hamish put all his energy into the folk revival. He found and introduced many amazing traditional singers to the public. These included Jeannie Robertson, Flora MacNeil, and Calum Johnston. You can learn more about Annie and Calum Johnston of Barra online.
In the 1950s, Hamish helped an American expert on folk culture named Alan Lomax. Alan came to Scotland and recorded many traditional songs. You can find out more about Alan Lomax, Collector of Songs.
The People's Festival Ceilidhs
Hamish played a key role in creating the Edinburgh People's Festival Ceilidh in 1951. A "ceilidh" (pronounced KAY-lee) is a traditional Scottish gathering with music and dancing. This event was the first time that traditional Scottish folk music was performed on a public stage. It was called "A Night of Scottish Song."
The People's Festival was planned as a left-wing event, meaning it supported ideas about equality and workers' rights. It was meant to be a competitor to the main Edinburgh Festival and was quite controversial. At the ceilidh, Hamish performed "The John Maclean March." This song honored John Maclean, a hero who believed in communism and Scottish independence.
The event was a huge success. It featured famous performers like Flora MacNeil, Calum Johnston, John Burgess, Jessie Murray, John Strachan, and Jimmy MacBeath. Many people consider this event the start of the second British folk revival.
Hamish continued to host these ceilidhs every year until 1954. However, some members of the People's Festival Committee had ties to the Communist Party. Because of this, the Labour Party declared it a "Proscribed Organisation," meaning it was officially banned. The festival lost its financial support and was permanently canceled. Even so, Hamish's own songs, especially "Freedom Come All Ye," have become popular folk songs themselves.
Later Years and Legacy
Hamish spent his time between Europe and Scotland. In 1959, he settled in Edinburgh with his German wife, Kätzel.
He traveled widely in the Borders and north-east Scotland. He collected songs and stories from different groups of people. These included travelers, farm workers (called "bothy" singers) from Aberdeenshire, and shepherds from the Borders. He also connected these traditional performers with young people who went to folk clubs in Edinburgh.
From 1955 to 1987, Hamish worked at the University of Edinburgh. He helped start the University of Edinburgh's School of Scottish Studies with Calum Maclean. Here, he helped create a huge collection of sound recordings, which are now available online. After he retired, he became an honorary fellow of the School of Scottish Studies. For many years, he was often found at Sandy Bell's Bar. This was a popular meeting place for folk musicians.
Hamish was a socialist, meaning he believed in social equality and public ownership. Besides his university work, he translated the prison letters of Antonio Gramsci. Gramsci was an Italian communist leader. Hamish also supported campaigns for Scottish home rule, which meant Scotland having more control over its own affairs. He helped start the Scottish Labour Party in the 1970s. Hamish was a strong supporter of equal rights for all people.
In 1983, listeners of Radio Scotland voted Hamish "Scot of the Year." He famously turned down an award called an OBE. He did this to protest the government's nuclear weapons policy.
Death
Hamish Henderson passed away in Edinburgh on March 8, 2002, at the age of 82. He was survived by his wife, Kätzel, and their daughters, Janet and Christine.
Legacy
In 2005, a company called Rounder Records released a recording of the 1951 Edinburgh People's Festival Ceilidh. This was part of The Alan Lomax Collection. Hamish had helped prepare for this release before he died.
In August 2013, Edinburgh University announced that it had received Hamish's personal collection. This included over 10,000 letters and 136 notebooks and diaries. These important items are now kept in the university's main library.
Today, when people talk about Scotland's identity and future, Hamish Henderson's ideas are often mentioned. Many politicians and cultural experts admire his song 'Freedom Come-All-Ye'. Some even suggest it could be an alternative national anthem for Scotland. Hamish believed in democracy and connected his political ideas with folk culture and literature. His work shows a mix of love for Scotland and a belief in international equality. These ideas are still important in Scotland today.
