The Deaconess waltz

Another Nigel Gatherer tune form my early ALP days.

It was on the same “bit of paper” as “The Crown at Portpatrick” and it’s a very nice waltz.
I imagine they were intended to be played together although not, necessarily, by Nigel himself.

Enjoy.

I’d forgotten all about that one, JJ! The Deaconess was a small hospital in Edinburgh. I think my mother had a spell there, a long, long time ago; it closed in 1990, before you were born Johnny!

I remember The Deaconess although I never actually visited same.
It was even part of the hospital radio (EHBS now Red Dot) circuit but before my time I think. I volunteered with them during the eighties.
They had to reduce coverage due to financial constraints.

A nice waltz, by the way.

Is ALP a group you were in?

It was the name of the Scots Music Group which runs traditional music classes and events in Edinburgh. Not sure what ALP stands (or stood) for - A Lot of People?

Adult Learning Project.

Yes, The ALP is still on the go I believe and runs various projects and community education opportunities for adults.

Back in the late 80s(?)/early nineties, one of these focused on Scottish Traditional Music and was predominantly the brainchild of Stan Reeves who has since retired. He has been mentioned here before.
The project was named “SMOG” short for Scots Music Organising Group. It was later shortened to SMG (Scots Music Group) and eventually became independent of the parent organisation in the early 2000’s.

When I started going there, it was always referred to as The ALP and the office was about two or three doors away from where I lived in Edinburgh. These were happy days and we used to meet in a variety of places near to my home e.g. the office itself, St Martin’s Church, and even Gorgie City Farm. Sessions were held in local pubs such as The Nirvana, Ryries, West End Hotel and so on.

As time went on, the classes began to be held in local schools and so on and it became a much more sophisticated machine..

Please see
See https://www.scotsmusic.org/

and https://www.raggeduniversity.co.uk/2015/01/23/the-history-of-adult-learning-project-in-edinburgh-a-freirean-approach/

for a history of The ALP.