St Andrew’s Night in Uganda..? Flights and accommodation plus a 3-night safari in lieu of payment...? Why not! How best to sum up the experience?
I could tell you about arriving in Entebbe at dawn to a whole host of new sights, sounds and smells. We all know what the birds sound like at home, but how strange and wonderful it was to hear an African dawn chorus instead! The streets of Kampala are full to overflowing and we were glad not to have to join the throngs weaving through the traffic on motorcycle taxis with carried a range of improbable loads ranging from whole families to a full set of car tyres or on one occasion, another motorbike! Quite a culture shock.
Or I could tell you about the anxious wait for my accordion which was delayed for 24 hours in Istanbul along with most of our luggage. It was a tense day, and in the meantime I played a borrowed accordion for the Chieftain’s Ceilidh which included some dances called by Andrew Abbess and some tunes played alongside a bluegrass band made up of expats living in Uganda.
Or I could tell you about our Friday activities where I spent a wonderful morning at Kampala Music School teaching a tune to adult musicians on a variety of instruments. It was hugely rewarding to share the pleasure of music with some lovely people. The afternoon was less controlled but just as fulfilling. Picture a hundred children at a local school on the last day of term before the Christmas break. Imagine the scene as Andrew taught them the Virginia Reel. Outside in the sunshine. On Astroturf. Without amplification. Glorious, chaotic fun!
If I told you about the main event – the annual St Andrew’s Night Ball for the Caledonian Society of Uganda – it would seem oddly familiar. Ian and Tom played, and Andrew called for an enthusiastic crowd of around 180 dancers in one of Kampala’s smartest hotels. The dancing was interspersed with a 4-course meal including the full “haggis experience”. Both Andrew and Jo Angus rounded off the entertainment with short Highland displays, expertly recalled from younger days – the Swords from Andrew and the Lilt and Come Ashore Jolly Tars from Jo.
But perhaps what I should tell you is that the entire experience came about because of the incredible international network of Scottish music and dance. It brings joy and connections to so many throughout the world, regardless of heritage, culture or creed. It doesn’t always require precision but survives and thrives through the joy of responding to music. We should protect it and nurture it for generations to come!