88 Lothian Road
Sun 13 Sept · 17:45
This screening will be followed by a lecture from Professor Fred Freeman (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) and a Q&A . How iconic folklorist and poet, Hamish Henderson, inspired artist Charles Nasmyth... In this new film, Nasmyth looks at the man behind the legend and asks who was he, really? Why was he inspired by Hamish's personality to paint his portrait? Hamish is sometimes seen as a mildly eccentric figure, hefted to the convivial atmosphere of Sandy Bell's bar in Edinburgh, holding court amongst musicians and scholars. But a key element in Hamish's development was his war-time experience in the Libyan desert. He expressed this movingly in his Somerset Maugham award-winning poems, Elegies for the Dead in Cyrenaica. Growing up under influences from all shades of society left Hamish free to navigate Britain’s class-based culture without feeling out of place in any company. Paradoxically, he didn't let his socialist internationalism stand in the way of a passionate belief in self-determination for Scotland. He didn't raise Scotland above its merits - but valued the country for what it really is. Charles admires Hamish's integrity. Henderson never sold out or compromised his beliefs, even when they caused personal conflict.
Not the same tradition as the lineage above — a genuinely different thread to pull, if you want one.