Alec Sim

Alexander Sim was born in Birnam, Perthsire (near Dunkeld). His father was also a fiddler, and from an early age, Alec was taught by James Macintosh. Later, as a postal worker, he went to Aberdeen to work, and there in 1928 he founded the Aberdeen Strathspey & Reel Society.

Sim did record some 78rpm records. Although he's not mentioned in the Beltona catalogue for 1941, I have been sent a list of 78s in which he's mentioned (one solitary record on Beltona 1411). Never heard it, though.

I have found four items on sheet music of music either composed or arranged by Sim, "The Wind On the Heath" - arr. Sim (better known as "Hey to Couper"); "The Laverock's Nest" (comp. Sim); "Sir William Noble's Quickstep" (comp. Sim) Glen Isla" - a song, written and composed by Sim (and right awful it is too! I've been here, there, wherever, but nothing beats bonnie Glen Isla, my hame, etc).

I suspect there's a forgotten generation of Scots musicians between Skinner's heyday and the mushrooming of the Scottish dance bands, and I'm trying to find out what I can. Here's one of Sim's tunes:

X:108
T:Sir William Noble's Quickstep
C:Alec Sim, 1930
Z:Nigel Gatherer
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:A
c/d/|e>cA A>ce|f>af e>cA|e>cA a>ec|d<BB B2 c/d/|
e>cA A>ce|a>ea f>ed|c<ae f>ed|c<eA A2::c/d/|e<cA e<cA|f<dA f<dA|
e<cA e<cA|d<BB B2 c/d/|e<cA e<cA|f<dA f<dA|c<ae f>ed|c<eA A2:|]

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