| Administrative History | The founder of the Club was Archibald Watt (MA, 1936 and M. Ed. 1938). Son of John C Watt, born Aberdeen 1914. First assistant in English Department 1938, and senior English master 1939, Elgin Academy; Military service 1941-1946: five years in Administration & Special Duties Branch of Royal Air Force.; gunnery officer, eduction officer, and vocational advice officer for North of Scotlant with rank of First Lieutenant; First Assistant, Elgin Academy 1946 and Principal English master from 1949 at Mackie Academy, Stonehaven. Principal English/Deputy Rector Mackie Academy Stonehaven 1962-1972 , Deputy Rector 1972- 1977. In 1994 he was made an MBE for services to the community. He died in 2001.
Archibald Watt was born into a musical family and music was to be a theme throughout his life. He played the tuba in Aberdeen City Band for many years and in the Boys Brigade Centenary Band well into his seventies. He was also a member of Stonehaven and Aberdeen choral societies, and organist at various times of churches in Elgin and Stonehaven up until he was 80. Archibald Watt founded and was chairman and organising secretary of Stonehaven Music Club for 50 years. The Stonehaven Music Club was founded in 1950, initially being called The Stonehaven Chamber Music Club (changing its name in 1962). Other founder members were Florence Mitchell, Margaret Scatterty and Isobel Robertson. The club originally held performances in the Carron Tea Rooms, and moved in 1970 to Mackie Academy and then again in 1991 to the St Leonard's Hotel. The first concert was in October 1950 and featured the Will Smit Trio (Will Smit, Joan Dickson and Rudolph Stralendorff). The Club attracted well known performers such as the Amadeus Quartet, Leon Goossens, Eve Maxweel-Lyte, Nina Milkina, Gerald Moore, Kendall Taylor, Lee Puppet Theatre and the Ballet Rambert. In 1962 the club won first prize from the National Federation of Music Societies for the best music club in Britain. Archibald Watt retired as Chairman of the club he founded in 2000 after 50 seasons and 300 concerts, featuring hundred of artists. |
| Description | Four scrapbook volumes containing papers relating to Stonehaven Music Club, collected by Archibald Watt, founder and Chairman. The volumes contain newspaper cuttings, reviews, photographs, correspondence, programmes, autographs and manuscript testimonials about the club written by many performers over the fifty years of its existence. The four volumes cover the period: 1950-1963, 1963-1974, 1974-1985 and 1985-2000. (Please note that volume one contains a later newspaper cutting from 2006 that has been tipped in). |