Kirk Stevens: Here's to the Gordons. (1955). 

My dearest Henkie, thank you for this beautiful Irish song !!!! I love it !!!!!! Kirk Stevens has a great voice !!! I love his accent !!!!!!!!! I had intended to go to church today, but the rain is very violent, so I stay at home !!!!!!! My sweet friend, I wish you all the happiness in the world !!!!! Yours affectionately Jytte

Een vrolijk muziekje voor de zondagochtend ...

1955 - _Here's to the Gordons_ - Robert Wilson, Andy Garden (music) & Harold Stewart (words) - Philip Green (orchestra) - Kirk Stevens (Thomas Blair; March 2, 1930, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK - October 29, 1995, Boston, Massachusetts, USA) *Robert Wilson* (1907-1964) was a Scottish tenor who became known as 'The Voice of Scotland' through his extensive touring. He was the first presenter of the BBC's The White Heather Club. Early life Robert Wilson was born on 2 January 1909 in the Cambuslang district of Glasgow, to Alexander Wilson, a tailor, and Marion née McClurg. Another source suggests he was born in the Lanarkshire village of Newarthill to a family of pit owners? Always having the urge to sing, he persisted and made every effort until he was able to break into the entertainment business as a professional. He received his early training as a volunteer in the choir of the Glasgow Cathedral, under the tutorship of Scottish bass singer, Elliot Dobie. As a teenager Wilson started his working life as a trainee engineering draughtsman in a drawing office. However, with his fine natural singing voice he soon found his way into amateur concerts, where his success gave him sufficient encouragement to justify turning professional. And so, in 1930, at the age of 20, Wilson left his job as a draughtsman to become a full-time singer with the Rothesay Entertainers on the Isle of Bute, whose summer show involved a complete change of programme every night and, on wet days, matinees for the entire season. D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, 1931-37 In 1931 he became a member of the famous D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, performing in practically every tenor and supporting role there was, improving his technique, studying others, and playing all over Britain, America and Canada. Wilson's voice was of sufficient quality to justify him going out alone as a concert singer. He first visited the USA in 1932, as a chorus boy, and in 1933, as a principal. He toured the USA and Canada in Gilbert and Sullivan operas; broadcast with Ambrose and his Orchestra; Henry Hall's Guest Night; Mario De Pietro and his Estudiantino; Ronnie Munro and the BBC Scottish Variety Orchestra. He left the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1937 due to ill-health. Wartime career Wilson was "discovered" by Ambrose and appeared with him and Vera Lynn at the Empire Exhibition in Glasgow in 1938. Eventually, in 1939, having a wealth of experience behind him, Wilson branched out into variety. Wherever he played his charming personality, his physique and immaculate dress, captured the public's imagination. Soon he was a top of the bill act, and before long was playing long resident summer seasons at The Theatre Royal, Edinburgh (from 1939 onwards), some highly successful pantomimes with Scottish comedians Harry Gordon and Will Fyffe, and variety in all the number one theatres throughout Britain. By the start of the war he was already considered the leading tenor in Scotland, who had made a name for himself through his stage, radio, and film appearances, as well as on many gramophone records. Second World War It was not until the early days of the Second World War, when on an ENSA tour as a straight singer with Will Fyffe, that Wilson was forced to alter his style and developed the kilted "Voice of Scotland" persona that was to become his trademark. They toured Scotland, entertaining members of the British Forces and munition and other war workers. In the course of many gruelling months, they did as many as 18 concerts in two days, with breaks of only half-an-hour for coffee. Wilson also broadcast throughout the war. On Sunday 31 December 1939, for example, he was heard on the air when, from a point near the Maginot Line he joined with Will Fyffe and other stars in giving a concert for the troops, singing The Road to the Isles. In 1942 he toured with Jack Anthony. He headed South to further his career towards the end of the war but returned for an edition of Heather Mixture on the Scottish Home Service on Friday 15 March 1946 and on Wednesday 16 February 1949. Post-war/White Heather Group In 1945, when it was comparatively unknown, Wilson began singing Westering Home all over the country and it rapidly became a favourite. In around 1946 he formed "Robert Wilson's Touring Company" which toured the cities, towns and villages of Scotland with a series of "one-night stands", resurrecting an idea pioneered by Harry Lauder in his early days and long neglected by Scottish artists. Such tours were peculiar to Scotland and Ireland; England had nothing like them. Even as he became one of the world's best-paid artists, it was a tradition he continued to uphold, spending six months of every year visiting even tiny village halls in the smallest of communities, where everyone for miles around turned out. He surrounded himself with talented musicians such as Tammas Fisher, his accompanist, and the accordionist Will Starr (who was the BBC's accordionist), as well as comedians such as Tommy Loman. At some point this became known as "The White Heather Group". In 1948 his company was booked to do a sell-out show in Toronto, Canada, at the 700-seat Massey Hall. The party of four - Robert Wilson, Tammas Fisher (at the piano), C. Arthur Mitchell and Will Starr - sailed across the Atlantic by cargo passenger ship. They took the stage at 8pm and finished at 12.15am, taking encore after encore as the audience would not let them finish. Word got around and the success of that show led to the regular annual tours of the White Heather Group to Canada and America, tours which continued for years to come. The Windsor Daily Star said: _It was the first time in 20 years an audience had been known to stand and sing Will ye no' come back again. Robert Wilson and his talented unit sang right back in improvisation "Yes we will come back again."_ Wilson subsequently went back and sang in Toronto, Windsor, St Catherines, Tilbury, Ontario, Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia and Montreal. He pioneered the trail for Scots artists to Canada and the States. Kenneth McKellar and Andy Stewart followed in his footsteps. In 1949, Wilson flew to New York, where he was specially engaged to appear at the Manhattan Center on Friday 4 November for the Scottish Clans Associations of New York and New Jersey, teaming up with Will Starr for what would be the first of many annual trips together. In 1950 Wilson toured with the comedian Jack Radcliffe. In the final two months of the year he did a tour of America and Canada with Alec Finlay. He returned to appear in pantomime at Glasgow's Alhambra Theatre with Harry Gordon, Alec Finlay and Duncan Macrae. In 1951 he teamed up with the rising Scots comedian, Stanley Baxter from the Citizen's Theatre, Glasgow and the radio programme, It's All Yours. He broke into the English market with his BBC Light Programme show Down in the Glen, which was broadcast on Sunday afternoons from 18 March to 29 April 1951. In the summer he did a tour of Scotland before leaving for New York on 24 August for a ten-week coast-to-coast tour of Canada and America, along with the Scots comedian Alec Finlay and Will Starr, the Parlophone recording star. He appeared on television shows and broadcast with Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. Drink driving charge Wilson returned home in time for the Glasgow Alhambra Theatre pantomime, but after leaving rehearsals at the theatre on Sunday 2 December 1951, he was charged with drink driving. When he appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court the following month, the 44-year-old was fined £10 and disqualified from driving for a year for drink driving. He was recognised by Queen Elizabeth when, on her first official residence in Scotland, she invited Wilson to sing to her and to her subjects on the forecourt of Holyrood Palace. Writing and music publishing In 1952 Wilson became one of the director's of a new company, Kerr's Music Corporation Ltd, at 79 Berkeley Street, Glasgow, which manufactured gramophone records and recordings, and printed and published music. It traded under the name James S. Kerr. He also opened a record store in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. In March 1962, Bill McCue (Entertainment) Ltd. was registered at the same address. Other He took part in the first great Scottish Music Hall on television on 15 November 1952. By 1957 the group had a personnel of over 20 artistes. The first reference to the concert party calling themselves "The White Heather Group" is contained in newspapers in 1954. From then on, and for around 18 years, Robert Wilson and Will Starr were the first names thought of when news of a White Heather Group concert was mentioned. Back in Scotland, at each location, following the public concert, the artistes would record a half-hour programme, Personal Appearance for the BBC Scottish Home Service (Wednesdays evenings from 4 April 1956). By this time the Group was headed by Wilson and Jimmy Shand and his Band. Other names who owe part of their early success to Robert Wilson and the White Heather Group included Andy Stewart, Sydney Devine, Kenneth McKellar, Ken Swann and McGee etc. From Monday 3 June 1961 the White Heather Group did a new Scottish variety show at the Capitol, Aberdeen for a season, with an all-start cast including Robert Wilson and the Joe Gordon Folk Four. The programme featured two television shows. The first half was devoted to Jig Time, similar to that on STV, and Robert Wilson was the host. The rest of the show was filled by the White Heather Group, well known to BBC viewers in the North-east.