Hamish MacCunn

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Music knows many different forms in Scotland, as a result of her radically different traditions: the Lowland Scots one, the Gaelic Highland one, and that one represented by the north-east, greatly influenced by ancient links with Norway. Poet Kenneth Steven chooses to explore the stories of five composers, almost seeking to weave a piece of tweed from the journeys of their lives as musicians. The Scottish Renaissance: Hamish MacCunn The composer Hamish MacCunn, given name James, was born in 1868. At just six months of age his twin brother died and was by no means the only child from the family to pass away in early childhood. The family was well to do; his was a ship owner and music was running in their blood; the young Hamish’s mother was a trained singer and pianist, his father an amateur cellist. But it's important to note what the young MacCunn was able to see from his window looking north, for this is what came to define so much of his work as a composer. Glasgow, unlike Scotland’s capital on the east coast, is blessed with the most extraordinary views north to the West Highlands. This is where he came in his mind to remember and to dream. Presenter Kenneth Steven Producer Mark Rickards A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 3