Guest blog by Ewan McVicar
Hamish Henderson, Norman Buchan and Morris Blythman were the Big Three who brought the Scottish Folk Revival into life. Then they were joined by Arthur Argo. He started the Aberdeen Folk Club, created and ran the massively influential Chapbook magazine, wrote some tremendous newspaper articles and made crucial BBC radio programmes and recordings.

Guest blog by Ewan McVicar

Hamish Henderson, Norman Buchan and Morris Blythman were the Big Three who brought the Scottish Folk Revival into life.  Then they were joined by Arthur Argo. He started the Aberdeen Folk Club, created and ran the massively influential Chapbook magazine, wrote some tremendous newspaper articles and made crucial BBC radio programmes and recordings.

Arthur Argo, centre (just below Hamish Henderson), at an early Inverness Folk Festival

Arthur, the great grandson of Gavin Greig, helped preserve and celebrate his predecessor’s work through his own singing and his nurturing of young performers through the booking agency he ran [unpaid!].  Sheila Douglas researched deeply and interviewed widely to write a biography of Arthur, but has been unable to get it published. I have now been permitted by Sheila and others to make her work available on the website where you will find I have split her account in two.  One covers most of Arthur’s life and work, but I have separated on the website her chapter on Chapbook, in which she details, discusses and comments more deeply on various Chapbook articles and on her own involvement in the Revival.

I have not sought to update Sheila’s text.

I recommend Sheila’s work to you.

Ewan McVicar is as an author, performer, songmaker, storyteller, publisher and project organiser.