Tribute to Will Starr of Croy, Stirlingshire, king of the solo Scottish 3-row button box accordion.

Will Starr - 'Daddy of them All' A Tribute to Will Starr, King of the solo Scottish accordionists Scotland's best accordionist and solo performer, Will Starr's music, his recordings and his life The Will Starr Band, The music of Scotland, Scottish country dancing, Scottish dance bands, Scottish culture, traditional accordion music of Scotland, Will Starr jigs, strathspeys, reels, pipe marches, schottishe, slow airs, mazurkas, hornpipes, polkas, retreats, two steps and waltzes, Musette accordion music compositions, Scottish accordion dance music, Will Starr of Croy, Stirlingshire, Scotland The Kilt is My Delight, The White Heather Group, Morino accordion by Hohner of Germany, button key accordions, Bevin Boy, Ivan Starovisky, Wiiliam Starrs, Scottish Half-Hour, The Scottish Music Hall Society, Robert Wilson Scottish tenor singer, Harry Gordon Scottish comedian entertainer, Scottish legends, Scottish music hall entertainers, Scottish accordion champions,

Compositions:

"The Jacqueline Waltz"

Will Starr also composed his own music and had a huge success with his famous composition "The Jacqueline Waltz" - an intricate piece played in continental style. The tune was written, when Will was in his late teens, for Jacqueline Georgson, an English chorus girl and girl friend of his for three years.

Jacqueline, who was described by Will's sisters as an elegant young lady, was readily accepted by the family and felt very much at ease with them - she even knitted Winter woolly pixies for Will's sister Theresa. However, since she was of the Protestant religion, and Will of the Catholic faith, there was considered to be no future together for them - that was the way Society viewed relationships between religions in those days. Jacqueline eventually left for America and Will never married.

"The Bluebird Polka"

This is an intricate piece in 'G major' which was written in memory of Donald Campbell who was killed in his attempt on the world water speed record.

Historical Note:
1967: Donald Campbell was killed a split second before breaking his own water speed record in his jet-powered boat, the "Bluebird K7". He was travelling at more than 300mph (483 km/h) on Coniston Water, the Lake District, England, when the boat was catapulted 50ft (15m) into the air after its nose lifted. Donald Campbell is still the only person to hold both land and water speed records at the same time.

Forty-six-year-old Campbell was killed instantly as the boat hit the water and immediately disintegrated. He was just 200 yards (183m) from the end of the second leg of his attempt when the accident happened

Donald Campbell's body was not recovered until 2001, 34 years after his death. The boat and Mr Campbell's remains were recovered from the water and Mr Campbell was buried near Coniston water following a funeral service.

Two months later his daughter, Gina, herself a water speed champion, vowed to restore Bluebird in her father's memory.

"The Heather Polka"

"The Will Starr Polka"

Musical Arrangements:

It is not widely known that Will Starr was responsible for many of the musical arrangements performed by professional shows such as "The White Heather Group". He did most of the arrangements for his LP & EP recordings and he also frequently arranged many of the band parts for "The Croy Silver Band".

"The Robert Wilson Medley"

Will Starr arranged this medley to mark the long-standing friendship he shared with the Scottish tenor, Robert Wilson. It consisted of:-
"Away up in Clachan"
"The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen"
"Oh My, Jock MacKay"

top of page