Robert Mackay

Robert Mackay has played the piano at Summer School since 1977 for all levels of classes and also for demonstrations in the Younger Hall.   Along with Muriel Johnstone, he ran courses for musicians on many occasions and has given music talks regularly at Summer School.   He has played the piano for two official RSCDS teaching tours throughout the whole of Australia (1991 and 1994).  The latter included the Australian Winter School in Brisbane.   He has played the piano at New Zealand Summer Schools in 1993, 1994 and 2000 and for weekend/day schools in San Francisco, Vancouver, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark as well as all over Scotland and England and played for official teaching tours of Norway and Ireland.

Robert Mackay became a life member of RSCDS in 1960 through the Edinburgh Branch.  He danced in demonstration teams from 1961 to 1967 and 1977 to 1987.   He played for classes in the branch at all levels, from children and beginners to demonstration classes.   He organised the Edinburgh Residential Weekend School for around 150 dancers for 11 years.   He served on the Edinburgh Branch Executive Committee for nine years and organised courses for pianists on behalf of the Branch.

He served on the Executive Council of the RSCDS from 1979 to 1981 as an elected member, and from 1986 to 2002 as a representative of the San Francisco Branch, where he served with great distinction and to the great satisfaction of the Branch.

Robert Mackay was a member of the Publications & Research Committee from 1979 to 1992, from 1982 to 1987 as a co-opted member on the Music Sub Committee, and from 1988 to 1991 he was Convenor of the Music Sub Committee.   In 1992 he was the Convenor of the Publication & Research Committee.   He also served on the RSCDS Finance Committee from 1998 to 2000, and on the Constitution Sub Committee for two years in the 1990s.

Robert Mackay has performed Scottish Country Dancing on television and been presented to Her Majesty the Queen (our patron) on three occasions.   Last year, he was interviewed on television and radio on the subject of Scottish Country Dancing.