Sidney's Carols Back to Sidney Index
One of Sidney's briefs when he became Reid Professor of music was to build up the faculty of music. His famous predecessor, Sir Donald Tovey, had only spent two terms of the year in Edinburgh. There was a tiny staff; a part time lecturer, a librarian and a secretary. Three decades later Sidney was replaced by two professors. There was a good staff and there were additional buildings.

Music was his passion, he worked for facilities for all students as well as those concentrating on music. In 1941 Hogmanay was the great event. Christmas was for the family. Except in churches, and schools, carols were not sung in Scotland as they are today (Hogmanay was the important public occasion). Sidney more or less introduced the idea and his first carol evening was only attended by about 30 people. Latterly the annual carol evening in the MacEwan Hall was one of the chief events of the year.

The first half was like a service, the second a celebratory party, when children ran up and down the two flights of stairs to join the University choirs and sing their own special carols. It always ended with Sidney accompanying "The Twelve Days of Christmas". In the photograph, note the guide dog for the blind.