This year?s winner of the award was again chosen from numerous potential candidates, all of who had shown everything that was deemed essential and necessary in all aspects of promoting Scotland to be included in the running for the award. The final decision to who should receive this year?s award is never taken light heartedly, but in the end it was decided that one individual in particular stood out above the rest.
It is unfortunate that there is only one award a year of this kind as there are so many worthy of it, but this is what makes it so special.
This year?s award was presented at the AGM in the Salutation Hotel, Perth, Scotland to Singer, Songwriter Ted Christopher. |
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Ted Christopher
An accomplished singer, songwriter Ted is a passionate Scot and although quite reserved, he shares his passion for Scotland with his love of music. Throughout his musical career he has promoted the culture of Scotland worldwide bringing it alive to all the corners of the globe.
Ted was born and brought up within the shadows of Stirling Castle, The Wallace Monument and the Field of Bannockburn ? three of Scotland's most historic sites. It is no wonder therefore that the music he plays can relate to him as a very patriotic Scot. He does point out, however, that he has a love for people of all nations, even the English. After all, England has the best neighbours in the world.
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He bought his first drum kit from money saved from his paper round and from the sale of a Moulton bike, which he won for being Scottish Paperboy of The Year. Although his mum was not keen on a kit coming in to the house his hard of hearing dad was very supportive.
Ted played extensively throughout the seventies with pop and rock bands ( his home being a transit van on the A9) he learned to play guitar and bass from the musicians he played with and starting to amass his HUGE repertoire. In 1980 joined Biggles, a function band, that he played with for 25 years. Along side that formed ?Yet another tonto? a rock band which recorded 1990 Scottish World Cup song ?The Lion Roars? (England captain Terry Butcher played drums). The keyboard player in Tonto was Graham Whitelaw, The Scribbler, who has inspired Ted to create the scribbler picnic a music fest in Stirling when Graham died of cancer. |
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In 1996 Ted recorded a re-written version of Bob Dylan's "Knocking on Heaven's Door" with a band of musicians from Dunblane and a choir of Dunblane School kids. It was recorded at Abbey Road and featured Mark Knopfler on guitar. This was Dunblane's reaction to the horrific killing of sixteen of our primary one kids and their teacher and the wounding of many more. It was more than a tribute - it was a protest song, alongside the Snowdrop Anti-Gun campaign it played a significant part in forcing the improvement of gun legislation in the UK.
The song went straight to Number 1 in Great Britain, it raised more than half a million pounds for children's charities, but just as importantly it enabled a lot of kids and their families to smile again for the first time in many months. Ted along with some of the victims mothers of Dunblane took the song to America and played live in front of the White House, Washington DC in front of a crowd of over 750,000 for the Millionmommarch.
In recent years Ted wrote the song for the commemoration to William Wallace in 2005 called ? I?m Coming Home ? a song which was to become well known by those who travelled to London for the event. The song also related to the home coming of the Spirit of Wallace to Lanark, a home which the Lanark Council have failed to carry out.
The song ? I?m coming home ? brought the Scottish people together in a time when the Labour run Scottish Executive did nothing to recognise the execution of Wallace.
Ted has not only been recognised by Crann Tara for his musical talent, but also for his speech making, his generous donations and for his friendship on many of an event.
Having recognised Ted as a true, loyal, proud and passionate patriot and nationalist of Scotland, Crann Tara was proud to present the special targe as the personality award. Ted gave a short moving speech on receiving the award with heart felt sentiments and gladly accepted it from Crann Tara. |
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