Do you want any more Flora Woodman, or have I said enough?! I published an article earlier this year – same subject matter as my paper today, but certainly not the same piece of writing:-
‘The ‘Scottish Soprano’ and the ‘Voice of Scotland’: the Importance of Nationality to Flora Woodman and Robert Wilson’, History Scotland Vol.25 no.1 (Spring 2025), 74-81
Public library e-magazine apps may still provide access to the issue, though History Scotland is no longer published. I believe you can access it via the former publisher, too. Let me share the message I received from History Scotland a few weeks ago:-
“As you may know, the Spring 2025 issue of History Scotland will be the last issue of the magazine. Thank you so much for your support over the years.The good news is, we’ll still be exploring Scotland’s past in our expert webinars and our monthly history newsletter, and there is still a huge range of back issues of the magazine for you to enjoy…
“Visit the pocketmags.com website and you can download back issues going back to 2010. How to buy back issues:
“Log in to your pocketmags.com account or register for an account. Visit the History Scotland page and browse the many back issues of the magazine.
“The ‘Complete Collection’ offer gives you all the History Scotland digital back issues you don’t own yet for a special discounted price. How to complete your collection:- Log in to your pocketmags.com account or register for an account. Visit the History Scotland page and click on COMPLETE COLLECTION“
I made a McKinnon tartan sash as a ‘prop’ for my talk. That was Flora’s mum’s family tartan, going back a few generations. Flora said it – I haven’t verified this! It also bears the Scottish Clans Association of London badge – oh, I take these things seriously! (If you are reading this after the event but missed it – I only wore the tartan sash for 15 seconds to show how it would be worn. Minimal cultural appropriation was committed.)
As we answered questions after the first three talks, something occurred to me. Flora had something significant in common with her Scottish Clans Association of London audiences. The vast majority of them were of Scottish descent, and – like Flora – quite a few of them would have been born outwith Scotland. To them, she was quite simply, Scottish, the same as they themselves were. No-one was going to accuse her of not really being Scottish, because that would negate their own sense of Scottishness too. If Scottish blood flows in your veins – you’re Scottish, wherever you are.
(Me? No, no, I’m only as Scottish as my surname!)
Abstract
Karen McAulay, Musicologist 