Lindsay Porteous

1948 – 2023

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Born 1948 at Myertoun, Menstrie in the Ochill Hills on 2 February 1948. A retired shepherd from Menstrie, James Geddes, showed him how to play the trump (jew’s harp) as a young boy. In the early 1960s he played jew’s harp and spoons along with his brother Nigel who played guitar and mandolin. Around 1962 he heard Jimmy Driftwood playing mouthbow and having made his own instrument he commenced his long term experimentation and development of it.

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In 1968 he moved to Culross, Fife. He made and collected folk instruments from all over the world ever since. The jew’s harp remained his first instrument and he had over 200 different models from around the globe.

He was a founder member of the Causeway Folk group which helped run folk clubs around Fife for seven years before reforming as Heritage in the early 1970s. Heritage performed for over 17 years and undertook television, radio, festival and recording work. For several years he performed in partnership with well known Scottish storyteller Duncan Williamson.

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Lindsay made several solo recordings including the tape Portrait of a Scottish Jew’s Harp Player for the Greentrax label. Until he died he continued to make instruments as a hobby and developed new playing techniques while gathering knowledge of history and playing styles of the trump.

Lindsay was probably the most well-known trump (Jew’s harp) player from Scotland.

Some photographs from 2010: