Biography - Glasgow Musical Life

In November 1932, Erik married Diana Brodie. They lived at 118 University Avenue, where Morag was born on the kitchen table. He was 28 and she was 21, and they probably met in St Matthew's Church where she sang in the choir and he was organist. Her father had been a whisky exporter and the company had its own blend; but he had died, so Diana was given away by Erik's friend and fellow-composer, Francis George Scott.

They often played and sang together and were well matched, socially and educationally. In 1930, Erik set up The Active Society for the Propagation of Contemporary Music, of which Diana was Secretary. It put on an extraordinary series of concerts, at which composers of international stature performed their own works. Amongst them were Hindemith and Bartók, who was introduced to, and intrigued by bagpipe music.

Others who came included Casella, Walton and Scorabji who performed his own monumental Opus Clavicembalisticum to a stunned audience, and who became an intimate friend of Chisholm's.

In 1932 Chisholm became conductor of the Glasgow Grand Opera Society. Most memorable amongst the productions was the first ever complete performance of Berlioz' "The Trojans", with the ballet scenes and, on the Saturday, both halves performed on the same day. Mozart's Idomeneo was also given its first British performance under Chisholm's baton.

But Chisholm was also scoring successes as a composer. In 1933 his Double Trio was performed in London and his Dance Suite in Amsterdam. That same year he was appointed organist and choirmaster at the Balcony Church, where he founded the Barony Musical Association, which also put on operas, including rarities such as Mozart's Titus.