The Clutha

In 1957, Norman Buchan was a teacher at Rutherglen Academy. He formed a Ballads Club. Among the pupils who joined up were Gordeanna McCulloch. She fell in love with singing, and travelled to London to attend one of Ewan MacColl's weekend seminars at his home in Beckenham, Kent. She sang briefly with the Clydesiders a group formed at school, and in 1964 joined The Clutha. The name is the Latin word for the Clyde. The band played traditional Scottish tunes and sang songs in Scots.

When The Clutha added Jimmy Anderson on the lowland pipes on "Bonnie Mill Dams" (1977) they were pioneers, in that the instrument had rarely been heard for 100 years, and not previously recorded. They won the Peter Cooke Cup for Scots ceilidh bands in 1971, 1972 and 1973. Although they did not record again until 2001, they have continued to host ceilidh dances. In 2001, The Clutha released an album entitled On the Braes, with Ronnie Alexander (vocals, guitar), Erlend Voy (fiddle, concertina, vocals), Callum Allan (fiddle), Gordeanna McCulloch (vocals) and Tom Johnstone (pipes).