Celebrating links with America during Livingston Days Festival

Celebrating links with America during Livingston Days Festival

11 August 2021

AN evening of words and music was held at Killinchy Parish Church last Friday to celebrate the amazing connections between Ulster and America.

The event was part of the Livingston Days Festival sponsored by the Ulster-Scots Agency with guests welcomed by church rector, the Rev Dr Stanley Gamble.

There was also a special welcome for Susan and Henry Livingston of Massachusetts, eleventh great grandchildren of the Rev John Livingston, the first Protestant rector of Killinchy in 1630.

Other notable guests included Lord and Lady Rogan of Lower Iveagh, Strangford MP Jim Shannon, Stormont education minister Michelle McIlveen and Alderman Robert Gibson.

Proceedings were opened by the chairman of the Francis Hutcheson Institute, Dr James Dingley, who spoke about the life and contribution of the renowned political philosopher who was born in Saintfield in 1694. 

Hutcheson is widely recognised in the universities of the United States as a founding philosophic influence, inspiring both the Declaration of Independence and the foundational principles of the American Constitution. 

After Dr Dingley’s interesting talk, Jack McCabe, organ scholar elect at Queen’s College, Cambridge, performed Bach’s Sinfonia (from Cantata No. 2) and the Londonderry Air arranged by Richard W Elsassheron on the Rev John Livingston memorial organ. 

Mr McCabe is currently the organ scholar at Killinchy Parish Church and plays at services each Sunday.

Mr Bryan Johnston, former chief executive officer of TSB Northern Ireland, delivered a fascinating lecture on ‘The impact of Ulster on American Independence and Beyond’ and charting the various waves of immigration from Ulster to America, he provided the background to the War of Independence.

He focused on key figures of the Ulster-Scots community across the pond and the contributing factors that led to the formation to the United States of America.

Leading figures from the Ulster Scots community who were the grandchildren and great children of the Rev John Livingston played a significant role, with Robert R Livingston involved in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.

On April 30, 1789, under the new Constitution, Chancellor Livingston administered the oath of office in New York City to the nation’s first president, George Washington.

During his lecture, Mr Johnston pointed out that the Ulster-Scots community, when they crossed the Atlantic, became known as the Scots Irish, with this distinctive body of people continuing to make a positive contribution to the life of the US beyond its formation, with famous names including Neill Armstrong, Dolly Parton and John Wayne. 

He said 17 of America’s presidents are generally accepted as being of Ulster-Scots ancestry.

Following the lecture, Dr Joe McKee OBE, organist and choral director at St Columba’s, Knock, explained the history and pedigree of the Rev John Livingston memorial organ.

Dr McKee explained that the Harrison and Harrison organ of 1899 was built for High Spen Methodist Chapel in Northumbria 14 years after the church opened in 1885. 

Sadly, the church closed in 2003, but the organ was rescued and fully restored and installed in Killinchy Parish by the Pipe Organ Preservation Company.

The organ was unveiled on September 29, 2018, by Henry and Susan Livingston who donated the organ in memory of their 11th great grandfather.

Dr McKee then performed Handel’s Variations (from Organ Concerto Set 1, Op. 4, No.1) and The Cuckoo by Claude Daquin, before playing two pieces by  Samuel Wesley — No 1  Air (Andante) and No 2  Gavotte (Allegretto).

Dr McKee brought the recital to a close with John Thompson’s arrangement of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot and the Washington Post by John Philip Sousa.

Lord Rogan, Mr Shannon and Ms McIlveen formally thanked the lecturer and musicians for an enjoyable evening and praised the Livingstons for their support of the Ulster-Scots community in Northern Ireland. 

Former Killinchy rector, Canon Raymond Fox, closed the evening with prayer before visitors and guests enjoyed refreshments in the new Livingston Centre.