A prominent Aberdeen pianist from the 1950s to the 1970s, Agnes Giulianotti (nee Dow), has died aged 84.
Born into the bookseller Dow family, Agnes began to play the piano during the difficult years of the Second World War.
Unlike other children who were sent to the countryside for safety, Agnes’ grandparents kept her in the city for her lessons because very few “country folk” had pianos.
As a consequence. she began to be recognised as a child prodigy in the years following the war.
By the early 1950s, she was entering the prestigious Aberdeen and North East Scotland Music Festival and instantly won prizes for her virtuoso piano solos.
Up to 1954 she was regularly achieving first-class certificate status and lifting the coveted Silver Challenge Cup.
On leaving Bridge of Don Academy at 16, Agnes had passed with distinction her Pianoforte Grading under the auspices of the Royal Schools of Music.
With her manual dexterity on the keyboard, she gained employment at the county council offices as a typist for two years.
However, her ambitions as a piano entertainer were realised when she was regularly invited during the summer seasons to join famous celebrities of the day on stage at the Beach Pavilion.
She also regularly played at the Beach Ballroom, a popular dance venue for many Aberdonians.
East Neuk residency
By 1957 at the age of 19, local bar owners began to notice her popularity and one owner, John Richmond, a commando during the war, gave her the job as resident pianist in his newly built dance lounge venue, the East Neuk, in King Street where she entertained for three years.
Local celebrities of the time such as Denis Law, went to the Neuk and were enamoured by her beauty.
Despite numerous admirers, Agnes eventually fell for the charms of ice-cream maestro Albert Giulianotti whom she married in 1960 and remained married to for 61 years.
After a period of four years travelling the world with Albert, who was in the RAF and dedicating herself to motherhood, Agnes returned to entertainment for a further 10 years in the swinging 1960s and 1970s in practically every city centre and harbour bar, night club, theatre or dance venue until disco arrived.
Having been described as “Scotland’s Winifred Atwell”, Agnes met her idol at a concert once.
Winifred was famous as a ragtime pianist who popularised the Black and White Rag.
Some may remember this as the theme tune to the snooker series Pot Black and it became Agnes’s signature piece during her repertoire.
Agnes would draw in the crowds and many couples met while dancing to her music. There is a part of a generation who might not be here had it not been for Agnes’s performances on the piano at the end of the night.
Sadly, Agnes was widowed earlier this year and passed peacefully in Peterhead hospital on November 13.
She will be buried with a graveside service at Trinity Cemetery on November 23 at 1pm.
Agnes will be greatly missed by her four sons, a daughter, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Her son Derek said: “We are grateful to Peterhead Hospital staff and nurses for keeping Agnes comfortable in her last days and to Mark Shaw funeral services for their support and guidance.”
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