 Erik William Chisholm ( 4 January 1904 – 8 June 1965 ) was a Scottish composer , pianist , organist and conductor often known as " Scotland 's forgotten composer " . According to his biographer , Chisholm " was the first composer to absorb Celtic idioms into his music in form as well as content , his achievement paralleling that of Bartók in its depth of understanding and its daring " , which led to his nickname of " MacBartók " . He was also a founder of the Celtic Ballet and , together with Margaret Morris , created the first full @-@ length Scottish ballet , The Forsaken Mermaid . He was also the dean and director of the South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town for 19 years . Chisholm founded the South African College of Music opera company in Cape Town and was a vital force in bringing new operas to Scotland , England and South Africa . By the time of his death in 1965 , he had composed over a hundred works . 
