Alongside many colleagues from Scotland’s arts & culture sector Drake Music Scotland has been awaiting the long-overdue outcome of Creative Scotland’s Mult-Year Funding application process, to be revealed at the end of January. The Scottish Government’s Budget on December 4^th had positive news for Culture with Creative Scotland seeing an increase of £34m next year, £20m of this directly allocated to support the Multi-Year Funding programme. This gives some reassurance for the future as we approach the end of a year studded with highlights from Create, our disabled artist-led programme.

• Making Waves, third in our series of Queen’s Hall concerts in June featured the esteemed Hebrides Ensemble performing new works by 8 established and emerging composers with a bonus performance by left handed pianist Nicholas McCarthy including a new work from Aberdeen-based composer Joe Stollery.
• Letting the Light In – PRS for Music Foundation’s Beyond Borders scheme funded an album of new works by 6 English, Scottish, and Welsh disabled composers recorded by Welsh pianist Siwan Rhys which reached No 10 in the classical music charts. Need a Christmas Gift Idea for that musical friend? Letting the Light In is available to purchase from NMC Recordings: https://nmc-recordings.myshopify.com/collections/new-releases-2024/products/letting-light-in-2
• Nordic Music Days in Glasgow rounded off a busy year with a packed concert of works by Nordic and Scottish composers for digital instruments with tenor Colin Levin, Nordic vocal literature specialist, a fantastic opportunity for us to present our work to an international – and Glaswegian! – audience.
• For further information on our work contact Thursa Sanderson, Chief Executive thursasanderson@drakemusicscotland.org