Ensemble of the Year National Final

Sunday 9 March 2025, RCS Glasgow  

Our first live Scottish Young Musicians Ensemble of the Year took place on Sunday 9 March 2025 in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The first stage of the competition was online and attracted 28 entries from across the country. The video recordings were then judged by an adjudication panel. The adjudicators gave each ensemble a comprehensive video critique and then selected the 12 ensembles to go through to the inaugural live National Final –  

• Perth and Kinross Percussion Ensemble, Perth and Kinross 

• St Peter the Apostle Senior Brass Ensemble, West Dunbartonshire 

• South Ayrshire Chamber Singers, South Ayrshire 

• Glasgow Schools’ Clarinet Choir, City of Glasgow 

• Campbeltown Brass Senior Ensemble, Argyll and Bute 

• East Ayrshire Percussion Ensemble, East Ayrshire 

• West Calder High School Brass Ensemble, West Lothian 

• MidlothianPerc Project, Midlothian 

• Hermitage Academy Musical Theatre Class, Argyll and Bute 

• Hillfoots Music for Youth Brass Ensemble, Clackmannanshire 

• Hillfoots Music for Youth Saxophone Quartet, Clackmannanshire 

• James Gillespie’s Guitar Ensemble, City of Edinburgh  

The Compere for the day was performer and broadcaster Jamie MacDougall. Jamie is a great supporter of Scottish Young Musicians and made all the performers feel at ease.    

The Adjudicator panel were – 

Seonaid Aitken, violinist vocalist and composer/orchestrator 

Sir James MacMillan CBE, composer and conductor and RCS visiting professor 

Professor Allan Neave, Head of Guitar and Harp & Interim Deputy Director of Music, RCS  

Prize Winners

Brass Ensemble of Year – Campbeltown Brass Senior Ensemble 

Open Ensemble of the Year – Perth and Kinross Percussion Ensemble 

Overall Winners of The John Wallace Award, in recognition of his exceptional contribution to music education – Perth and Kinross Ensemble of the Year 

Runners Up were Hillfoots Music for Youth Brass Ensemble, Clackmannanshire and South Ayrshire Chamber Singers 

Sir James MacMillan, chief adjudicator said:

“It’s an almost impossible task to choose winners. It has been a great afternoon, and a very encouraging afternoon. We’ve heard a marvellous spread of music from these massive percussion sounds to brass to voices and woodwind and guitarists and so on. The judges were unanimous though and we are delighted that two such fine ensembles take home the prizes this year.”