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Updates from Fèisean nan Gàidheal

Tha a’ mhòr-chiud de na Fèisean ionadail air tilleadh gu suidheachadh àbhaisteach a-rithist. Eadar na tachartasan aca-san agus an obair a bhios an t-seirbheis foghlaim foirmeil aig Fèisean nan Gàidheal, Fèisgoil, a lìbhrigeadh tha pailteas de chothroman ciùil ri fhaotainn a rithist, freagarrach don òigridh gu h-àraidh le ùidh ann an ceòl traidiseanta.

Most local Fèisean are now back and between these activities and the work being carried out by Fèisean nan Gàidheal’s formal education service, Fèisgoil, there are once again plenty of Fèis-related opportunities, especially for young people interested in traditional music.

There are 47 Fèisean and here is a snapshot of what some of them have been up to recently or are about to deliver:

Fèis Dhùn Èideann (Edinburgh)

Fèis Dhùn Èideann is holding a Fèis on the 11th of February for teenagers and on the 13th and 14th of February for children in Primary School. If you would like more information or to reserve a space please email Gillian at feisdhunideann@feisean.org

Fèis Farr 2023 (Farr, Inverness-shire)

Fèis Farr will be holding a Fèis in the local community hall on the 25th and 26th of February for primary-aged children and those in S1-2. The participants will have lessons on the accordion, groupwork, step dance, whistle, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and Gaelic song and there will be a Wee Fèis as well for younger children. You can find more information on the Fèis Farr Facebook page.

Fèis Eilean an Fhraoich (Isle of Lewis)

Fèis Eilean an Fhraoich has been leading development projects with Lewis teenagers to guide them in the skills necessary for working as live and as studio musicians.

Since early 2022, they’ve been working with local musicians to develop their skills in group work and performance. This continues with workshops in studio and live production along with TradAwards Studio Engineer of the year, Keith Morrison in Wee Studio and at an Lanntair. They also have some live opportunities coming up, as they continue to develop their musical skills.

Fèis Tìr an Eòrna (North Uist)

Fèis Tìr an Eòrna has been a prominent part of the Taigh Chearsabhaigh exhibition on the musical heritage of North Uist. Working with other island bodies such as the gallery itself, and the local history society, they’ve researched and performed Gaelic songs from the island at live and digital cèilidhs.

Fèis Tìr a’ Mhurain (South Uist)

South Uist has been described as the ‘Brazil of piping’ by no less than piping luminary Fred Morrison, and Fèis Tìr a’ Mhurain has been exploring this piping heritage. A group of local pipers and tradition bearers has been established to work with the Fèis on weekly classes, and it’s planned to explore this further.

Fèis Bharraigh (Barra)

Fèis Bharraigh was the first Fèis (1981), and as they prepare for their covid-delayed 40th anniversary it’s with a resurgence of interest among island youngsters. Classes in piping, accordion and fiddle have regularly been oversubscribed and additional classes started as a result. They too are researching the island piping heritage, and have tradition bearers involved in weekly classes.

Fuaran 2023 (Gaelic song – research and performance opportunity for young adults)

Applications are now closed for the 2023 series of the Fuaran project. Fuaran, meaning a spring or well, was established in order to encourage the next generation of Gaelic singers to research songs of their own communities or those from areas to which they had a connection. Participants are also encouraged to delve into the wonderful and varied archives available before being given the opportunity to record these songs themselves. For more information: www.feisean.org/fuaran

Fèisgoil (FnG’s formal education service)

YMI Highland

YMI sessions, in collaboration with Highlife Highland and local Fèisean, Fèis an Earraich, Fèis Chataibh, Fèis Inbhir Narainn, Fèis Lochabair, Fèis Rois and Fèis Spè are well underway with all areas due to complete delivery by the end of this school term. Most areas adopted the approach of an online cèilidh to introduce tutors and the project to the classes and followed this up with face-to-face sessions.

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In collaboration with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, our Fèisgoil service delivers Gaelic singing sessions to all pupils in Uist and Barra. This term our tutors are concentrating on songs connected to the mass emigrations of islanders one hundred years ago.

Treòir Voar Virr Òrain air chall

Following on from the ambitious multi-arts inter-island project last year, a smaller scale Treòir Voar Virr project, this time with Òrain air Chall (Lost Songs) as its topic is underway in all six local authorities where island schools are situated.
Research carried out by local song specialists has resulted in a resource of over 50 songs deemed fragile within their own communities.

These songs are being reintroduced to schoolchildren through the project and links to lyrics, translations, archival recordings as well as some brand new recordings will be available through the Fèisean nan Gàidheal website once the project has completed.
Fèisean nan Gàidheal is very grateful to The Scottish Government for specific funding of the project as well as to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar for collaboration through its Dìleab – Eilthireachd project marking 100 years since the sailing of the Marloch and the Metagama, and the devastating effect this had on the population of the islands, with over 300 Lewis folk – all except two – young men with an average age of 22 sailing for a new life in Canada.

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Log this term’s data for Every Copy Counts by 6 Apr

Under the terms of the Schools Printed Music Licence (SPML), schools should submit data on what they are copying and arranging on an easy-to-access portal. This can be done on a termly basis, saving teachers time, the next copy deadline is Thursday 6th April.

Every Copy Counts is a campaign to raise awareness about the Schools Printed Music Licence and support schools in submitting their copy data. Teachers can access a range of information, guidance and resources to support them with meeting the terms of the licence, including termly drop in events to have questions answered. Visit our website at everycopycounts.co.uk for further information.

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Agar Trust funding for young musicians – apply by 28 Feb

The Agar Trust supports young musicians (8-21) who want to further their music education beyond the local area by attending individual tuition, short courses, auditions or higher education. Our funds are focused primarily on travel and subsistence costs faced by those who need to travel from rural parts of Scotland.

For further information and to download our guidelines and an application form, visit www.agar-trust.org.uk

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SAME review 2022’s CLPL and share a taste of what’s to come this year

SAME has been keenly organising and hosting webinars to support our music colleagues across a range of areas of music education.

Our hugely popular webinar, Musical Fun in Primary 1, held in April, began our series of online sessions for 2022, geared primarily, as the title suggests, towards supporting Primary 1 classroom teachers (non-specialists) and was led by Donna Minto, Kate Picken and Amanda Massie.

Making Thinking Visible, presented by Laura MacMillan, which took place in May 2022, introduced the approach to colleagues across Scotland and provided a range of teaching and learning strategies and resources for use in the classroom.

In June 2022, Sir James MacMillan and Jennifer Martin of The Cumnock Tryst collaborated with SAME to present a webinar on composition which featured details of Sir James MacMillan’s new book – Creative Composition for the Classroom.

Finishing off the year, in early December we continued the composition theme with a webinar entitled, ‘Composition for BGE – Ideas for getting started in the BGE classroom’. This was led by John Gourlay (instrumental) and Greg Brown (technology), giving two very different and valuable approaches to this subject.

Looking forward to our upcoming webinars, the evening of February 23rd will introduce a P7/S1 transition project that has been up and running in Aberdeenshire for a number of years. This will be followed on March 23rd with a webinar detailing a class-band type P7/S1 transition project with the aim over both webinars to support both classroom and instrumental colleagues to in turn support learners as they move from music learning in the primary school to music learning in the secondary school.

All our webinars have been attractively priced and well attended. Participant feedback has been extremely positive with an overwhelming sentiment of enjoyment of the online presentations. However, participants have also expressed a desire to return to in-person events in whatever way this is possible. With this in mind, SAME is looking to provide in-person events again in the not too distant future. At this stage these would be done on a satellite basis rather than a full conference situation. There have been discussions with several bodies as to content and geographical placing for these in-person events and SAME hopes to be able to advertise such events soon.

SAME is always looking to support all music educators across the country and would welcome suggestions for future events which would be of particular interest to you. Please feel free to contact SAME via the website – www.same.org.uk with any proposals or ideas you may have.

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Apply now for Music School of Douglas Academy

The closing date for applications to the Music School of Douglas Academy is 27th January. If you are a student, or a teacher who has a student who wishes to be fully immersed in music, working with like-minded people, then the Music School is the ideal place to nurture that interest. All places are fully funded at no cost to students.

Further Information

tel: 0141 955 2365
website: www.douglas.e-dunbarton.sch.uk
email: musicschool@douglas.e-dunbarton.sch.uk

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St Mary’s Music School Christmas Concert

St Mary’s Music School pupils present an evening of performances including the premiere of ‘A Shared Mystery’ composed by former pupil Simon David Smith. Inspired by Corstorphine Hill and the poetry of Alexander McCall Smith, it is the sixth instalment of The Seven Hills Project.

The programme will also include a performance of Hindemith ‘Trauermusik’ for solo viola and strings and contributions from the school choirs, junior strings and the senior orchestra.

If you need further information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the School Office on 0131 538 7766 or on email – info@st-marys-music-school.co.uk

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News and events from St Mary’s Music School

Virtual Open Days

Take a peek behind the scenes of Scotland’s national music school

If you are a young musician or a parent of a musically-talented child then this is the perfect opportunity to discover the world of St Mary’s Music School. Meet current pupils, meet our staff and find out what lessons are like inside the world of our instrumental pupils. There will also be an opportunity to ask any questions that you might have.

This online event will give young musicians and their parents a real insight into life at Scotland’s national music school, one of five designated specialist music schools in the UK and the only one in Scotland.

Further details on the SMMS website

Accordion and viola lessons and a new string ensemble at SMC

Saturday Music Classes at St Mary’s Music School are delighted to be expanding their range of instruments, with accordion and viola lessons now available. Anyone can try these fabulous and versatile instruments- SMC offer a free taster lesson at the start of term!

SMC are also introducing a new string ensemble to their activities. ‘We’d love to get every student involved in ensemble playing, to enhance their learning and to discover the joy of making music with others’, says Philip Bartai, the new manager of SMC. ‘We’ll be introducing other new ensembles this year too!’

Further details at https://www.stmarysmusicschool.co.uk/music-for-all/saturday-music-classes/

St Mary’s Music School is one of the nine specialist Music and Dance Schools the UK (and the only one in Scotland) funded by the UK Government and providing the finest training in Britain. It is a co-educational, non-denominational specialist music school, offering a world class standard of music and academic education to musically gifted children aged 9-19 years. www.stmarysmusicschool.co.uk

New Collaboration sees Premiere of New Chamber Music Commissioned by St Mary’s Music School at International Storytelling Festival   

A new work by multi-award-winning Scottish composer Ailie Robertson  , commissioned by St Mary’s Music School, Scotland’s national music school, will be premiered at a special concert at this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival that celebrates female composers and their relationship with ‘place’.  

The piece, Dottyville, for violin and cello will be performed by GAIA Duo musicians Katrina Lee and Alice Allen and has been inspired by Edinburgh’s Craiglockhart Hill.  

It is the fifth of seven new music commissions by St Mary’s Music School’s Seven Hills Project which has brought together seven composers with links to the School to write a work inspired by the topography of one of Edinburgh’s seven hills and the corresponding ‘hill’ poem by Alexander McCall Smith. Dottyville draws on Ailie’s distinct blend of traditional and contemporary music to capture the restorative nature of Craiglockhart Hill to the ‘soul-injured’ who recuperated in the nearby veterans’ hospital.   

The concert, Landscapes and Dances, Songs She Scored Out, takes place at Canongate Kirk on Wednesday 26th October at 7.30pm. This one-hour concert has been developed in collaboration between St Mary’s Music School, the Scottish International Story Telling Festival, Robertson and GAIA Duo. In addition to Ailie Robertson’s new work it features music by Rebecca Clark, Elizabeth Maconchy and music by anonymised historical Scottish Female Composers of the 1850s – the names of these women were often scored out with black pen - which will be performed by junior pupils of St Mary’s Music School. All of the works tell musical stories about surrounding landscapes, geographic and cultural, by female composers, each with a different experience of their ‘place’ in their surrounding musical landscape, some even scored out.   

Ailie Robertson, who has composed works for some of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions including the BBC Proms and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, was the 2018-21 composer in residence for Sound Scotland and Glyndebourne Opera. Commenting on the premiere of Dottyville, and working in the unique collaboration with Scotland’s national music school and the Storytelling Festival, she said:  

The idea for entitling my piece ‘Dottyville’ comes from the poet Siegfried Sassoon. Craiglockhart Hospital was one of the most famous shell-shock treatment centres, set up after the battle of the Somme in 1916. Two of the finest war poets were treated there—Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. It was Sassoon who nicknamed the place ‘Dottyville’ in a letter of 1917. 

Valerie Pearson, Head of Strings at St Mary’s Music School is leading the Seven Hills Project, which celebrates new music composition and performance as part of the build-up to the School’s 50th anniversary in 2023. She added:  

There was always an idea to bring Ailie’s piece into the SISTF but I didn’t imagine how naturally things would develop. It has been wonderful working with Donald Smith (SISTF), Ailie Robertson and GAIA Duo to shape this programme together. They share an artistry for connecting tradition to the now – harnessing the qualities and preciousness of the past in refreshing ways that push tradition forward and keep it relevant today and tomorrow. I hoped to achieve this in this event and in the Seven Hills Project as a whole – the core aims of the Seven Hills Project are about celebrating Scotland, SMMS’ home, and Scottish new music. We deliberately focused on female composers because their voice felt most relevant now. It has been a great opportunity to build partnerships with different areas of the arts world that create new links to classical music, which is very much part of the school’s forward thinking.  

 Tickets £10 full price / £8 concessions / under 18s free. Available via SMMS website  

 

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ABRSM’s composer mentoring programme features two Scotland-based composers

ABRSM‘s composer mentoring programme, Writing for Music Education, provides emerging composers with opportunities to develop their skills in writing to a brief, both for exam syllabuses and within broader educational contexts. Composers on the programme receive dedicated mentoring from leading educational composers, as well as specialist support from educators and ABRSM staff as they complete a series of compositional tasks.

Composers will also benefit from opportunities to meet and establish connections with ABRSM’s broad range of partner organisations, including opportunities to write music for the National Open Youth Orchestra, National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain and National Youth Jazz Orchestra.

This year’s programme, which runs from September 2022 to February 2023, features six composers from diverse backgrounds, including Scotland-based composers Amit Anand and Ben Lunn. The programme, managed by ABRSM Partnerships Manager and composer James Welburn, will “play a part in supporting the musical and career development of these composers. Whether they’re composing for accessible instruments such as the Clarion, for jazz ensembles or for a full children’s orchestra, we’re sure the composers will have a lot of fun along the way!”

For more information about the programme and details of the six composers, please visit the ABRSM website.

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StAMP Virtual Conservatoire

Taking place on 7 May, the Virtual Conservatoire extends StAMP and the aims and principles that underpin it to brass players of all ages and stages from anywhere in the world.

Programme includes:

1400-1410 Mindfulness for Musicians with Lee Holland: a participative introduction

1410-1420 Playing by Ear with Richard Michael

1420-1430 Virtual play along with The Wallace Collection*

1430-1450 Add some music to your day: accessing creativity and communication in music with Professor Raymond MacDonald, University of Edinburgh*

1450-1530 Recent Discoveries from the 19th Century by The Wallace Collection, including virtual play along**

1530-1600 Howard Snell in conversation with The Wallace Collection

For more details and to register, visit the StAMP website.

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Scottish Young Musicians National Final

The Scottish Young Musicians National Final on Sunday 29thMay is fast approaching and there is an air of excitement as each local authority completes its competition to nominate its finalist for the all-day event at the RCS.  We have been impressed by the support and enthusiasm of all and by the talent displayed by the incredible young musicians.  To get this far during a Covid year has surprised many, but here we are on the cusp of putting something new and we hope worthwhile on Scotland’s music map.

There will be 22 young musicians represented at the final, one from each of the LAs taking part and one from the independent schools. Those LAs that could not take part because of Covid intend to join next year. As it’s been our first year, we’ve been flexible as to how the competitions have been run. Some have opted for school competitions leading to a local authority final, whilst other have gone directly to the final stage. The goal has always been to have as many students as possible participating in every school in Scotland and SYM is there to help everyone achieve this. 

We are honoured to have Nicola Benedetti welcome everyone to a finale which will have Jamie MacDougall keep the pace as master of ceremonies. We are equally proud to have a panel adjudicator of international standing Christopher Bell, Heather Nicoll, Aaron Shorr as well as Jennifer Pike.

The support offered by the donors of prizes has been incredible. As well as the overall winner receiving the commissioned and donated trophy of the Maid of Morven by Scotland’s acclaimed sculptor, Alexander Stoddart, the intention has been to offer career changing experiences as well as practical prizes purchased from prize monies. 

We are enormously grateful not just to those who have donated prizes but to the effort put into the inventiveness of what these prizes could achieve for the young winners. Many of Scotland’s great orchestras and ensembles have offered experiences including the RSNO, SCO, Scottish Ensemble and The Dunedin Consort. The music conservatoires The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the hosts of the final, and Trinity Laban have both embraced the offering. Lastly, many of the suppliers of music equipment to young people including Stringers, Band Supplies and Haydock Music have been most generous.  

The national final will be graced by an exciting performance by Stranraer Brass Ensemble, the winner of this year’s Scottish Young Musician’s Brass Ensemble of the Year following a hotly contested competition.   

To find out more visit www.scottishyoungmusicians.com

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North Edinburgh Community Festival

The North Edinburgh Community Festival is a free, family friendly and community-led event taking place for the first time in West Pilton Park and the West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre on Saturday 7 May 2022 from 12noon – 6pm.

This is a day to celebrate all the amazing talent and opportunities in North Edinburgh, with over 100 organisations, groups and individuals living and working in the area offering free activities, stalls, and performances!

Visit their Facebook page for more details.

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Tinderbox Orchestra announce summer tour

Tinderbox Collective have announced their Summer Orchestra tour to venues and festivals across Scotland. Dates include:

  • 7 May – North Edinburgh Community Festival
  • 21 May – Knockengorroch Festival (Galloway)
  • 22 May – Mac Arts (Galashiels)
  • 12 June – Hidden Door Festival (Edinburgh)
  • 18 June – Solas Festival (Perthshire)
  • 3 July – Kelburn Garden Party (Largs)

Visit the Tinderbox Collective Facebook page for more info.

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SScOT Summer Course 2022

A holiday like no other – The Scottish Schools Orchestra Trust’s summer courses are a unique opportunity for children to make friends, expand their musical horizons and develop a love of group music-making which will last a lifetime!

SScOT’s summer residential course is a non-auditioned, six-day activity holiday including a mixture of outstanding musical teaching, sport and art sessions, and social activities.

The summer course is open to any child aged 9-15, who plays an orchestral or wind band instrument at Grade 2 to Grade 8 level and beyond. There are no auditions for any of our events and full bursaries are available.

The end of course concert will take place in the New Auditorium, RSNO Centre, Glasgow, 16th July.

Booking can be made online at wwww.sscot.org.uk

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Fèisean across the country returns!

Fèisean across the country made a welcome return to in-person activities during the Easter holidays after a 2-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic. A number of week-long tuition events, workshop days and concerts were held during the school break, welcoming hundreds of excited young people to learn traditional music, Gaelic song, drama and art from highly skilled tutors, all of which were organised by volunteer-led committees.

During the pandemic Fèisean embraced technology and continued to deliver vast programmes of tuition with regular online lessons and workshops, keeping participants engaged and providing employment opportunities for tutors who lost other sources of income.  This has been a positive step for Fèisean, with many additional skills gained by committees and tutors and the young people who were able to access these opportunities. 

With restrictions being eased, the opportunity for Fèisean to return to face-to-face activities is very much welcomed by committees, tutors and participants alike. 

In the run-up to these in-person Easter fèisean, Development Manager at Fèisean nan Gàidheal, Calum Alex MacMillan said:

“Fèisean nan Gàidheal is delighted to be supporting Fèisean as they make a return to in-person events over the Easter holidays. Covid has caused so many events and activities to be cancelled and postponed, with our young people missing out on so much. Although the focus of the Fèisean is tuition in the traditional Gaelic arts, they provide much more than that, giving young people and their communities, opportunities to come together and learn, socialise, develop skills and knowledge of their local culture as well as supporting the local economy. It is fantastic to see the excitement and enthusiasm of the Fèis committees and we wish them every success with their upcoming events”.

The following events took place over the Easter break: 

2nd April

Fèis Phaislig Easter Concert – Paisley

4 & 5th April

Fèis Obar Dheathain – Aberdeen

4th – 8th April

Fèis an Earraich – Skye & Lochalsh

Fèis Latharna – Oban

Fèis Rois Oigridh – Ross-shire

8th April

Fèis a’ Bhaile Easter Fèis Day – Inverness

8th & 9th April

Luach – Lewis & Harris 

11th – 15th April

Fèis Taigh Dhonnchaidh – Isle of Lewis

Chaidh Fèis Taigh Dhonnchaidh a chumail eadar 11 – 15 Giblean 2022 ann an Nis ann an Eilean Leòdhais.  Bha com-pàirtichean eadar aois 4 – 18 an lathair agus chòrd e ris a h-uile duine a bhith air ais còmhla aghaidh ri aghaidh.  Bha tòrr spòrs a’ dol!

Fèis Taigh Dhonnchaidh took place between 11-15th April 2022 in Ness in the Isle of Lewis.  It was very well attended by participants aged 4-18 and everyone was delighted to be back together face to face again.

Fèisgoil activities continue with almost all provision now happening face-to-face in school classrooms as well as continuing to embrace outdoor learning where appropriate.

For more information on Fèisean nan Gàidheal events visit www.feisean.org or find us on facebook.com/feisean 

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Be A Chorister Afternoon

Be A Chorister Afternoon, we are looking for children in P3 -P5 at the moment. Being a chorister, and part of the award-winning Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh, is to be part of a unique tradition that began in 1880. Around 16 boys and girls make up the chorister element of the Choir and over a five-year period they receive an exceptional music and academic education, divided between St Mary’s Cathedral and St Mary’s Music School. 


In this special afternoon, we aim to give children and parents an insight into what life is like as a chorister. We welcome Primary Pupils P3-P5 who enjoy singing for a special opportunity to participate alongside the Choristers of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral.

This is a FREE event

open for registrations Friday 6th May 2:30pm – 6:10.pm book now https://bit.ly/BACA5 The award-winning Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh, is a unique tradition that began in 1880. stmarysmusicschool.co.uk

Taster Day – FREE event Sunday 29th May 11:00am – 3:30pm

Come and take a peek behind the curtains, and see what it is like to be a pupil here at St. Mary’s Music School

https://bit.ly/MayTaster

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Make Music Day 2022: 21 June

What are you doing on Make Music Day, Tuesday 21 June? If your classes and groups are learning, playing or performing on that day, you can connect your musical activity to this global celebration. Find out all about Make Music Day

Make Music Day takes place annually on the summer solstice and celebrates music making in 130 countries all over the world. Anyone and any activity can be part of it, just by making music for other people to enjoy for free. From gardens and playgrounds to city squares and concert halls, musicians and audiences come together to celebrate and shout about the music in their communities.

However, you want to celebrate, list your event on the Make Music Day UK website to connect and promote your activity. You can list online activity, or a closed event with no access to the general public. As long as there is no fee to watch or take part, listings are not curated and there is no closing date. There are logos and video logos to brand your event and you can connect on social media by tagging @MakeMusicDayUK and using #MakeMusicDayUK and #MakeMusicDay.

Your musicians will see their event as one of hundreds taking place in the UK and tens of thousands across the globe. And they can watch some of these as part of our online broadcast, or maybe live in their community – search by location.

If you’re looking for inspiration, there are projects and themes to attach to. This year these include:

  • Make Music Day playlist – 16 upbeat, feel-good songs with free resources provided by Hal Leonard Europe: arrangements for piano, voice and guitar, SATB choir, and chords and lyrics.
  • Global Folk Challenge – post a traditional song or tune in a digital pot and pick one out from another country or culture to learn.
  • Fete at 40 – celebrating 40 years of the event which originated in France with French music and hook ups with twin towns and other auld alliances.
  • On location – film or photograph a performance with a great backdrop to show off

We’ve bespoke support to help you get the most out of your connection. Alison Reeves is the Scotland Development Project Manager, contact her directly scotland@makemusicday.co.uk. Come along to a meet-up or workshop – one for schools and youth groups is planned in May, so keep checking listings. And check out our resources, including guides on live-streaming and making videos with only your phone.

Scotland has always been the busiest part of the UK on Make Music Day so join the party and celebrate with the world!

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Live Music Now Scotland announces Traditional Tales for Tiny People as part of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022

  • Live Music Now Scotland launches Traditional Tales for Tiny People in both Edinburgh and Glasgow as part of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022
  • Aimed at early years children and their families, the sessions will feature tales and music from the Orkney islands & the Western Isles
  • Inspired by Scottish traditional music and folklore Traditional Tales for Tiny People will support early years and their families post-pandemic

Live Music Now Scotland is excited to announce Traditional Tales for Tiny People as part of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022.

Bringing the traditional stories, language and music of the Orkney islands and the Western Isles to early years and families, Traditional Tales for Tiny People will feature live performances from some of Live Music Now Scotland’s emerging professional musicians.

Not only are these musicians some of the country’s most talented, but they are also specially trained and experienced in working with early years audiences and families. Lasting 45 minutes, each session will feature two musicians who will perform a range of songs and tell stories that reflect nature, family, culture, tradition and much more besides.

Working with two locally engaged community venues in Edinburgh and Glasgow, Live Music Now Scotland hopes that the initiative will bring the known benefits of music and storytelling to early years and families who have, in large part due to the pandemic, had little or no opportunity to experience it before. As research suggests, storytelling plays an important role in allowing early years to understand and navigate the world around them, as well as how to interact with others, and these are skills that these sessions will look to nurture.  

In Edinburgh, sessions will take place on a Sunday afternoon at Holy Cross Church in Davidson’s Mains. Lasting 45 minutes, these participatory sessions will be led by three alternating LMNS musicians who were all born and raised on the windy planes of the Orkney islands and grew up listening to the region’s traditional tales and tunes – Aidan Moodie (guitar), Graham Rorie (fiddle) and Owen Sinclair (guitar) .

In Glasgow, Sunday morning sessions will take place at Partickhill Bowling and Community Club and will feature the vocals of Josie Duncan, Kaitlin Ross, and Catherine Tinney, all of whom hail from the Western Isles. Told in a combination of Gaelic, English and Scots, their tales will tell of nature, people and places, families and relationships, and the stories that are embedded in society and retold many times as part of traditional social occasions, including waulking songs and Puirt à beul (a traditional form of song native to Scotland).

Carol Main MBE, Director at Live Music Now Scotland, said: “Storytelling not only enhances knowledge and memory recall while supporting early literacy development, but it also has the ability to build a greater sense of community, which is something we all need just now, not least young children who would have, pre-pandemic, had far more opportunity to regularly engage with their peers.

With Traditional Tales for Tiny People, we hope to not only facilitate this interaction and provide support for families as we emerge from the pandemic, but also to keep the wonderful tunes and tales of Scottish folklore alive.”

For more information, dates, and to book please contact:

Holy Cross Church – families.hce@gmail.com

Partick Hill Bowling Club – musicatthegreen@gmail.com

Edinburgh, 2pm, Holy Cross Church

1st May 2022Owen Sinclair & Josie Duncan
5th June 2022Owen Sinclair & Josie Duncan
3rd July 2022Graham Rorie & Aidan Moodie
7th August 2022Owen Sinclair & Robbie Greig
4th September 2022Graham Rorie & Aidan Moodie
2nd October 2022Owen Sinclair & Robbie Greig

Glasgow, 11am, Partickhill Bowling Club

22nd May 2022Kaitlin Ross & Catriona Hawksworth
12th June 2022Kaitlin Ross & Catriona Hawksworth
11th September 2022Kaitlin Ross & Catriona Hawksworth
16th October 2022Josie Duncan & Catherine Tinney
20th November 2022Catherine Tinney & Calum Morrison
18th December 2022Catherine Tinney & Calum Morrison
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
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SCO Summer Touring Creative Learning Activity

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is delighted to be presenting two Creative Learning residencies as part of its summer tour season 2022.

First stop in the Highlands. Alongside chamber concerts, SCO players will entertain young people with Stan and Mabel and the Race for Space at Eden Court Theatre and Elgin Town Hall and there will also be a Come and Play opportunity for amateur musicians to play core orchestral repertoire alongside the musicians.

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra then brings fun for all ages to the Shetland Isles. There will be workshops in primary schools, Big Ears, Little Ears concerts for 0–3-year-olds and their grown-ups and a full VIBE weekend course – a group music-making project for teenagers who play any instrument, at any level or in any genre. Head to the SCO What’s on page to see how you can Join In!

www.sco.org.uk/whats-on

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Youth Music Initiative Funding

Round 1 of the Access to Music Making Fund is now open for applications.

The purpose of the Access to Music Making fund is to create access to high-quality music-making opportunities for children and young people aged 0-25 years (or, aged over 25 if they are disabled and/or care experienced).

Who Can Apply

Applications to the Access to Music Making fund can come from organisations and individuals based in Scotland or who are delivering programmes within Scotland for the benefit of children and young people of Scotland.

Organisations already in receipt of Regular Funding from Creative Scotland can apply but should discuss your intention to apply for funding with your lead officer in the first instance. Applications will be required to demonstrate why the proposed activity is additional to your existing funding agreement and how the activity enhances current and future plans.

Find out more
Portsmouth-460x307
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Music Mark Relaunch “A Common Approach”

Twenty years after its original publication, Music Mark has refreshed and relaunched A Common Approach, available now in digital format.  

A Common Approach is an online resource to support music educators in their teaching practice and help develop a holistic approach to music education. In order to be as useful as possible for teachers across the UK, A Common Approach has also been mapped against school curricula, including the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland.  Relevant to all vocal and instrumental teaching, including individual, small-group, large-group and whole-class lessons, music educators at all stages of their career can use the support and shared learning found in A Common Approach. Take a look here.

About Us

We Make Music Scotland is led by Music Education Partnership Group, a membership organisation which aims to tackle inequity, realise potential and challenge perceptions of music education.

© 2021 Music Education Partnership Group
Registered Scottish Charity SC050352
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