Success of Musical Showcase
Over 350 people enjoyed an evening of top music on Saturday at the Averon Centre in Alness when 130 talented young musicians from four music groups took centre-stage for a showcase event.
The evening started with the Highland Youth String Orchestra performing Concerto for Oboe and Strings on Themes of Corelli by John Barbirollo with the oboe solo played by wind tutor Helen Fraser. The next piece of music they played was the Brook Green Suite by Holst before Stephen Laidlaw from Fortrose Academy performed the cello solo accompanied by the orchestra of Gabriel Faure’s Apres un Reve. The orchestra ended their performance with a fast and lively Pizzicato Polka by Strauss with the comedy antics of Conductor and Strings Instructor, Rick Lusher causing much laughter and reducing some of the young musicians to giggles as they played on.
Next up was a lively set by members of the Ceilidh band ‘Snas who started with a melody of rousing bagpipe tunes before the crowd tapped their feet to catchy well played tunes. The pace was then slowed down with a solo vocal song before picking up again to reach a rousing finale. The 11 young musicians, from secondary schools in Thurso, Golspie, Tain. Ullapool, Inverness, Kingussie and Fort William, were obviously enjoying themselves.
After the interval the 50 strong Highland Schools Wind Band, conducted by Norman Bolton, blew the crowd away with a very professional performance. Popular and challenging pieces of music were played with gusto, highlighting the wide array of young musical talent. The set ended on a lively Latin flavour which left the audience cheering loudly.
The evening drew to a close with a big burst of sound when the Highland Youth Big Band, who recently won the MFR best band award, took centre stage. The 18 young musicians from Tain, Nairn, Inverness, Skye, Lochaber, Inverness and Grantown showed off their talents to the delight of an appreciative audience. For the first time at a public performance, the band members were joined by vocalist Michael Lightbody from Charleston Academy for a couple of numbers which added to the energetic and superbly performed set.
All the hard work and effort of the young musicians and their tutors paid off and the whole evening was a great success. Due to the geographical spread of the musicians, group rehearsal time is limited but on Saturday all four groups were terrific and the showcase event was a credit to everyone involved.
The young musicians were…
‘Snas:
Amy Cameron - Golspie High School
Seonag Buxton - Kingussie High School
Euan Convery - Kingussie High School
Neil Convery - Kingussie High School
Scott Duncan - Kingussie High School
Ewan Duncan - Kingussie High School
Fraser Kane - Millburn Academy
Anna-Marie MacDonald - Tain Royal Academy
Iain-Gordon MacFarlane - Ullapool High School
Jayne Paterson - Thurso High School
Robert Robertson - Lochaber High School
Highland Youth Big Band
Laura Beesley - Tain Royal Academy
Shona Berque - Tain Royal Academy
Robert King - Tain Royal Academy
Alister More - Tain Royal Academy
Joe Stankie - Tain Royal Academy
Robert Thompson - Tain Royal Academy
Duncan Bolton - Charleston Academy
Michael Lightbody - Charleston Academy
Hazel Brown - Nairn Academy
Jennifer Callaghan - Nairn Academy
Jack Ledsham - Nairn Academy
Matthew West - Nairn Academy
Cameron Grant - Millburn Academy
Samantha Jenkins - Lochaber High School
Georgia Main - Grantown Grammar School
Callum Murdoch - Glenurquhart High School
Jon Wallace - Glenurquhart High Scool
John Siwek - Portree High School
Evangeline Stevenson - Inverness Royal Academy
HIGHLAND SCHOOLS WIND BAND
Flute
Beth Appleby - Millburn Ac
Melissa Fry - Tain RA
Rosemary Hendry - Culloden Ac
Caroline Hendry - Culloden Ac
Saskia Leighton - Wick HS
Siannie Moodie - Dingwall Ac
Rosie Neall - Dingwall Ac
Emma Boyd - Kinlochbervie HS
Claire Holland - Dingwall Ac
Alasdair Leeson-Payne - Lochaber HS
Lauren Mackay - Wick HS
Ailsa Reid - Glenurquhart HS
Oboe
Helen Fraser - Dingwall Academy
Laila Hudson - Tain RA
Bassoon
David Paton - Thurso HS
Peter Wunder - Alness Ac
Clarinet
Hannah Earnshaw - Lochaber HS
Miriam Guy - Nairn Ac
Katie Milson - Charleston Ac
Rachael Oakes - Lochaber HS
Martainn Skene - Lochaber HS
Hannah MacDonald - Lochaber HS
Lindsay Mackay - Millburn Ac
Caitlin Orr - Fortrose Ac
Angela Grain - Thurso HS
Eleanor Manson - Thurso HS
Alto Sax
Eva Hymers - Halkirk PS
Eleanor Moncur - Golspie HS
Gavin Tait - Kingussie PS
Mairead Corbet - Dingwall Ac
Georgia McGee - Dingwall Ac
Duncan Downie - Dornoch Ac
Tenor Sax
Roderick McLean - Thurso HS
Baritone Sax
Iain Jamieson - Millburn Ac
Trumpet
Elaine Boag - Dingwall Ac
Lindsay Sedgwick - Lochaber HS
Cailean Welsh - Dingwall Ac
Yolanda Labanca - Fortrose Ac
French Horn
Sophie Strain - Nairn Ac
Tanya White - Alness Ac
Amber Brown - Fortrose Ac
Sarah Morrison - Inverness RA
Trombone
Caroline Scott - Millburn Ac
Peter Thornton - Dingwall Ac
Euphonium
Zak Labanca - Fortrose Ac
Michael Tait - Kingussie HS
Tuba
Sam Newmark - Millburn Ac
Percussion
Bethany King - Nairn Ac
Ryan McEwen - Millburn Ac
Rory Slater - Culloden Ac
HIGHLAND STRINGS ORCHESTRA
VIOLIN 1
Kirsten Brown - Charleston Ac
Sophie Donald - Gairloch HS
Lucy Doogan - Kinlochleven HS
Ruth Earnshaw - Lochaber HS
Megan Maclellan - Mallaig HS
Kirsty McIntyre - Kinlochleven HS
Thomas Riley - Nairn Ac
Fiona Ross - Alness Ac
Kathleen Steventon - Ullapool HS
VIOLIN 2
Robert Beaven - Thurso HS
Rebecca Clulow - Mallaig HS
Shannon Grant - Dornoch Ac
Reece Mackay - Ardnamurchan HS
Kate Miller - Dingwall Ac
Chloe Rodgers - Tain RA
Suzanne Urquhart - Millburn Ac
Isabel Waite - Millburn Ac
Rebecca Wilson - Fortrose Ac
VIOLA
Caitlin Ball - Inverness RA
Kate Blanchard - Duror PS
Natasha Earnshaw - Lochaber HS
Louise Graham - Glenurquhart HS
Morna Harding - Charleston Ac
Elaine Murdoch - Inverness RA
Joanne Murray - Tain RA
Ruth Whillis - Millburn Ac
CELLO
Anna Fraser - Inverness RA
Katrina Gallacher - Dingwall Ac
Eve Gibson Knowles - Glenurquhart HS
Erin Hall-Gardiner - Culloden Ac
Amy Henderson - Thurso HS
Stephen Laidlaw - Fortrose Ac
Louise MacGregor - Glenurquhart HS
Maciej Owczarek - Kilchuimen PS
Caitlin Reid - Glenurquhart HS
Philip Schnier-Macrae - Fortrose Ac
Gina Smith - Charleston Ac
Hollie Wilson - Fortrose Ac
DOUBLE BASS
Logie Blyth - Fortrose Ac