Young performers shine during musical showcase
Over 300 young musicians from across the Highlands took part in the Highland Young Musicians Concerts Festival on Saturday (23 November) at the MacDonald Aviemore Resort’s Osprey Arena.
The drum corps of Highland Youth Pipe Band opened the event with a specially written drum fanfare using carefully choreographed LED drumsticks. Following on from this, the Highland Schools Wind Band with conductor Mark Reynolds performed an ambitious programme which enchanted the audience with its musical detail and finesse.
The Gaelic choir, Còisir G opened their set with a beautiful slow waulking song led by Eilidh Cormack from Portree as soloist. Ending their varied programme was the groups version of an R&B number by Rudimental featuring Donald Barker of Fortrose Academy and confirming the groups vision of taking Gaelic culture into the 21st century.
The Highland Youth Big Band got the audiences feet tapping with their tight swing band sound featuring a couple of strong vocal numbers from Alice Burgoyne from Golspie. This was hotly followed by the rousing sound of the Highland Youth Pipe Band led by Pipe Major Cameron MacDougall.
Next to take to the stage was the Highland Youth String Orchestra conducted by Rick Lusher. Their performance of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings had the audience spellbound. Following the HYSO performance of excerpts from Parry’s English Suite, the traditional music group `snas performed their precise and vibrant sets with style, precision and confidence beyond their years…leaving the audience ‘reeling! The Highland Youth Choir then took the days event into Festive mode with a programme of Christmas songs and traditional carols sung with clarity and great balance.
Bringing the Festival to an end was the Highland Regional Youth Orchestra conducted by Garry Walker. The talented young musicians performed excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and Elgar’s Wand of Youth Suite no.1, before delighting the audience with an encore of the Nutcracker’s Trepak movement. Garry Walker is a conductor of international renown and the orchestra was extremely fortunate to secure his services for this concert. Many parts of the programme were spell-binding. His command of the orchestra was positive and controlled whilst demonstrating an obvious rapport with the players which allowed the orchestra to sound secure, assured and confident.
The eight Highland Young Musicians groups are organised and run by The Highland Council as an extension to the work of the Instrumental Tuition Service in Highland. Membership for all groups is by invitation after an annual Audition Day. The musicians in this years groups range in age from 6 years to 17 years.
The Council’s Director of Education, Culture and Sport, Hugh Fraser congratulated all the young musicians. He said: “I’d like to thank all the young people and their instructors for their hard work and commitment over the year to make today such a resounding success. The Festival has given the performers a great opportunity to entertain and demonstrate their musical skills whilst assuring the audiences that youth music-making in Highland is flourishing and developing at the highest levels.”
More information about Highland Young Musicians activities can be found at: www.highland-young-musicians.com