RNCM Chamber Music Festival to CD Recording, Scottish Chamber Orchestra Strings Academy and the Edinburgh Competition Festival
Every so often there is a period of time which provides a vivid snapshot of life at St Mary’s Music School. Looking back over recent activities, this latest weekend is just one such period, ably demonstrating the breadth, calibre and richness of the activities our pupils are involved in on a regular basis.
Our senior trio headed to the Royal Northern College of Music as the only non-RNCM students invited to take part in their annual Chamber Music Festival; our choristers finished an intensive week of recording with renowned recording label Delphian Records; string players took part in the second week of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra String Academy – a partnership with St Mary’s Music School, and a number of pupils took part in the Edinburgh Competition Festival, a Scottish festival established in 1920.
Amongst illustrious company
This year’s Chamber Music Festival at RNCM played homage to the innovative genius of Joseph ‘Papa’ Haydn, rightfully known as the ‘Father of the String Quartet’ and featured guest artists Quatuor Mosaïques, Trio Wanderer, the Heath Quartet, Trio Gaspard, Simon Rowland-Jones and the Benyounes Quartet. It was a privilege therefore for senior pupils Finn, Marie-Sophie and Fraser to be invited to join such hallowed company and be invited to take part in the festival as the only non-RNCM young musicians. They delighted audiences with a very assured performance of Haydn ‘Gipsy Rondo’ Piano Trio in G major.
Professional recording
Meanwhile our senior Choristers completed an intense week of recording a Leighton CD with the Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral and Delphian Records, one of the UK’s foremost independent music labels and winner of the Gramophone’s prestigious Label of the Year award in 2014.
A number of pupils sang solo parts under the direction of Duncan Ferguson, Organist and Master of the Music, St Mary’s Cathedral. Duncan was previously Organ Scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford, and at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, before moving to St Mary’s Cathedral in 2005 as Assistant Organist. Duncan’s recordings at St Mary’s Cathedral have earned him significant critical acclaim and we are sure this latest will provoke a similar response.
Scottish Chamber Orchestra Strings Academy
In a new initiative, the SCO String Academy, in partnership with St Mary’s Music School, is an opportunity for young strings players to work with SCO musicians over a series of three Sunday afternoons. Thanks to generous donor support around 50 young people from all over Scotland were able to take part free of charge. Last Sunday they came together for the second week including a number of our own pupils. The series ends next Sunday and culminates with a short performance for families and friends and has already been a phenomenal experience for all those involved.
Concerto prize at the Edinburgh Competition Festival
A number of St Mary’s Music School pupils also took part in the Edinburgh Competition Festival this year, an event which has been running for nearly a century. A member of the British and International Federation of Festivals it features a wide range of competitive and non-competitive classes, together with workshops.
One of the highlights of the Festival is the two-stage concerto class, started in 1965. There is a preliminary round, held in advance of the main Festival, following which four chosen finalists perform with a specially convened orchestra on the final evening of the Festival. This year nine St Mary’s Music School pupils played in the orchestra, three pupils performed in the Concerto final and S6 extension pupil Salvador won the Audrey Innes Concerto Competition trophy with his performance of Ravel’s G Major Piano Concerto.
We are delighted to both support and take part in this valuable initiative which encourages music for all.
Altogether then a busy and vibrant weekend, and one of many more to come.