St Mary’s Music School, Scotland’s only specialist music school with tuition funding available and an admission basis centred on raw talent alone, has an exciting partnership lined up for this February. Along with UK brass players, they will bring a series of Lower Brass Days to Edinburgh and Elgin aimed at encouraging young people to study the trombone, euphonium, tenor and baritone horns and tuba.
Taking place February 2024, the school hopes to expand local access to music within schools, and to raise the profile of, and interest in, lesser available brass instruments. In addition to taster sessions with Buffet Crampon, a prominent market leader in the manufacturing of Woodwind Instruments, attendees will take part in a day of presentations, masterclasses, ensemble work and concerts, all of which are free to attend and open for participation to school aged pupils.
Buffet Crampon will supply instruments for the taster sessions and an array of presentations and performances will be led by Martin Thomson, Danielle Price, John Kenny, Jonathan Gawn, Oren Marshall (Trinity Laban), Arlene Macfarlane, Emily White (British Trombone Society) Amos Miller (RCM), and Mark Reynolds (RCS).
Sales Manager for Buffet Crampon in the UK and Ireland Euan Meikle said “The cultivation of new talent is both a core principle for me and Buffet Crampon, as well as crucial to the survival of our music industry. I look forward to presenting the Prodigy ‘Come and Play’ Experience, which aims to give attendees the opportunity to view a demonstration, play an instrument and even take a virtual reality tour of how instruments are made via Virtual Reality!”
As well as celebrating brass musicianship, the Lower Brass Days will see the second phase of St Mary’s Music School Instrument Library come to fruition and further democratise access to quality musical instruments. Launched in Autumn 2023, the Instrument Library has seen St Mary’s Music School invest in a small fleet of endangered instruments with the hopes of nourishing musical potential in the early years. Entrusted to specific teachers, instruments such as the oboe and bassoon can be loaned out for three years, with the possibility of extension to pupils who might otherwise find accessing these instruments financially prohibitive.
Director of Music John Cameron said “We are excited to be working with leading brass professionals from across the UK in providing free access to days of activities to celebrate the world of lower brass. This is part of our active musical outreach programme which includes our ‘Instrument Library,’ set up to give young musicians access to quality instruments at an early age.”
Amongst the Lower Brass events, St Mary’s Music School will also run a Composition Competition for school age composers aged 10 – 18 across Scotland, with the chosen winner’s work to be performed as a fanfare on both days by leading musicians. Four runners up will also be invited to have their compositions workshopped by the School, with all shortlisted entries receiving feedback from a panel of composers.
Dates and times:
Saturday 24th February in Edinburgh (The Parish Church of St Cuthbert, Lothian Road) Register here
Sunday 25th February in Elgin (Elgin Academy) Register here
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 