Looking back... and looking forward

Looking back... Performing the première of Gwilym Simcock's 'Union Overture and Celebration'

From the choir stalls

In November 2019, the Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral released a CD of Kenneth Leighton’s Sacred Choral Works, recorded by Delphian Records, to mark the 90th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Excellent reviews included The Herald commending Nora Trew-Rae and Olivia Massimo as ‘fine young female soloists’. Well done girls! Earlier this year, the choristers were due to join forces with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in a performance of Bach’s St John Passion. Sadly, this was postponed due to lockdown but we’re committed to forging evercloser links with the SCO and will reschedule once restrictions are lifted. Watch this space!

Celebrating 40 years of the Music and Dance Scheme

Only five specialist music schools in the UK are funded by the government and offer up to 100% bursary support to access the finest music training. Each of these schools, of which St Mary’s Music School is one, belongs to the Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) established in 1981. To celebrate 40 years of championing excellence in music education, all five schools came together over the summer in a unique collaborative project.

From their homes around the world, around 80 young musicians, aged between 15 and 18, recorded their own individual parts of a new piece, Union Overture and Celebration, written especially by critically acclaimed pianist and composer Gwilym Simock – a graduate of the MDS funding system himself, having studied at Chetham’s School of Music. Kimberley, Phoebe, Greta, Emma, Audrey, Momo, Daisy, Ruari, Layla, Cliodhna and Sofia all took part and the piece was broadcast for the first time at 10am on Wednesday 19th August, simultaneously launching on the YouTube channels of all five schools; the piece was also featured on the BBC Radio programme, Classics Unwrapped on 31st August.

CD cover

Directors’ Recital Prize goes digital

Our partnership with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra has shared values of performance excellence and engagement at its heart and we were delighted when they stepped in to produce our first online concert, the Directors’ Recital Prize 2020. The judging panel of Jo Buckley (CEO, Dunedin Consort and a Director of St Mary’s Music School), Alistair Mackie (CEO, RSNO and a former pupil of the School) and Peter Whelan (Artistic Director, Ensemble Marsyas and the Irish Baroque Orchestra) selected the two winners – flautist Cliodhna (16, Scotland) and accordionist Sofia (18, Spain) – in a programme which went out as a live broadcast on YouTube. You can see the full broadcast on the School’s YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/StMarysMusicSchoolScotland

Masterclass with Adam Walker (flute)

Sharing musical expertise

Every year, masterclasses provide our pupils with amazing opportunities to work with some of the most highly regarded musicians in the world and also allow us to share the musical expertise that comes through our doors with teachers and young musicians the length and breadth of Scotland. During 2019/20 (before lockdown!) we held a flute masterclass with Adam Walker (Principal Flute with the London Symphony Orchestra), a viola masterclass with Lawrence Power, a Strings Day with the Maxwell Quartet and the Nigel Murray Masterclass with cellist, Nicolas Altstaedt. Five of our first-study pianists, getting ready to leave school in the summer, took part in a virtual masterclass with Danny Driver (piano) and, over the course of the year, we ran lectures and workshops with Michael Kanan (jazz), Ashley Wass (piano), Nic Pendlebury (viola), Steven Osborne (piano), Allan Neave (guitar) and Dr Gareth Williams (composition) – Gareth is Chancellor’s Fellow at the Reid School of Music and was the judge of the School's Isobel Dunlop Prize for Composition.

Masterclass with Adam Walker (flute)

Nigel Murray Masterclass with Nicolas Altstaedt (cello)

... and looking forward School Choir, directed by Paul Stubbings, Director of Music

A new string to our bow

This term, we’re delighted to welcome Dr Valerie Pearson as our new Head of Strings.Valerie joins us from the University of York and her background combines performance, composition and teaching. Valerie studied violin with Diana Cummings at the Royal Academy of Music during her undergraduate music degree at King’s College London and says Diana’s teaching gave her a deep understanding of the physiology of playing, which completely transformed her relationship with the violin and had a huge influence on her own teaching. Her interest in modern music – and in the relationship between performer, composer and audience – formed the basis of her doctoral research at the University of York, where she also developed ways of combining performance and composition through improvisation.

With a wealth of experience as a teacher, Valerie’s skills range from starting off three-year-old Suzuki violinists to leading university projects and teaching at international summer music schools. While completing her PhD at the University of York, she began building a private teaching practice that became highly successful and widely sought after. She also created a close network of confident young players through extra group activities, chamber music and concerts, and enjoyed supporting them in their successes in national competitions as well as through National Children’s Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra and conservatoire auditions. Valerie is excited about her plans for the String Faculty, Junior Music and our Outreach and Engagement Programme – as are we.

Dr Valerie Pearson, Head of Strings Welcome to the St Mary's Music School family!

Onwards and upwards…

Congratulations to all our 2019/20 final year leavers as they begin the next step of their education! We're delighted to reveal their destinations and chosen subjects...

St Chad’s College, University of Durham University of St Andrews Christ Church College, University of Oxford Royal College of Music Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Royal Northern College of Music King's College, University of Cambridge Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Royal Northern College of Music Trinity College, University of Cambridge Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge St Hilda's College, University of Oxford Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (Music) (Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry) (Music) (Violin) (Guitar) (Violin) (Music) (Piano) (Harpsichord) (Piano) (Mathematics) (Accordion) (Music) (Music – deferred place) (Cello)

The String Academy conducted by Gordon Bragg, Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Building on success with the SCO Youth Academy

As our outreach projects develop, more and more young musicians across Scotland are able to access excellence in developing their music skills and talent. In spring 2019 we were delighted to launch the SCO String Academy in partnership with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra – an opportunity for young musicians to experience ensemble playing and learn from the musicians of the SCO over a series of Sunday afternoons. Due to its overwhelming success, we followed this with a further String Academy in winter 2019 and a Wind Academy in spring 2020. Now, by popular demand, we can announce that the SCO Youth Academy, a new youth orchestra for school-aged musicians, will begin as soon as current restrictions are lifted. Directed by SCO’s Gordon Bragg, St Mary’s Music School pupils will, once again, serve as peer mentors, helping to provide support and encouragement for other young players.

Young string and wind players from schools throughout Scotland enjoying our Sunday String and Wind Academies