Young people from Big Noise Wester Hailes perform with RSNO
Young people from a community music and social change programme have taken part in a unique concert alongside the world-renowned Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO).
A total of 30 young musicians from Big Noise Wester Hailes, aged between seven and eight, performed side-by-side with the RSNO at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh.
The joint orchestra, led by RSNO conductor Patrick Hahn, performed the Big Noise favourite ‘Mission Mars’ by Joelle Broad.
The joint orchestra also performed a specially commissioned piece called ‘The Journey Begins’ by Keith Ramsey, written for the young people at Big Noise Wester Hailes.
The concert gave the young participants an opportunity to play alongside accomplished professional musicians as part of Scotland’s national orchestra, while demonstrating their musical skill to friends and family.
Big Noise is a high-quality music education and social change programme, which launched in Raploch in Stirling in 2008. It sees children and young people learn music after school, creating a community symphony orchestra which supports them in gaining vital life skills such as confidence, resilience, creativity, and aspiration.
There are now six centres supporting almost 4,000 children and young people across Scotland, including Raploch and Fallin in Stirling, Govanhill in Glasgow, Douglas in Dundee, Torry in Aberdeen, and Wester Hailes in Edinburgh.
Vicky Williams, chief executive of Sistema Scotland, said: “We are incredibly proud of our young musicians from Wester Hailes and their outstanding performance alongside the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
“Their hard work and dedication shone through as they played on one of Scotland’s most prestigious stages.
“We’d like to offer huge thanks to our friends at the RSNO for being fantastic partners across all of our programmes, to the parents, carers and schools we work with every day, and of course to the young people.”
Andy Stevenson, RSNO director of engagement, said: “We loved welcoming the young musicians of Big Noise Wester Hailes to perform side-by-side with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra at the Usher Hall.
“Their joy and enthusiasm are infectious, and their performance is always engaging for both our audiences and musicians.
“Offering experiences such as these to the Big Noise centres across the country, and helping to nurture the confidence of their young people, is a privilege.
“I look forward to these side-by-side performances continuing and seeing where their musical journeys will take these young people in the future.”
Big Noise is designed to strengthen the communities where it is based, developing relationships with participants and their families based on mutual respect, trust and a commitment to working together and tackling inequalities over the long term.
Through music and nurturing relationships, from infancy to adulthood, Big Noise supports participants’ wellbeing and helps them reach their full potential.
A long-term evaluation of the model by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health was published in 2022. It found that 98 per cent of Big Noise participants in Raploch went on to a positive post-school destination.