Perth Youth Orchestra at Edinburgh’s Greyfriars Kirk

Under the baton of its music director, Mr Allan Young, Perth Youth Orchestra will shortly end its 2013-2104 season with final concerts in Edinburgh and Perth. With players recruited from schools across Perthshire and Kinrossshire, the orchestra is regularly invited to take part in civic and charity events in its home city but also travels extensively in Europe, performing at festivals of youth music, most recently to Florence in 2013.

Founded in 1962 by local musicians and enthusiastic parents, to promote opportunities for young instrumentalists with platforms to perform orchestral music, it is one of the oldest youth orchestras in the country.

Edinburgh’s historic Greyfriars Kirk, will host the orchestra on Wednesday 27th August, at 7.30pm with a programme that opens with Vaughan Williams Overture, “The Wasps” and includes Dvorak’s Symphony No.9 (From the New World). The concert continues the orchestra’s thirty five year association with the capital city, having performed at every one of the Festival of British Youth Orchestras from 1980-2010.

Soloists Murphy Roberston (saxophone) and Amy Smart (cello) are both members of the orchestra but will step up to take centre stage for their performances of concertos by Henri Tomasi and Camille Saint-Saëns.

Murphy is a member of Caledonian Winds, the Perth & Kinross Wind Orchestra and Big Band as well as numerous ensembles at the Conservatoire in Glasgow. Murphy joined Perth Youth Orchestra in 2012, as a trumpeter, and was a pupil at St John’s Academy in Perth until accepting a music scholarship to Douglas Academy in Dunbarton earlier this summer. Murphy now plans to complete her Grade 8 piano and to gain a place at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire to study the classical saxophone.

Amy, until recently a pupil at Morrison’s Academy in Crieff, is a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, having also previous played in the National Children’s Orchestra of Scotland. During her six years in Perth Youth Orchestra Amy has took part in concert tours to both Italy and Germany. She begins her B.Mus. studies at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire, Glasgow next month.

“It is exciting to see our musicians doing so well and progressing to the next stage of their careers,” said their conductor, Mr Allan Young.

“Each year 20-24 of our seniors players take their leave as they go one to college, university of their places of work. Some will go on to outstanding international success with music like Perth’s Alasdair Beatson, Ben Norris and Helen Neilson. For many, music will a source of pleasure and relaxation, helping them through life’s challenges. In either case it will have been a joy for us to share these formative years with such talented youngsters.”

The orchestra’s final concert, in Perth, will take place on Monday 1st September, In Perth Concert Hall, at 7.30pm. Traditionally this takes the form of a ‘Thank You’ concert acknowledging the continued sponsorship of the orchestra’s benefactors including Perth and Kinross Council, the Gannochy Trust, Souter Charitable Trust, Guildry Association of Perth, Forteviot Trust, the Cross Trust, Perth & Kinross Grants Direct, the Duncan & Melville Gray Trust and all the individual Friends of Perth Youth Orchestra, parents and friends of the orchestra, both past and present.

PHOTO CAPTION

Amy Smart (cello)
Murphy Robertson (saxophone)
Murphy Robertson (saxophone) with Perth Youth Orchestra
Adjudicator Sandra Taylor (Coordinator of Music in Fife) presents the Eoin Bennet Award to the orchestra’s two soloists Murphy Robertson (left) and Amy Smart (right) while Allan Young looks on.

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Perth Youth Orchestra
49 Balhousie Street
Perth. PH1 5HJ

Submitted by Andrew Mitchell