Congratulations to S2 pupil Connor Black who has been awarded a place with the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland.

The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland is a non-competing cutting edge performance pipe band for 10-25 year olds, established, developed and administered by The National Piping Centre, the World Centre of Excellence for the study and promotion of the Great Highland Bagpipe.  Launched in 2002, the National Youth Pipe Band is the first and only organisation of its kind bringing together Scotland’s most talented young pipers and drummers at a national level. Membership is drawn from the whole of Scotland; its pipers and drummers come from an array of different competing pipe bands and musical backgrounds.

Congratulations to S2 pupil Ben Drake who has got into the NYO Inspire Wind Ensemble this year.  This project is open to students aged 13-19, at Grade 6 standard or above. The philosophy behind NYO Inspire is simple: to give breakthrough experiences of orchestral music to teenagers of all backgrounds, both as musicians and as audience members.

Ben also has been invited to play with the Grampian Youth Orchestra on their 2016 Summer Tour.  They will be performing in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

An exciting year ahead for Ben.

The Nat 5 and Higher music prelim practical examinations begin next Monday 11th January and run to Thursday 21st January .  Click on the links below to see the timetables for each week.

2016 Music Prelims Week 1

2016 Music Prelims Week 2

Congratulations to S1 pupil Elena Guevara Rose who has got into the NYCGB.  Elena is the first pupil from Williamwood to get into this choir.

The National Youth Orchestras of Scotland is an organisation which provides a variety of orchestras, jazz bands and training ensembles for students aged from 8 to 25 years old.   We are delighted that a large number of Williamwood pupils again have received places in a wide variety of these ensembles for 2016.    The pupils involved are:

NYOS Symphony Orchestra:

Campbell Lang S4 – Bassoon

Andrew MacLeod S6 – Trombone

Ethan Skuodas S6 – Percussion and timpani

Senior Orchestra:

Alice Beglan-Grant S5 – Bassoon

Sophie Boyd S4 – Violin

Chloe Ghiro S3 – Violin

Chris Vettraino S4 – Oboe

Junior Orchestra:

Ben Drake S2 – Bassoon

Josef Heidinger S2 – Bassoon

Jamie King S1 – Bassoon

Finlay Overend S3 – Trombone

Aalia Shah S2 – Violin

Congratulations to S1 pupils Anna Ghiro and Jamie King who both have got into the Under 13s orchestra on bassoon.

Congratulations to all the Williamwood pupils involved in the Junior Conservatoire Christmas concerts over the weekend.  A special mention must go to S4 pupil Chris Vettraino for his outstanding performance of the oboe concerto ‘L’Horloge de Flore’ with the Junior Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra on Saturday night.

Congratulations to the following pupils on their success in their recent Associated Board and Trinity examinations.

ABRSM

S1 Pupils: May Jackson Grade 4 Violin with merit, Nina Jackson Grade 4 Violin with distinction

S2 Pupils: Aalia Shah Grade 6 Violin with distinction, Tom Simmonds Grade 5 Violin with distinction

S3 Pupils: Nina Adams Grade 4 Viola with merit, Charlotte McKenna Grade 4 Violin with merit

S4 Pupils: Sophie Boyd Grade 7 Violin with merit, Callum Corrie Grade 4 Viola with merit, Mark Miller Grade 4 Violin with merit

Trinity/Guildhall

S2 Pupil: Orla Lang Grade 6 Oboe with merit

S3 Pupils: Kitty Lamont Grade 4 Flute with merit, Catriona Macintosh Grade 4 Flute with distinction, Alasdair Notley Grade 6 Oboe with merit, Julie Sinclair Grade 4 Flute with merit

We are always delighted to celebrate the talent of the pupils at Williamwood so please let Mrs Selbie know if we have missed anyone out.

To mark the centenary of WW1 it was decided that entrants of the Young Composer of the Year Competition would use an aspect of WW1 as a focus for their stimulus.

Work was completed both as school lessons and also during after school works shops, where pupils were encouraged to consider how to express an aspect of life during the war.

Using a variety of perspectives conveyed by artists, writers, musicians and film makers as a starting point, the young composers developed expressive work that reflects on stimulus such as soldier’s struggles with day to day life in the trenches, of mother’s waving their children off to war and of the terror on the battle field. The result was thought provoking and sensitively constructed work that the adjudicators; Mr Doherty and Mr West were very impressed with.

The composer’s work had been divided into Junior and Senior sections. Sam (S4) was awarded Senior Young Composer of the Year, while Jennifer (S3) was awarded Junior Young Composer of the Year. Music scores by senior and junior competitors; Lewis Graham (S6) and Caleb Hunter (S3), were highly commended for their distinguished work.

The winning candidates work was performed at the WW1 commemoration evening in Williamwood with a very positive reception.

All material that was presented to the adjudicators illustrated compassion and awareness of the experiences of war. Well done to all candidates that took part.

S4 student Chris Vettraino is performing the Jean Françaix Oboe concerto L’horloge de flore at the Junior Conservatoire Christmas concert on the evening of Saturday 12 December.  Mrs Selbie has a number of tickets for this concert so please see her if you would like to go.