On the evening of Sat 8th March Chris Vettraino S2 is performing the work Variations on a Theme by Glinka composed by Rimsky-Korsakov on oboe with the Glasgow Wind Band.  Tickets are available at the RCS Box Office.

A number of groups from Williamwood are performing in the Music Festival in March.  The groups involved are:

Senior Vocal Ensemble on Fri 7 March at 6.30pm in Renfield St Stephen’s Church

String Orchestra on Sun 9 March at 11.05am in the Royal Concert Hall

Senior Concert Band on Mon 10 March at 6.30pm in the Royal Concert Hall

Williamwood  Trio on Mon 10 March at 2.35pm in the City Halls

Wind Octet on Tues 11 March at 2.30pm in the City Halls

Congratulations to saxophonist, Richard Scholfield S6, who won the Gilbert Innes Woodwind Prize competition at the RCS Juniors on Friday 21st February.  A special mention must also go to S2 pupil Chris Vettraino who came third in the same competition on oboe.

Congratulations to Tom Potter who took part in the UK Young Drummer of the Year competition and came in the top three. Only the winner was announced so to be mentioned for coming in the final three is an outstanding achievement and we’re sure his family are very proud of him despite the constant loud noise in their house!

Congratulations to S2 pupils Campbell Lang (bassoon) and Chris Vettraino (oboe) who have both been awarded with scholarships for the most outstanding auditions for the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain 2014.  These scholarships are awarded to only 4 students in the entire orchestra and we are very proud that two of the awards are going to Williamwood pupils.  Campbell and Chris will receive their scholarships in March at an Awards Ceremony in the Royal College of Music in London.

S2 pupil Tom Potter is competing in the final of this competition on Sunday 2nd February in Lemington Spa.  We all wish him good luck and can’t wait to hear all about it.  Click on the link below to find out more about Tom:  Young Drummer of the Year

Eastwood Rotary Club held its annual Young Musician and Young Singer of the Year competition last week in Williamwood High School. Pupils from secondary schools in East Renfrewshire were invited to take part in the final. The 10 finalists all performed to an exceptionally high standard and there was a huge of amount of talent on display. Winners of both sections, vocal and instrumental, were from Williamwood High School. The winner of the vocal section was Matthew from (S4). Matthew performed a song from the hit musical ‘Les Miserables’ and ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ by Bart Howard. The winner of the instrumental section was Richard Scholfield (S6), who stole the show with his unbeatable performances of ‘Modere’ and ‘Fantasie sur un Theme Originale’. Well done to both competitors. They were fantastic and will now go on to compete in the regional finals later this year.

We have received a lovely letter from Yorkhill Children’s Charity following our Christmas Concert.  If you would like to read it, please click on the icon below.

Blair, S2, opened the 1st Christmas Tattoo in Basel, Switzerland.  The start of the event sees him help to tell the story, where he has a dream to be a piper.  The first scene opens with Blair and ‘the little drummer boy’.  He closes the event with a solo of Amazing Grace and is then joined by the RAF Pipe band and then the mass pipes and drums including the Royal Marines.  This was an amazing opportunity and achievement.  Huge congratulations to Blair for representing Scotland!

Watch his performance via the link starting at 1:42:46 http://www.srf.ch/unterhaltung/volkskultur/christmas-tattoo

Tickets are now available for this year’s Christmas Concert which will be held in the Ena Miller Theatre rather than the usual setting of Greenbank Parish Church, on Thursday 19th December.  Tickets are priced at £5 and £2.50.  Further information can be obtained from staff in the Music Department.