Author: Bramble

The Curse of the Cauldron

“The Curse of the Cauldron”

Chapter 1

I stare at my surroundings. Where am I? This place looks nothing like home. Home for me is where the trees grow on lush, green fields and where flowers dance, propelled by a cool summer breeze. That is the place I know and love. This barren grey wasteland is as far away from my home as one could find.

Even I look different here. I catch sight of my reflection in a jagged piece of glass, and discover I barely recognise the person staring at me. I look hollow and tired, a weak shell of who I used to be. I am sure of nothing now. I am not sure of who I can trust. I am not sure how, or why, I am here. I am not sure how to get home.

My final memory of home is the cauldron. There are more stories of the cauldron than I can count. Some say it is a myth, some say it is a blessing and some say it is a curse. The only thing I know for sure is that if the cauldron exists, it is guarded by the oldest woman in the world, the only woman who will live forever. She decides who is worthy of the cauldron’s powers. She has not deemed anyone worthy for over a hundred years. Not until yesterday. Not until me.

I was in the middle of finishing the last page of a book when I was suddenly transported to a huge hollow oak tree. Inside the tree, a warm light glowed, and I found myself being dragged towards it. I was pulled along an intricate winding path to reach the light. I discovered the light was from the cauldron. The cauldron I had scarcely believed existed. The cauldron glowed green as I tiptoed towards it, holding my breath. A voice spouted from it, booming the words I had sensed were coming the past weeks. The words I had dreaded and hoped for at the same time and the words that would determine my whole existence…

A Performance to Remember…

The Inverclyde Schools’ Junior Wind Orchestra, led by conductor  Victoria Douglas started their day bright and early on Saturday morning, with a final rehearsal ahead of their performance at the final of the Scottish Concert Band Festival, at Perth Concert Hall. Perth Concert Hall has welcomed many world renowned artists, such as Noel Gallagher, Michael Buble and the London Symphony Orchestra, so it was safe to say the JWO were more than thrilled to be taking to a stage that so many famous faces have performed on. It was all systems go as everyone raced to get on the bus- everybody just could not wait to get to Perth!

Notre Dame pupils Eilidh and Bramble, S2, Mia Lena, S3, and Ava, S4 were among the group of young performers just raring to get on stage. Eilidh, after being asked what her favourite thing about playing as part of the Junior Wind Orchestra was, remarked “It was fun and I like playing flute”.  Each Notre Dame band member is part of a different section in the orchestra, they all play different instruments with Eilidh on flute, Mia Lena on clarinet, Ava on saxophone, and Bramble on trumpet, and they all play as part of Notre Dame’s own award winning school orchestra.

Nerves and emotions were running high as the Orchestra were ushered into the warm up room- their final destination before the stage! A quick go-over of some tricky spots in the music ensured everyone was confident and in the right mindspace for performance and the stage. The Wind Orchestra played their three pieces, Armada, Defying Gravity and African Adventure impressively and impeccably, receiving helpful feedback from the adjudicators and taking home a gold award! After the performance the Junior Wind Orchestra was exhausted, and although everyone would be reluctant to admit it, after their performance to remember, they were all glad to head back home!