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21/03/2013

Dundee Schools' Bands and Orchestras Spring Concerts 2013

Last night I attended the second of the two Spring Concerts in the Caird Hall featuring performances from the Dundee Schools' Bands and Orchestras.
The programme last night featured the Guitar Ensemble, Junior String Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, Concert Band and Schools' Symphony Orchestra. On Tuesday night I would have seen and heard from the Junior Wind Ensemble, the Intermediate Orchestra, the Rock Band and the Senior Wind Ensemble. 
It was good to find that a variety of musical instruments and genres is embraced and supported by the Instrumental Music Teaching Service.

At the concert, talented young musicians from our primary and secondary schools performed a variety of pieces from Bizet to The Beatles.  

My favourite musical moment of the evening was the stirring performance of the Intermezzo from Sibelius's Karelia Suite. Members of the audience with longer memories no doubt remembered that this piece were used as the title music for the former ITV current affairs programme This Week. A stand out individual performance was the young singer who sang with the percussion ensemble.

As a regular at these evenings, I appreciated the slicker staging of the performances. Clever use of the entire Caird Hall stage and the choir stalls meant that there were fewer intervals between performances when the chairs and music stands had to be shifted around. When this was necessary however short videos were informative and entertaining.

Well done to all our young performers and the staff and parents that nuture their musical talent.