Lourdes leads the way in music

Glasgow, a UNESCO City of Music, upped the octaves on Friday when it hosted the first ever Music for Youth Festival in Scotland. Held in Lourdes Secondary School’s performance space in Cardonald – more than 20 schools sent music groups ranging from Irish Folk, to school choirs, from woodwind bands, to steel bands, and from classical guitar to jazz. The non-competitive atmosphere and the acoustically good hall – well mic-ed by Alex Bell – gave each performing group a chance to do their best.

Faculty Head of Performing Arts at Lourdes, Debbie MacVicar, who was the organiser, said: ‘This is a coup! It gives young people the chance to listen to different genres of music, have the opportunity to appreciate them and hear the critiques.’ All done in a day in a friendly, welcoming and non-competitive atmosphere.

A spokeswoman for the Music for Youth organisation said it had been a ‘fantastic’ day. ‘We’ve been holding Festivals like this in England for 24 years but this is the first time in Scotland, thanks to help from Creative Scotland and the work of Debbie MacVicar.’

Two professional musicians listen to each performance and give feedback as mentors. Some of the musicians will be invited to a Scottish regional final in Perth in June along with counterparts from Inverness and Perth Festivals. The UK finale will be in the Royal Albert Hall, London in November.

Said Lourdes Head Teacher Patricia Lennon: ‘This was a stunning day. I went along in the morning intending to stay for the first act and ended staying all morning. It was one of the best mornings I’ve ever experienced in my career. It reinforces how talented our students are and how supportive they can be of each other.’ She was also present most of the afternoon too.

Also attending was Glasgow’s Director of Education, Maureen McKenna who welcomed all the participants on behalf of the city. She said: ‘The performers in this Festival are the stars of the future.’

Among the groups were The Fridays, visually impaired young people from Hazelwood School in Bellahouston who had feet tapping with a strong lead singer in Lauren; a 30-strong choir from Springburn Academy who sang with gusto and Hillhead Jazz Band with more than a dozen singers and musicians all colour co-ordinated in red and black but each with their own dress style though a uniform music style which was well appreciated.

The Fridays’ next appearance will be at Glasgow Grand Central Hotel where a fund-raising ball will be held for the school.

 

Hair today, Blackpool next month

Triumphant Cardonald College students will go forward to the national finals of the Association of Hairdressers and Therapists’ national students competition after success in the Scottish heats this week.

Emma Simpson who is studying NQ Level 5 hairdressing was 1^st in the long hair competition. Siobhan Rice who is studying Level 6, took third place in the cutting category. They will be accompanied by other Cardonald competitiors, Kyla Wilson and Helen Allan, at the national finals in Blackpool on Sunday 11 March

Head of School for Hair, Beauty and Holistic therapies, Doris Graham said: ‘The competition was intense and our students coped really well under the pressure. They were very professional and worked really hard to produce fantastic results. We are proud of them all and can’t wait for the March finals where we hope to do just as well.’

Cardonald College which celebrates its 40^th anniversary this year, is discussing a proposed merger with Anniesland College in the West of the city. Home to more than 2000 full-time students, 10,000 part time students and 400 staff, Cardonald College has an annual turnover of £20million.

Ship ahoy!

The great River Clyde as it runs through Glasgow is – usually – devoid of any craft sailing on it. However, thanks to the Marine Faculty of the City of Glasgow College, there is a survival boat to be seen most days.

Said Simon Palmer, an Instructor in that Faculty:

‘Anyone who is at sea is required to have survival training. We have three types of rescue boats and train people in all of them for the survival certificates.’

So on the day this photograph was taken, this open life boat was in use as part of a five day course. ‘We take people out in each type of boat during the course,’ said Simon.

He commented that on another day this week the River near the casino was ‘busy’ with a survival boat from the Marine Faculty, two boats from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service and a Glasgow City Council tug!

Glasgow hosts youth music festival

Lourdes Secondary School in Cardonald will host the first regional Music for Youth Festival in Glasgow on Friday, 17 February.

The event has attracted an impressive mix of groups from around the city and the audience will be treated to performances from this year’s winners of Glasgow City Sounds – The Modests, along with St Thomas Aquinas Secondary Steel Pan Band, Hillhead’s Jazz Band, The Riverside Youth Band and the Gaelic School’s Cause and Probability to name but a few.

Music for Youth (MFY) was founded in 1970 and is an educational charity providing free performance and audience opportunities for young people aged 21 and under through a series of regional festivals.

This year, Scotland is having three regional festivals, hosted in Glasgow, Perth and Inverness. These will culminate in a National Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

Debbie MacVicar, Faculty Head of Performing Arts, Lourdes Secondary is absolutely delighted to welcome MFY to Glasgow and especially to Lourdes Secondary’s impressive Concert Hall.

She said: ‘This is a marvellous opportunity for pupils in Glasgow to showcase their talent in front of their peers and MFY mentors. The mentors provide focused and constructive feedback enabling each group to continue its musical journey.

‘One of the most satisfying areas of music is performance and this initiative enables all ages and levels of musicians to come together and enjoy the opportunity to perform in a non-competitive environment.

‘It will inspire, nurture and support all the participants and I am absolutely delighted at the standard and numbers of groups who have entered for this first ever regional festival, here in Glasgow.’

Fire at Strathclyde University

Games LEAD through sports

Sports festivals could be developed in local communities to promote involvement in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014. Keen young athletes will lead the way to create this interest with support from the LEAD 2014 Campaign. The campaign is a youth leadership and volunteer mentoring programme aimed at university students and high school pupils across Scotland as part of the Games build-up.

Triathlete Grant Sheldon and swimmer Cameron Brodie – who are working towards competing in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games – were among the top young sports people who launched LEAD 2014 at Stirling University on Friday 3 February. The campaign will hone and develop leadership skills among the young generations. This could include LEAD 2014 protegees helping run sports events in their own communities. Organised by sportscotland, the Youth Sport Trust and Glasgow 2014, LEAD 2014 the main idea is to inspire a real interest in the Games and support for them so that volunteers will come forward at the right time and young people will be enthused to take part in sports.

Chinese Burns Supper to entertain all nations

Wellington Church INTERNATIONAL WELCOME CLUB and CONGREGATION CHINESE BURNS NIGHT FRIDAY 27 JANUARY 2012 7pm for 7.30pm Enjoy a unique evening of Burns poetry and song with Chinese counterparts in this Year of the Dragon. Meal includes haggis-filled Chinese dumplings! And vegetarian options, of course WELLINGTON CHURCH HALLS 77 Southpark Avenue, Glasgow G12 8LE £3 ticket at the door: £6 family ticket  (only a few left so be on time at 7pm!)

Club enjoys Burns’ lunch

The House for an Art Lover’s music room was full when Glasgow South Business Club President, Remo Pisaneschi welcomed members and guests to their annual Burns lunch on Tuesday 24 January.

Govan High School music students entertained the crowd as people assembled and their Heidie, Iain White, piped in the haggis. Club member, journalist Grace Franklin, gave her usual flamboyant performance of Burns’ Address to the Haggis. The toast to the Immortal Memory of the Bard was given in humorous fashion by Alan Murray who is modest about his knowledge of the poet. In the course of his illuminating and witty speech, he sang one of Burns’ songs and recited verses from several poems. An effective tour de force that was as entertaining as it was enlightening. Alan is a Govanite by birth and early education. He currently runs a new styled, multi uses, community centre in Maybole, Ayrshire.

Honorary Life Member, Frank Bendoris, thanked all the contributors. The Club, which meets monthly, has important guests signed up for future meetings, including Brian Souter and First Minister Alex Salmond. Full information from the Club’s website: www.glasgowsouthbusiness club.co.uk

Burns in Glasgow for a’ that

A world ranked team of experts on Robert Burns, Scotland’s national Bard, had a good gathering at the University of Glasgow on Saturday 14 January.

The annual event was organised by the University’s Centre for Robert Burns Studies and launched a new sculpture of the poet by artist Deirdre Nicholls.

Among the nine speakers was a rare public appearance by private collector Dr William Zachs whose generous sharing of his many manuscripts and items directly owned or handled by Burns continues to cause great excitement in Burns circles and beyond.

Furthest travelled was Gordon Ashley of New York who reflected on ways to keep interest in the poet maintained after 250 years.

Dr Kirsteen McCue, co-director of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies at the University of Glasgow said: ‘This annual event provides a real insight into many aspects of Robert Burns and the period in which he lived.’

Her co-director, Dr Gerard Carruthers, stepped in at short notice to give a talk on his progress researching Burns and Freemasonry.  He said: ‘We are considering having a special seminar to examine all the information. Our motives are pure and we hope this will yield some very nice new information. ‘

A question from a young Chinese woman scholar at the end of the day asked: ‘What makes everyone so enthusiastic about collecting things? When I read Burns’ poetry it is the emotion that communicates itself to me.’

The answer from the Collector Dr Zachs was: ‘I believe we have something to learn from all of these objects. This enables us to put Burns into a wider context culturally and makes the legacy he has created even more valuable to us as people.’

 

 

 

 

Dance promotes patron saint’s festival

The story of Glasgow is stopping shoppers in their tracks at St Enoch’s Centre. And Saturday 14 January between 12 noon and 4pm is the final chance to catch the beautifully choreographed promenade performance by dancers from Visual Statement. They are re-telling the tale of the city’s coat of arms – the Bird, the Bell, the Fish and the Tree. The inspirational performance by Nicola Gilmour, Brian McIntyre, Pauline McGlinchey and Cheree Thompson as the respective symbols, along with a dozen other dancers aged from 10, is a modern symphonic piece by Danny Dobbie assisted by Brian McIntyre and Wendie Reid. A movable sculpture commissioned by Visual Statement and designed by Andy Scott will add an extra dimension as the dancers move in and out and on to it. The music is the tranquil ‘A Little Scottish Fantasy’ by Vanessa Mae and ‘For Unto Us A Child Is Born’ by Handel. This is one of the many events during a week long celebration of St Mungo, Glasgow’s patron saint. Also known as St Kentigern, the medieval monk’s miracles involved, at different times, a bird, a tree and a fish. On Friday 13 January, around 350 young people will see a performance of the tales by five Glasgow schools with a senior pupil from Lourdes Secondary being the compere in the City Chambers. That afternoon the third Molendinar Awards will be presented to celebrate Glasgow’s local history and archaeology as seen by school children through their own local links. More than 30 schools have entered with the final 12 schools being showcased at the awards presentation in the city’s Banqueting Hall. Molendinar is the name of the burn that runs into the Clyde and it was alongside it, near what is now the High Street area, that St Mungo (St Kentigern) is thought to have settled. Framed certificates will be presented for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each of the three categories – Pre 5: Primary 3; Primary 4: Primary 7 and Secondary. Winners will also receive a plaque to display in their school. The Molendinar Awards project brings to the community an awareness of Glasgow’s rich cultural heritage and is designed to support schools in the work they do linked to the local and wider community. Topics schools work on include local history, local family, local developments, school history, the community, tourist Glasgow, modern life and festivals in the city. Entries range from posters, power point presentations and DVD animations to songs and poems. Bailie Jean McFadden, Executive Member for Education, is delighted by the enthusiasm shown by pupils and hopes to see more schools participating next year. She said: ‘The Molendinar Awards are a tremendous opportunity for our schools. We have some very creative and talented young people as shown by the standard of entries this year. I know the judges had some very hard decisions to make. I hope the enthusiasm continues and that we will see more and more young people participating in the Molendinar Awards over the next few years.’ Glasgow City Council Leader, Councillor Gordon Matheson, will join Bailie McFadden in presenting the winning pupils with their framed certificates on Friday. He said: ‘The pupils have enjoyed all aspects of this competition and I’m sure that they will be very excited to find out who the winners are.’

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