"This festival has the potential to revolutionise community music making within Scotland."
To whom it may concern
amaSing, Come Sing Bohemian Rhapsody, Sunday 5th May, Strathpeffer Pavilion
‘amaSing’ - A project which aims to engage rural Scottish and Highland communities in meaningful musical activities by providing a collaborative approach to community music making. The aims of this social project and the high level of organisation from the festival director were, in my mind, key to the success of the ‘amaSing’ Come Sing day.
As musical director my weekend was broken into two days of rehearsals. On Saturday 4th May I was tasked with rehearsing the band for the Come Sing event. The band consisted two amateur musicians from a local high school and two local professional musicians. All members of the band had never worked with each other before and throughout the rehearsal it was great to witness all of the musicians contributing to the performance. It was also inspiring to witness local professional musicians offering support and guidance to the local young musicians who made up the band. The band rehearsal was not only productive, but it provided a quality learning experience for all involved. Over the course of the two days I was able to watch the band grow and develop into a well disciplined ensemble.
Sunday 5th May I was greeted by over 50 keen members of the public interested in becoming part of the ‘amaSing Come Sing choir’. The singers were of mixed ability, some never having sung before. I split the rehearsals into tutti and sectional rehearsals to maximise the best use of the singer’s time. This was very effective as we were able to achieve 3 part harmony in a very short time which inspired confidence within the ensemble. I was highly impressed by the overall ensemble sound and the addition of the band made the performance very exciting for all of the participants.
The concert was one of the highlights of the day. Many local talented performers of all ages took to the stage to perform as soloists. A large audience from the community came to show their support for the choir and for the new ‘amaSing’ festival. The night was completed with two performances of Bohemian Rhapsody by the ‘amaSing choir’. The final performance included audience participation where I led the audience in part of a sing along with the choir.
Over the course of the Come Sing day I was able to observe fantastic community music making, older and younger members of the public engaging with each other and the great sense of achievement that people displayed during and after the concert.
The success of this event is testament to the hard and dedicated work that Emily Scott has devoted to this project. This festival has the potential to revolutionise community music making within Scotland. Over the course of the weekend I observed an accessible social project which brings together members of the community of all different ages and backgrounds. At the end of the project it was inspiring to watch members of the community integrating with each other, forming friendships which will no doubt last for a very long time.
This was such a wonderful project to be part of and I would wholeheartedly encourage as many people as possible to support this inspiring and well organised project.
Yours Sincerely,
Christopher Barr
Musical Director
amaSing, Come Sing Bohemian Rhapsody, Sunday 5th May, Strathpeffer Pavilion
‘amaSing’ - A project which aims to engage rural Scottish and Highland communities in meaningful musical activities by providing a collaborative approach to community music making. The aims of this social project and the high level of organisation from the festival director were, in my mind, key to the success of the ‘amaSing’ Come Sing day.
As musical director my weekend was broken into two days of rehearsals. On Saturday 4th May I was tasked with rehearsing the band for the Come Sing event. The band consisted two amateur musicians from a local high school and two local professional musicians. All members of the band had never worked with each other before and throughout the rehearsal it was great to witness all of the musicians contributing to the performance. It was also inspiring to witness local professional musicians offering support and guidance to the local young musicians who made up the band. The band rehearsal was not only productive, but it provided a quality learning experience for all involved. Over the course of the two days I was able to watch the band grow and develop into a well disciplined ensemble.
Sunday 5th May I was greeted by over 50 keen members of the public interested in becoming part of the ‘amaSing Come Sing choir’. The singers were of mixed ability, some never having sung before. I split the rehearsals into tutti and sectional rehearsals to maximise the best use of the singer’s time. This was very effective as we were able to achieve 3 part harmony in a very short time which inspired confidence within the ensemble. I was highly impressed by the overall ensemble sound and the addition of the band made the performance very exciting for all of the participants.
The concert was one of the highlights of the day. Many local talented performers of all ages took to the stage to perform as soloists. A large audience from the community came to show their support for the choir and for the new ‘amaSing’ festival. The night was completed with two performances of Bohemian Rhapsody by the ‘amaSing choir’. The final performance included audience participation where I led the audience in part of a sing along with the choir.
Over the course of the Come Sing day I was able to observe fantastic community music making, older and younger members of the public engaging with each other and the great sense of achievement that people displayed during and after the concert.
The success of this event is testament to the hard and dedicated work that Emily Scott has devoted to this project. This festival has the potential to revolutionise community music making within Scotland. Over the course of the weekend I observed an accessible social project which brings together members of the community of all different ages and backgrounds. At the end of the project it was inspiring to watch members of the community integrating with each other, forming friendships which will no doubt last for a very long time.
This was such a wonderful project to be part of and I would wholeheartedly encourage as many people as possible to support this inspiring and well organised project.
Yours Sincerely,
Christopher Barr
Musical Director
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