P7 Pupils Perform at Stunning Usher Hall JGHS Christmas Concert

What a stunning showcase of the terrific musical talents of the young people and staff of James Gillespie's High School at the Usher Hall Christmas Concert on Tuesday 19th December 2017! Cluster Primary Seven pupils from Sciennes, Tollcross, James Gillespie's Primary, Preston Street, Royal Mile and Taobh na Pairce Primary Schools rose to the occasion, sang beautifully and made everyone so proud. Thank you to JGHS Performing Arts Faculty Leader Mrs Deirdre O'Brien and her team for inviting the children to participate and organising the whole event.

Ninety of our own P7 pupils took to the stage and we commend their confidence and their 'can do' attitude, bolstered by lots of hard work and rehearsal with their Class Teachers. We are very grateful for the tremendous parental support in enabling so many of our pupils to participate this year.

Wonderful to see so many of our former pupils also shine on stage. A memorable, exciting way to end the year that also gives our pupils a flavour of the vast array of musical possibilities that await them at secondary school next year.

Sounds Like Friday, Sounds Like Saturday 2017-18

Music lessons in spare time

Sounds Like Friday, Sounds Like Saturday

Sounds Like Friday and Sounds Like Saturday are the Arts and Creative Learning key Youth Music Initiative projects.  The funding is provided on an annual basis from Creative Scotland. These projects offer free music tuition and resources to all P5, P6 and P7 classes in Edinburgh Primary Schools. 

Further information about the project including term dates is available at http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20014/schools_and_learning
in 'Music Lessons in Spare Time'.

 

Download an application form for the 2017/18 term below.

http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20014/schools_and_learning/230/music_lessons_in_spare_time
The deadline for applications is Friday 8th September 2017.
We provide tuition in

• guitar
• singing
• violin
• brass
• woodwind
• chanter and pipe drumming. 

SLF and SLS are Youth Music Initiative programmes, funded by Creative Scotland.

Youth Music Initiative

Email: ymi@edinburgh.gov.uk
Tel: 0131 469 3155

Superb P5 Performance of Scottish Opera's "A Tale O' Tam O'Shanter"

Outstanding P5s in Scottish Opera's fabulous "A Tale O' Tam O'Shanter"

What a fabulous performance on Wednesday 14th June from Primary Five! They were word perfect and in fine voice for an outstanding production of 'A Tale O' Tam O'Shanter' with Scottish Opera. The team from Scottish Opera - Alan, Ryan, Kirsty and Neil - yet again wove their magic, as only they can, with high energy, focus and lots of fun to choreograph the entire show in a single day. We are also grateful to musical director Roger who spent a day with the pupils a few weeks ago. The children thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and rose to the occasion superbly, inspired by the fantastic turnout. Tip top job by Mrs McVicker, Mrs Hogan, Ms French and Miss Thistlethwaite in preparing them so well and thank you to all the families who came along to shout "Bravo!" and "Encore!" Hannah's dad Jimmy Chow very kindly filmed the show and took photographs for us which we will share in due course. Here are a few photographs meanwhile:

The hour approaches, Tam maun ride. Superb singing from Ryan

In fine voice

Before him Doon pours all his floods

Hannah danced superbly weel as the De'il

"Weel done, Cutty Sarkl" and superb singing by Kirsty as Kate and Nanny

"The carlin claught her by the rump, And left poor Maggie scarce a stump"

Thank you to Alan and Neil (sound engineer) for bringing all the elements of the performance together so well. Another triumph for Scottish Opera!

Excellent preparation by the staff, giving the children extraordinary confidence and zest in performance

Scottish Opera Unwrap La Boheme for P6 and P7

Thank you so much to Audrey Blake and our friends at Scottish Opera for a wonderful opportunity for six of our classes ( P6 and P7) to visit the Festival Theatre on Thursday 1st June for Puccini's "La Boheme" Unwrapped. Fantastic orchestra, powerfully emotive singing and wonderful story telling, with a fascinating behind the scenes exploration of the incredibly detailed staging of this glorious opera production. And what a great introduction to our pupils to the many different roles and careers within the production, including stage management, set design, singing and conducting! Bravo!

Cluster Transition Music with EUMS at JGHS

Our three P7 classes have been invited to take part in Edinburgh University Music Students' (EUMS) Outreach programme on Tuesday 7th February, where pupils will learn about the different instruments in an orchestra in a lively and engaging presentation. We are delighted to be participating in this Cluster Transition event, hosted by Deirdre O'Brien (Expressive Arts Faculty Leader) at James Gillespie's High School. Thank you very much to Briony Pickford (EUMS Community Outreach Manager) for working with us to arrange this special opportunity for P7.

P7 Perform in JGHS Christmas Concert at Usher Hall

What a wonderful showcase of the terrific musical talents of the young people and staff of James Gillespie's High School at the Usher Hall Christmas Concert on Tuesday 20th December 2016! Cluster Primary Seven pupils from Sciennes, Tollcross, James Gillespie's Primary, Preston Street, Royal Mile and Taobh na Pairce Primary Schools really rose to the occasion, sang beautifully and made everyone so proud. Thank you to JGHS Performing Arts Faculty Leader Mrs Deirdre O'Brien and her team for inviting the children to participate and organising the whole event.

Eighty of our own P7 pupils took to the stage and we commend their confidence and their 'can do' attitude, bolstered by lots of hard work and rehearsal with their Class Teachers. We are very grateful for the tremendous parental support in enabling so many of our pupils to participate this year.

So lovely to see so many of our former pupils also shine on stage. A memorable, exciting way to end the year that gives our pupils a flavour of all the musical possibilities that await them at secondary school next year.

Future Talent

Do you have a musical talent but need support, guidance and financial help? 
Future Talent is now accepting applications from young instrumentalists or singers and from any musical genre for 2017/18. 

Future Talent supports gifted young musicians from low income backgrounds for anywhere in the UK. Our Mentoring, Advice and Bursary Programme offers free orchestral days and performance classes, mentoring with a professional musician/conductor, development opportunities and a financial bursary worth up to £2,000 per year. Our aim is to give these talented young musicians an equal chance to enter a musical career, who might otherwise not get the opportunity due to lack of funds or experience. 

The closing date is Monday the 16th January 2017. For more information, please visit www.futuretalent.org 020 3457 1310 or email lucia@futuretalent.org

Tom Bancroft at Sciennes

Tom and Phil Bancroft of ABC Creative Music

How lucky we are to have been able to welcome Tom Bancroft of ABC Creative Music on Thursday 8th December to lead and model music making workshops in P4 and P6, using our online subscription resource ABC Creative Music and following on from a visit last week by twin brother Phil Bancroft.

A resounding thumbs up from all pupils and staff!

Tom and Phil's visits were planned follow up to the workshops and Professional Learning sessions the ABC team kindly provided for us last year and have again been a marvellous opportunity for us to receive excellent advice and professional learning on our Music provision and resourcing.

Thank you, Fabulous Bancroft Boys!

Music Provision Statement (March 2015)

Our Music Provision Statement was circulated to staff, Parent Council, JGHS Music Department and City of Edinburgh Music Advisors before being amended then an updated version was published in 2015 (see below or access from Google Docs).

Please also refer to Sciennes Policies.

Existing, New and Potential Music Provision

https://sciennesmusic.blogspot.co.uk/p/music-provision-at-sciennes.html

Edinburgh Youth Orchestra (Age 13-21)

The Edinburgh Youth Orchestra is a symphony orchestra of young musicians aged 13-21 from all over Scotland.

http://edinburghyouthorchestra.org

City of Edinburgh Music School

http://www.edinburghmusicschool.co.uk

29 East Fettes Avenue | Edinburgh | EH4 1EG

telephone: 0131 332 7805

email: tmorris@broughton.edin.sch.uk

Scottish Schools Orchestra Trust

www.sscot.org.uk
Jean Murray, Director

11 Melville Place, Edinburgh, EH3 7PR

Phone/fax: 0131-226-3392

admin@sscot.org.uk

Parent Council Music Group

Thank you very much to all the parents who came along to the first Parent Council Music Group meeting on Tuesday 6th December. A wealth of suggestions for supporting and expanding Music provision at school were shared, and what an expert team! We look forward to exploring and developing possibilities together.

Thank you to Tim Pask for chairing the meeting.

ABC Music Workshops from the Fabulous Bancroft Boys!

A treat and delight to welcome Phil Bancroft to Sciennes on Wednesday 30th November, who led free workshops with P2 and P4A classes using our online subscription resource ABC Creative Music. 

We are so fortunate that twin brother and co-founder of ABC Creative Music, Tom Bancroft, is also visiting school on Thursday 8th December for another round of free workshops, this time with P6 and P4B and P4C.

This is a planned follow up to the workshops and Professional Learning sessions the ABC team kindly provided for us last year and has again been a marvellous opportunity for us to receive excellent advice and professional learning on our Music provision and resourcing.

Thank you, Fabulous Bancroft Boys!

BBC Ten Pieces II

Thank you very much to Sarika (BBC Ten Pieces Co-ordinator) for sending us a copy of the BBC Ten Pieces II DVD.

BBC Ten Pieces Coaching Application

We have submitted an application to be considered for the BBC Ten Pieces Coaching Scheme ; a potential opportunity to work with professional musicians from the BBC Performing Groups including all the BBC orchestras and the BBC Singers.

P6 and P7 Scottish Opera Unwrap The Marriage of Figaro

Superb seats in the stalls of the Festival Theatre for P6 and P7

Thank you very much to Audrey Blake and our friends at Scottish Opera for a lovely  opportunity for six of our classes ( P6 and P7) to visit the Festival Theatre on Thursday 10th November for Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro Unwrapped. Fantastic orchestra, beautiful singing and wonderful story telling, with a fascinating behind the scenes exploration of all that is involved in staging an opera production. And what a great introduction to our pupils to the many different roles and careers within the production, from costume designer to stage manager, from special effects designer to singer and from musician to conductor. Bravo!

Edinburgh Competition Festival Association

http://www.ecfest.org.uk
 
Be quick to sign up online and register by 30th November for this fantastic music opportunity! The 2017 Festival will be held from Tuesday 28 February to Sunday 12 March, with the preliminary round of the Concerto Class being held on 27 and 28 January.

Edinburgh Competition Festival Association

The Edinburgh Competition Festival Association was founded in 1920 for the promotion of the arts of Speech, Music and Dance in the City of Edinburgh and its neighbouring counties and is a member of the British and International Federation of Festivals. It is an amateur Festival organised and staffed by volunteers. 

About our Festivals

We run an annual festival which provides an opportunity for amateur musicians of all ages to perform their pieces in a friendly environment and, along with other performers of a similar ability, receive constructive feedback and advice from a specialist adjudicator.

Our programme of competitive and non-competitive classes allows performers of all abilities to take part. There are classes in a wide range of instruments, or combinations of instruments, as well as for singers. Full details are contained in our annual Syllabus, accessible on this website.

If you have participated in our festival before and benefitted from it, please tell your friends and encourage them to participate too. Newcomers are very welcome. More generally, if you have any comments or suggestions about our festival, we would like to hear them: please email us at email@ecfest.org.uk.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ecfestuk

Very Best Wishes to Dr Robert Fraser on His Retiral Wed 9th November

Dr Robert Fraser, instrument tutor for 13 years, is retiring on 10^th November and his last day of teaching at Sciennes will be Wednesday 9^th. I am sure families and children who have known Dr. Fraser will join in offering him very best wishes for a long, healthy and happy retirement.  

We are very grateful for all the support Dr Fraser has provided for school in many musical performances and for all his advice on Music provision and policy over many years. 

We have been informed that the post has been advertised and the closing date is 3^rd November. We will inform children and families when a tutor has been appointed.