Almost 200 primary school pupils, four teenage composers, 20 musicians, two workshop leaders, a film maker, half a dozen curriculum support teachers and additional classroom staff were all involved in two exciting performances at the Volunteer Hall, Galashiels, in November 2007.   The Gie it Laldie concerts were the culmination of a rewarding collaboration between Scottish Border Council’s Music Education Services and SBCO.

 

The starting point was a song sequence commissioned from composer Lin Marsh by SBC, in order to raise the quality and quantity of singing in Borders schools. The songs were taught in primary classrooms all over the Borders during the summer of 2007; and six primary schools were chosen to come together for performances in the autumn.

 

Meanwhile SBCO rose to the challenge of turning the song cycle into a concert performance – creating an orchestral accompaniment for the songs, and adding two instrumental interludes to complement the choral work.  Composer/conductor Stephen Deazley worked with four high school pupils to create an original piece for small ensemble; and the students also arranged each of the songs for a similar range of instruments, and took part in the performances along with SBCO musicians and other local players.  Pupils from Eddleston Primary School added to the musical variety with an improvised piece performed on their own hand-made instruments – with the help of SBCO tutor Lis Dooner and three SBCO volunteers.

This year SBCO once again joined forces with SBC for another pair of concerts in November 2008 – involving a new set of primary school pupils, and a new group of nine young composers who took part in music workshops led by Stephen Deazley, beginning with a residential weekend in August.  The project was a big success, and the concerts received a tremendous response from pupils, teachers, families and friends. 

Out of the project has emerged a teaching resource pack, which has been put together under the direction of Nicky Toneri, who managaes the Arts Staff and Curriculum Development Service of SBC.  The pack, including a CD of the 2007 concert, makes these songs and associated links to the primary school curriculum available to class teachers.  The pack can be obtained from SBC's Education Department.