The National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music is pleased to announce the dates for this year’s whole school tour. This year’s tour will take in Glasgow and Stirling, with shows at the Scottish Music Centre, St. Andrew’s In The Square, and the Tolbooth. It is hoped that one other date will be added before the tour concludes with the final concert at Plockton High School.

The concerts will feature the 24 students in 6 bands, and also playing all together in a powerful finale. The Centre teaches accordion, clarsach, fiddle, pipes, piano, guitar, whistle, flute, and Scots and Gaelic song, and all of these will feature strongly on the programme. There are a few other instruments involved as well, though. All of the youngsters are multi-talented and are not restricted to playing purely traditional instruments, so there really is something for everybody in the show.

Many of the players are already well-known amongst their peers, and have performed at Celtic Connections, The Ironworks, and in support to such acts as the Donnie Munro Band and Andy Irvine.

The students will also do schools workshops as part of the tour. The performance details are:

• Monday 20th June 2011, 7:00 p.m : Scottish Music Centre, Candleriggs, Glasgow. Tel. 0141 552 5222. www.scottishmusiccentre.com
• Tuesday 21st June 2011, 7:30 p.m.: St. Andrew’s In The Square, Glasgow. Tel. 0141 559 5902. www.standrewsinthesquare.com
• Wednesday 22nd June 2011, 7:30 p.m.: The Tolbooth, Stirling. Tel. 01786 274000. www.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth
• Saturday 25th June 2011, 7:30 p.m.: Plockton High School, tel. 01599 544706. www.musicplockton.org

Since the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music was established at Plockton High School in May 2000, it has become renowned as a place where talented young traditional musicians can develop their skills.

Its students learn playing and singing (both live and in the studio, composing and arranging, the history and context of traditional music, stagecraft, music technology, and all the other diverse skills which go to make up a modern professional musician.

Leavers are well equipped for further study or a career in music, but the Centre is not merely a hothouse for professional musicians. Many of its leavers have followed other career paths, but take their music with them wherever they go in life.

Admission to the Centre is by audition, and successful candidates receive top quality tuition and participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities related to traditional music. There is a busy performing schedule, and the Centre makes a CD every year.

Source: National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music