The last mp3s finally in place, it’s time to hang up the blogging spurs for the summer. I hate to sound like a Kafkaesque bureaucrat while colleagues’ toes are warmed by European sands, but I couldn’t help noticing something interesting in the stats. Had I been asked at the start of the year to predict which pupils would have clocked up the most recordings, with the least fuss, my predictions might have been well out. And that’s because the under-rated quality of quiet persistence tends to be overlooked in the day-to-day - yet it gets the job done. Wasn’t it Thomas Edison who described genius as “1% inspiration and 99% perspiration?”
Thanks to everyone who has looked in and commented over course of the year and also to those whose blogs have inspired, interested and entertained.
Have a great summer.
I took the opportunity to record the MGS Guitar Group’s two concert items yesterday - one in rehearsal and the other in performance. You can hear them on the MGS page
The concert was a great success and everyone everyone seemed to have a great time. In addition to the Guitar Group there were performances from: orchestra; choir; wind band; jazz band; string ensemble; cello group; brass group; solo and group vocalists and a new ensemble featuring flutes, guitars, cello & double bass in a medley of traditional Scottish tunes.
New Pupil Performance mp3s have been added to the Knox Academy page.
Sadly, an able pupil is moving away to another part of the UK. I was asked for a reference in order that, once there, full musical entitlement might continue. Happy to oblige, I wrote a short history of achievement and was keen to point out that a detailed musical portrait of the pupil already existed in the form of mp3 recordings of:
• solo performing
• participation in the school Guitar Group
• participation in the East Lothian Guitar Ensemble
I contacted the school concerned and arranged to send the reference electronically. The hyperlinks have been passed onto the Music Department.
I hadn’t really considered this aspect of evidence before. The benefits of such a learning space for the stationary pupil, parents and staff seem obvious. For a pupil changing schools, a portrait seems better a better way to convey information than a descritpion - and a self-portrait better still.
New Pupil Performance mp3s have been added to the North Berwick High School page.
Despite having been a pupil at Knox for 5 years and having taught there at least one day-per-week for 25.5 years, the first time I sat through an entire concert in the school hall was last Friday. Normally, I’m on stage or backstage with pupils or en route between the two.
So it was a real pleasure to sit, free of duties, through a Lamp of Lothian concert featuring the O Duo. The duo comprises former Knox lad, Oliver Cox and musical partner, Owen Gunnell, on percussion – yes, it’s a percussion duo.
The presentation and the patter of duo was very inviting and the playing both entertaining and virtuosic. With the boys’ blessing, I recorded the concert as an aide memoir to writing a review which the Lamp of Lothian will submit to The East Lothian Courier.
It then occurred to me that posting a couple of samples here might benefit:
- The O Duo – encouraging people to check out the concert dates & CD on their website
- The Lamp of Lothian – an example of one of the many concerts they put on throughout the year – entry to which is free for pupils
- Knox Academy – perhaps an under-rated and over-looked venue – these mp3 samples were recorded on a Zoom H2 at the back of the hall
Hopefully these short samples will prove that there’s more to a percussion duo than hitting things with sticks.
Bongo Fury (composed by O Duo); Bongo Fury Alborada del Gracioso (Ravel); Alborada Courante Courante & Gigue Gigue from French Suite No. 5 in G BWV 816 (Bach); Etude in C# minor, Op. 10 No. 4; Chopin Sonata No. 90 (Soler); Soler Flight of the Bumblebee; (Rimsky-Korsakov); Flight of BB
Everyone in Scottish education will now be aware of the four capacities of A Curriculum for Excellence. The thing is barely off the ground yet but today, having seen it in action, I felt the need for a fifth – Ambassadors.
I was invited by Erika MacLaughlan, DHT of Musselburgh Burgh PS, to bring a couple of guitarists from Wallyford PS to provide a support act for the Krakow Youth Jazz Band who were visiting their school. The KYJB comprised students and staff from Krakowska Szkoła Jazzu i Muzyki Rozrywkowej (Krakow School of Jazz and Contemporary Music).
Being a hands across the sea event, the pupils, Andrew & Connor, bravely agreed to bi-lingual introductions and took turns at announcing and translating in Polish and English. They played a morning and afternoon concert to pupils from Burgh, Wallyford, Pinkie, Campie & Stoneyhill and also some Polish pupils from Musselburgh Grammar School. I think it’s not stretching things to say that the boys were great ambassadors for their school, their town and their country. They really enjoyed being around the band. It was a stroke of luck that their guitarist, Arek, was a live wire, a virtuoso player and a friendly guy.
I received a gift from Poland as a gesture of thanks from the band and it was nice to be able to offer them something in return – mp3 recordings of this afternoon’s concert which I have emailed to the Dyrektor of the Krakowska Szkoła, Grzegorz Motyka – another guitarist! I hope the recordings will bring back memories of their trip to Scotland. Unfortunately there was no-one to hand to record Connor & Andrew but you can hear them here.
Before returning to Krakow, the band will making an appearance at The Jazz Bar, Chambers St., Edinburgh, this Sunday at 3.00. This event is free of charge and I’d recommend anyone keen on jazz to get along if they can. Accompanied 14-18 yr old young people are welcome. Here’s a little taster of what you can expect: Sample
I’ve posted mp3 files of performances in the East Lothian Showcase Concerts 2006-08 on the East Lothian Guitar Ensemble page. It’s strange to think that a few individuals who took part in all three concerts are now only finishing S3!
New Pupil Performance mp3s have been posted on the Knox Academy & North Berwick High School pages.
New Pupil Performance mp3s have been posted on the Campie PS page
