June 2024

A Big Gig

One of my highlights of the year had to be this year’s RSNO Finale concert. They joined forces with students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the RSNO Chorus to perform Berlioz’ requiem ‘Grande messe des morts’. Conducted by RSNO Music Director Thomas Søndergård with guest tenor Magnus Walker, the concert  included 165 musicians, 132 singers, 18 timpani and four brass bands. That is nearly 300 musicians on stage. The thing that blew me away was the brass sections in the audience. What a sound. The whole thing was amazing. I love the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for sound but the concert at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall I am sure would have sounded just as good.

Piping Live Stopping The Traffic

I had a super morning at Articulate Lab Art Studios for The Piping Live photo call to announce the news that The Big Band event will return for its seventh showcase at this year’s Piping Live Festival and pipers of all ages and abilities are invited to take part in the iconic event, which takes place in Glasgow’s west end. At the photocall were  Eona Craig, Chief Executive of Articulate with Michael Archibald, Creative Change maker with pipers Robert Morton , Andrew Bova and  young piper Flo Brayley.

Young Classics

Another musical talent I met was Royal Conservatoire student accordionist Melia Simonot  who was named as BBC Young Classical Musician at the City Halls in Glasgow. The other talented finalists were quite magnificent playing with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. I could not have picked a winner.

Good Food Shopping In Govan

I had a visit to my dad’s old stomping ground, Linthouse in Govan. I was covering the opening of a of a community shop. It was such a good idea. The new development has come from Linthouse Housing Association in association with Good Food Scotland, which is part of the Feeding Britain network. The trail-blazing development aims to offer affordable items exclusively for residents in the G51 postcode area, which covers Govan. 

Chair of LHA was delighted to tell how  membership costing just £1 a month, shoppers can access a wide range of food and household products at lower prices than can be found in supermarkets. Also its prime location at 1121 Govan Road.

We even had Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes along to check out the shelves.

JoJo Gnome takes a Trip up North

I had a great trip up to Benderloch just outside Oban recently. Oban always seems to get the good weather when I am there. I don’t know why. It just does. I was with writer and producer of JoJo Gnome’s Story Podcast, Jo Hall, who is continuing a Scottish Eco Story Schools tour by visiting local Lochnell Primary pupils  The tour was made possible with funding from Creative Scotland.  The pupils enjoyed JoJo Gnome stories about recycling objects to make hats and talked about what they will do to make our planet a greener place. The children also worked with Jo on their own recycling story, which will be made into a video and can be seen at here.

Its Time….

I am fascinated with time capsules. I have been on site a few times when workers have dug one up and you see what was important to people over 100 years ago. I remember the one that was found when the Piping Centre in Glasgow was being converted from Old Cowcaddens Church in 1995. It had a copy of my old papers The Glasgow Herald and Evening Times too. The capsule was a glass jar cemented closed and filled with sand. This  month the Wasps Studio artists were preparing a time capsule to put in their newly redeveloped area of the Briggait, which was built in 1873. In their time capsule were items from Wasps Artists and some pieces of artwork by Blackfriars’ Primary pupils, who were working with artist Kayleigh McGuinness. One really nice addition was a copy of that day’s Herald and the Glasgow Times. Perhaps to be rediscovered in another 100 years.