A total of 52 young musicians from Big Noise Raploch, all aged between 11 and 17, performed side-by-side with the world-renowned RSNO at Perth Concert Hall on Thursday night.
The joint orchestra, led by the RSNO’s Finnish conductor Emilia Hoving, performed ‘Change Is Coming’ by Lisa Robertson, a Nordic-themed piece inspired by environmentalism and the connection between Scotland, the Nordic countries, and their shared relationship with nature.
The piece was written by Roberston following conversations with young people from Big Noise Raploch’s sister programme in Govanhill, who told her about their feelings on climate change and their desire to make their voices heard.
The special concert gave the young participants an opportunity to play alongside accomplished professional musicians as part of Scotland’s national orchestra, while demonstrating their musical skill to friends and family.
Vicky Williams, chief executive of Sistema Scotland, said:
“We are immensely proud of the outstanding performance by our young musicians alongside the RSNO. This marks the culmination of months of dedication and hard work from our young people, and we are all delighted to have seen them perform on one of the nation’s most prestigious stages.
Seeing the commitment and effort of our young people come to fruition fills us with immense pride, and highlights the profound impact that music has on their lives.
I would like to thank the RSNO for the ongoing partnership with Big Noise Raploch and our other Big Noise programmes across Scotland. I would also like to thank the parents and carers for all of their support, as well as our partner schools.”
Andy Stevenson, RSNO Director of Engagement, said:
“It’s an absolute pleasure to welcome the young musicians from Big Noise Raploch to perform side-by-side with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Perth Concert Hall. We always enjoy making music with these fantastic young people and sharing the joy these concerts bring to both organisations."
Scott Johns, whose daughter Jessica, 12, took part in the concert, said:
"I thought it was an amazing concert for the kids to be part of in general - it's an amazing opportunity for the kids in Big Noise. This was actually the third time that my daughter has had the chance to play with the orchestra, which is fantastic, and hopefully next time my son will have the chance to play on the stage as well. He's already looking forward to it.
The whole experience was just fantastic, everyone in the RSNO seemed to treat the kids really well and had loads of lovely things to say about them after the concert was done."
