Sir James hits the right note
Composer visits Doon Academy
A world- renowned composer was back on home turf to unleash an orchestra of sounds to school pupils.
Cumnock’s Sir James MacMillan CBE visited Doon Academy pupils last week as part of Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s ( SCO) Masterworks programme, which this year focuses on James’ orchestra work Tryst, a 25 minute piece which took him over five months to compose back in 1989.
The SCO programme offers S4- S6 music students the opportunity to experience the excitement of a live orchestra up close in concert, and to hone their listening, performing, composing and improvising skills through experiential workshops.
Music education is close to the composer’s heart, with one of his first memories of attending St John’s Primary in Cumnock being handed a trusty plastic recorder.
Sir James, 60, said: “The very first thing that happened to me at primary school in Cumnock was the music teacher brought in a bag of plastic recorders– probably the way most people started.
“Not the most convulsive moment for most British school children but for me it was like a light going on.
“And immediately I wanted to write for the instruments– even before I knew notation, I’d write down little sequences so that I could play my own melodies.
“The desire to write music came almost simultaneously with being given an instrument.”
As well as being exposed to music in his education, it was also a huge part of his home life.
James, who later attended Cumnock Academy, said: “My parents and grandparents were interested in music.
“My grandfather, George Loy, was a coal miner, like many men here in the past, and the coal mining communities have this wonderful brass band tradition and Dalmellington is a case and point.
“Dalmellington Band grew out of the coal mining industry and are one of the best bands in the country.
“My grandfather was a euphonium player in one of those bands and was a singer in the local church choir.
“And he got me interested in music and got me my first cornet and brought me down to my first band rehearsals in Dalmellington.
“So I started as a brass player but I moved quickly onto piano.”
With East Ayrshire back on the map for the SCO’s Masterworks programme this year, James recognises the impending pressure music education faces.
He said: “We don’t need to rehearse the arguments about music education but it is under pressure at the moment.
“There’s lots of budget cuts and we should really be thinking about it in a very different way and starting kids with music lessons and exposure to music as early as they can. When you cut budgets, as the government here and local councils are doing, then you’re simply saying we can’t offer this music to someone from poorer backgrounds.
“And that’s worrying because the only people who would get access to that level of exposure and training would be kids from private schools.
“And that would be a really retrogressive step.”
James also gets talented pupils involved with classical music through his festival The Cumnock Tryst, now in its sixth year, getting talented pupils involved.
He said: “With the Tryst it was important for us to plug into the community and one of the best ways of doing that is with the schools.
“As far as perception is concerned, I think a lot of kids don’t realise what’s out there.
“And it’s about opening up that exposure and giving them the chance to make encounters- and that’s why the Tryst exists. I love the word Tryst so much that I called my first festival after it as well.
“It means a meeting place; so in a sense the Cumnock Tryst is a meeting place for lovers of music.” Sir James is looking forward to the unveiling of Cumnock’s new superschool, due to be open next year, which he said will be an asset to the town.
He added: “I’ve seen round part of it and they’re going to have this auditorium which means the kids will be able to sound good when they play and sing and perform music.”
James will be conducting a full performance of his music in a free schools concert at Kilmarnock’s Grand Hall on Thursday, September 19. Schools can register to attend by visiting https:// www. sco. org. uk/ creative- learning/ current- projects/ 318- masterworks- 2019macmillan- tryst
The Cumnock Tryst festival takes place from October 3- 6. For more info, visit: thecumnocktryst. com
We should be starting kids with music lessons and exposure to music as early as they can