Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Performance strikes a chord
A NEW musical celebration created by participants from Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust (THAT) ST/ART Project rang out in Dundee’s Marryat Hall.
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) and THAT’s ST/ART Project work together to create new musical experiences for participants living with stroke and other long-term health conditions.
The theme of the work took the audience of family, friends and other guests from melodies of the cold of winter to the optimistic strains of a new spring.
Composer Matilda Brown and a collection of RSNO musicians, including the leader of the orchestra, Maya Iwabuchi, performed with a group of eight participants to deliver four compositions that Matilda and the group developed over three months.
With the support of Leisure and Culture Dundee, the group was able to meet regularly in the Marryat Hall. The final session marked the culmination of the programme and celebrated the creative journey everyone has been on.
The project was supported by ST/ART Project co-ordinator, Chris Kelly. Participants were also invited to a full orchestra performance in Caird Hall.
Matilda said: “The participants are a wonderful group to work with, and to be able to work together face-to-face was fantastic.
“I worked with some of them online last year, so to follow that up by working in the same room, handling all sorts of instruments – from traditional percussion and piano to music technology software and iPad instruments – has been so fruitful.
“We built a strong bond through the programme that allowed us to overcome any difficulties and share a musical vision that represented all of us.
“Working with people both as a group and individually ensured we carried everyone along on the journey.”
Chris Kelly added: “This is a further development in our partnership with the RSNO. Working with the group of participants in this way let them give so much to the experience.
“Participants worked together on musical instruments they hadn’t played in years, composed elements together and collaborated fully with the professional musicians.
“They felt empowered working alongside musicians from the RSNO.
This gave individuals a boost to their self-esteem and wellbeing by sharing a music-making experience with musicians they had seen perform live on the Caird Hall stage.”
The creative engagement project is for people in Tayside who have had a stroke or an acquired brain injury. It is supported by NHS Tayside.
The RSNO programme is one of a range of art programmes for people with long-term conditions being delivered by Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust, which promotes creative engagement with the arts to enhance the health and wellbeing of participants.
The RSNO’s work with Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust in the 2021-22 season is supported by Leisure and Culture Dundee Major Music Award, Northwood Charitable Trust, Leng Charitable Trust, RJ Larg Family Trust and Tay Charitable Trust.