Festival backs fight to save kids’ music tuition

‘Folk needs fiddles and percussion’

The organisers of West Lothian’s premier traditional music event are backing the campaign against the axing of strings and percussion tuition in local schools.

The Linlithgow Folk Festival Association is calling on West Lothian Council to halt the planned cuts and sit down with parents to discuss a tuition model based on fairness.

This year marks 20 years of Linlithgow Folk Festival and the organisers say folk music would be nothing without fiddles and percussion.

Folk festival chairman, Murdoch Kennedy, said: “The Linlithgow Folk Festival Association is grateful to West Lothian Council for all that it does and has done to promote music in the county, and in being one of the few local authorities to provide free tuition for school pupils.

“Their support for orchestras, ensembles, bands and groups can be seen in regular successes in festivals and competitions, and in the many happy young performers.

“We are however very concerned that West Lothian Council intends to stop all tuition for string and percussion instruments, and close down all the related orchestras and groups.

“This includes the West Lothian Folk Group under the direction of Norrie Maciver, lead singer with Skipinnish who are performing at our Gala 20th year concert in Linlithgow in June.

“It also includes Linlithgow and Bathgate school orchestras, the Linlithgow and Bathgate Junior Strings and the Sinfonia.

“We understand the difficult financial pressures on the council, and that no service can be immune from the need to find savings.

“However, it is unacceptable to select one or two music disciplines and remove all provision for them while others remain unaffected.

“Sacrificing over 550 young people to keep tuition free for the remainder is wrong. This will have a devastating impact on them, especially those who are already committed to SQA exams in Music in those instruments.

“For a great many of them, music is not a hobby. Music is their life.

“Parents and carers are asking to be able to pay a fee to keep tuition going, as happens in most other local authorities in Scotland.

“We call upon West Lothian Council to put a hold on the planned cut and consult with parents on a model for the Instrumental Music Service based on fairness, and on alternative sources of funding including charging families who can afford it.

“This would mean everyone can keep doing what they love. What would folk music be without fiddles and percussion?”

Representatives of the Save our Strings campaign said they are delighted to have the support of Murdoch Kennedy and the folk festival.

Yvonne Hall said: “We are very grateful to have won the backing of the organisers of the popular and prestigious Linlithgow Folk Festival.

“Fiddles and percussion play such an important role in traditional folk music. These cuts will have a devastating impact on young players who want to contribute to the folk music world.

“We hope councillors will take on board their call to talk to parents and pupils, so we can work on ways to keep all our young people learning and performing.”

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