North Ayrshire Council has hailed the achievement of its Schools' Senior Band after they picked up a Gold Award at the National Concert Band Festival’s Scottish regional festival.
As revealed yesterday, the band members put on a great performance at the event held at Garnock Community Campus - clinching the award with a stirring rendition of Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up.
And as a result, they now receive an invite to the National Finals in Warwick, where the young musicians will have the chance to perform alongside some of the top bands in the UK.
Today, Council Cabinet member Councillor Shaun Macauley said the band members should be "incredibly proud."
Other bands taking part included Garnock Valley Community Band, Edinburgh Academy Concert Band/Big Band, Stewarton Winds and Strathclyde University Concert Band.
The adjudicators were very complimentary about the high standard of music performed throughout the day and the thorough preparation of each band.
Performance highlights for the North Ayrshire pupils included the challenging rendition of The Great Locomotive Chase by Robert W. Smith, ending on a high with Rick Astley’s 80s classic Never Gonna Give You Up in a fun orchestral style.
Councillor Shaun Macaulay, Cabinet Member for Education and Young People, said: "Well done to our talented musicians who played exceptionally well during the regional round of the National Concert Band Festival 2024.
"They should all be incredibly proud, and I have no doubt this is just the start of what is going to be another memorable year for North Ayrshire's young musicians.
"Special thanks to their remarkable tutors who are committed to helping all of our students to hone their musical abilities.
"Keep up the outstanding work and keep enjoying your music."
Stay tuned to the latest news from the North Ayrshire Music Service by following the team at twitter.com/NACmusicservice
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