NESMS pupils in NYOSNine current or immediatepast NESMS pupils wereselected for this year’s tour bythe National Youth Orchestraof Scotland. In alphabeticalorder they were sisters LucyCruickshank (clarinet); SarahCruickshank (oboe) - ex pupil,now studying in Glasgow);and another pair of sisters, YlaGarvie (clarinet) - ex pupil,now RSAMD and Iona Garvie(bassoon) - ex pupil, now alsoin Glasgow; Alan John (violin)- ex pupil, now at RSAMD;Julia Maxwell (viola); MaryNoden (oboe); SamanthaPearce (flute); HannahTrotman (double bass). HereJulia Maxwell reports on the tour.

After a week of intensiverehearsing in sections,ensembles and as a fullorchestra, under the baton ofTakuo Yuasa, we played our firstconcert to an enthusiastic homeaudience at the Glasgow RoyalConcert Hall. The repertoirewas Glinka’s Ruslan andLudmilla Overture, Elgar’sCello Concerto Op 85 andShostakovich’s Symphony No. 10

in E minor, with QuirineViersen as soloist.

Moving onto theBirmingham Symphony Hallthe very next night we quicklydiscovered that a NYOS tourwas no holiday. The SymphonyHall was magnificent and theaudience was the largest thathad attended the summer series so far. They were also very appreciative - a bigencouragement as we set off forthe Continent.

Two days later we were backon stage playing at the worldfamous Konzertgebouw inAmsterdam. It was a fantasticconcert to a full house with astanding ovation at the intervalas well as at the end of theconcert. As we walked back to our tour bus audiencemembers congratulated us andwaved to us.

After a long bus journey toBerlin and a rare morning off to go sightseeing, we played our final concert to another full house in the BerlinKonzerthaus. We also added theworld premier of AnnaMeredith’s Wound Up to our

programme at this venue. After the concert we were

invited to the British Embassywhere the Ambassador hosted areception for us. We mingledwith German VIPs and then setup a ceilidh band featuring ex-NESMS, now RSAMD, pupilAlan John. We danced andchatted into the small hours!

The next morning we set offearly on the long journey home.It gave us a chance to reflecttogether on a tour which had

given us all an opportunity toplay fantastic music, meet fellowyoung Scottish musicians andperform in some of the world’sbest concert halls.

Julia Maxwell

Donald Gillan 2

Tutor Profile 3

Play-a-Thon 3

Auction Lunch 4

Linking colour with sounds 4Continued from front page

The North East of Scotland Music School is sponsored by:

Linking colours and soundsJoseph Long, one of theSchool’s piano tutors, recentlygave a paper to the firstInternational Conference onSynaesthesia and Art inEurope held at Cuevas delAlmanzora (near Almeria) inSpain on the SynaestheticExperiences of a PractisingMusician. The conference was

organised by the University ofAlmeria and the artsorganisation Artecitta.

Joseph explained in his paper that synaesthesia, aphenomenon in which thesenses develop strongassociations between each other,has been a part of his life sincehe was very young.

“My earliest memories arenot of a glorious fusion of soundand colour; they are of a precisecolour-coded learning methodwhose apparent purpose, at leastinitially, was to help me thinkabout specific piano-playingconcepts in a direct andunambiguous way,” Joseph told

The Newsletter of the North East of Scotland Music School Issue No 8 • October 2005

Continued on page 4

A childhood ambition to be aprofessional musician hastranslated itself into anestablished career as afreelance cellist for ex-NESMS pupil, Donald Gillan.Donald was first exposed toclassical music as a young boy– his mother being anenthusiastic listener andsinger – and he had his firstcello lesson on his sixthbirthday.

“I remember being thrilledby concerts at the AberdeenMusic Hall from a very early age“ Donald recalls, “and somehowI was particularly inspired bythe cello. I think it just seemedto me to be the most impressiveinstrument - and I don’t think Iwas wrong!”

Aberdeen born and bred, hestudied the instrument at schoolwith Irene Wood, coming toNESMS at the age of 10 to studywith Eileen Croxford, apupil/tutor relationship thatlasted eight years at the School.“I clearly remember my earlylessons with Eileen, listening toher playing and just beingblown away by this incrediblydirect sound,” says Donald.“That was my first closeencounter with a performingmusician of that calibre and Ifelt very privileged. Eileen’sdeep attention to detail has

become, I hope, very much apart of the way I approach thecello and can be applied to manyother aspects of life. Theselessons were amazinglyinspirational and they definitelyfed my growing aspiration to bea musician.”

After leaving school, Donaldwent to Aberdeen University fora year, studying with RaymondDodd, before winning anAssociated Board Scholarship tothe Royal College of Musicwhere he continued to studywith Eileen for a further fouryears. During this time he wonall the major RCM cello prizes, aConstant and Kit Lambert Prizeand was a string finalist in the Royal Overseas LeagueCompetition.

After graduating with anhonours diploma from theRCM, Donald won anotherscholarship for post-graduatestudies at the Royal NorthernCollege of Music in Manchester.“In a way I felt quite relievedwhen I left London,” Donaldsays. “Although I love visitingLondon and it seems to many tobe the obvious destination for acareer in music, I was alwaysapprehensive of becomingprofessionally ‘trapped’ inLondon. Manchester was thenext chapter.”

During the two years Donald

spent at the RNCM he won theMuriel Taylor Prize, theWaddell String Prize and thesoloist competitions of the Eastbourne SymphonyOrchestra, Edinburgh YouthOrchestra and the A40Orchestra. He also won awardsfrom the Ian FlemingCharitable Trust, MartinMusical Scholarship Fund, SirJames Caird Scholarship Trustand the Countess of MunsterTrust.

Since leaving Manchester,Donald has built a successfulfreelance career based inGlasgow, working in a variety of genres. He plays frequently with the Scottish ChamberOrchestra, touring with them toGermany, Spain, Belgium andJapan. He also plays with theorchestra of Scottish Opera,notably in their acclaimedproduction of Wagner’s RingCycle in 2003, and has playedwith the BBC ScottishSymphony Orchestra includingseveral of the BBC Promenadeconcerts.

He has played with theScottish, Paragon and HebridesEnsembles, the EdinburghQuartet and has toured to Maltawith Classic Trio.

He also plays the music ofDavid Paul Jones with the DPJEnsemble including appearingon the album Something There.Other recording work has beendone with a variety of popgroups and singers includingJustin Currie and Trash CanSinatras and Donald hasrecorded cello solos on sound-tracks for the films Young Adamand Blinded and a recentSherlock Holmes BBC drama.

To add to the variety he hastoured with Theatre Cryptic toMontreal and has worked withother theatre groups includingGrid Iron and Rain Dog. And arecent additional string to hisbow is that he is now teaching atthe Royal Scottish Academy ofMusic and Drama.

“I am very glad to be able tomake a living playing music,”says Donald. “It’s a fortunateposition to be in. It’s alsofortunate to be able to fulfill achildhood ambition.”

Providing the highest standardsof advanced tuition for promising musicians

The School provides a centrewhere young people of

outstanding musical promise can obtain tuition which is notavailable within their existing

framework of study. Any musically talented child,

student, teacher or lay personliving in Scotland may apply for an audition to the School.

TUITIONInternationally acclaimed

professors and teachers arebrought to Aberdeen on a

regular basis from all over theBritish Isles and Europe.

COURSESThe School offers one-to-one

teaching together with occasionalworkshops and masterclasses.There is a close relationship

with the University of Aberdeen, through the Director of Music, and

also with Aberdeen City Music School in Dyce.

FINANCEFinance is generously provided bytrusts, commercial organisations

and individuals. Continuedsupport is essential in order tomaintain the high quality of the

teaching programme. TheAdministrator will be pleased toassist with all enquiries about

donations, sponsorship orscholarships.

FEES & SCHOLARSHIPSStudents pay their own fees,

although scholarships are available and are applied for

annually. Any award is made on a balance of musical potential

and financial need.

DOROTHY HATELYDorothy founded NESMS in 1975 with the support and

encouragement of Lady Aberdeen.Thanks to Dorothy’s dogged

determination over the years, theSchool has greatly increased itsteaching disciplines, tutors andpupils. Sadly, Dorothy died in

1996, before she could see theSchool in its own premises in

Huntly Street. However, we striveto maintain the high standards she set and intend to take the

School from strength to strength.

NORTH EAST OF SCOTLANDMUSIC SCHOOL

Dorothy Hately Music Centre21 Huntly Street

Aberdeen AB10 1TJTel/Fax: 01224 649685

email: nesms@sol.co.uk

Chairman: June, Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair

President: Dr Neil Mackie

Administrator: Joan Thomas

Assistant Administrator:Reg Pringle

2

Donald Gillan

Donald Gillan

Our tutor profile in this issueis, like our pupil profile, acellist of international renown.James Halsey has taught atNESMS for over eight years,taking over from his formerteacher, Eileen Croxford.

“My association withNESMS is very simple andstraightforward,” says James.“When Eileen wanted to retireshe put my name forward sohere I am! I must say that I

thoroughly enjoy my monthlyvisits although they’re normallypretty hectic and don’t leavemuch time for seeing the city. Iknow Union Street pretty wellfrom my lunchtime breaks butthe rest is still something of amystery.”

James feels he was luckyenough to have had two years oflessons with Tom Igloi beforehis tragically early death in1976. James then went on tocomplete a BSc in ManagementSciences at Warwick Universitybefore going on to the RoyalCollege of Music where hestudied with Eileen.

As cellist in the Auriol and, currently, the BinghamQuartets, James has played allover the British Isles, in mostEuropean countries, on tour inthree Middle East countries and also in Australia. He has recently performedunaccompanied Bach andBeethoven sonatas in Japan andAustralia and has broadcastfrequently on BBC Radio,Channel 4 television and for the Australian broadcasting

Company. His recordings arealso many and varied.

James has performedconcerti from Haydn through toShostakovich with orchestras all around the country andregularly joins the violinistFrances Mason in the BrahmsDouble. James has also playedover many years with anotherNESMS tutor, the pianist, NigelClayton; their first performancetogether was in 1971 when theywere both music scholars atTrinity School, Croydon.

He plays in the Tagore StringTrio and has recently completedcycles of the six solo Bach Suitesboth in London and on the Isleof Wight, where he lives withhis wife, Helen and their fourchildren.

As well as his playingcommitments, James teaches inthe Royal College of MusicJunior Department and coacheson ten residential chambermusic courses every year.

Outside of music hisinterests include squash,gardening and sea swimming.

3

Aberdeen Bach ChoirAberdeen City Council

Aberdeen Endowments TrustAberdeen Rotary Club St. Machar

Aberdeenshire CouncilAMEC, Oil and Gas

Enterprise Engineering ServicesCentral Investment Services (Aberdeen) Ltd

Martin Connell Charitable TrustConocoPhillips (UK) Ltd

Dunard FundFriends of NESMS

David Gordon Memorial TrustJennie S Gordon Memorial Foundation

Hugh Fraser FoundationInnes Trust

Jamieson & CarryMarcliffe at Pitfodels HotelMcGlashan Charitable Trust

MacGregor Energy Services LtdMacRobert Trust

Thomas Primrose TrustThe Radcliffe Trust

Skene GroupShell Exploration and Production

E. H Tutty Charitable TrustMrs. Elizabeth Wilson’s Trust

Wood GroupZonta Club (Aberdeen)

as at January 2005

STRINGS

Violin Gillian FindlayViola Michael BeestonCello James HalseyDouble Bass David Inglis

WOODWIND

Flute David NicholsonFlute Catherine O’RourkeOboe Anne RankinClarinet Alison WallerBassoon Lesley Wilson

BRASS

Trumpet John GracieHorn Lizzie Davis

PIANO

Nigel ClaytonJoseph Long

SCOTTISH FIDDLE

Paul Anderson

SINGING

Raimund HerincxAlan WattRuth Black

Alison McDonaldJean Webster

STAGECRAFT & PERFORMANCE

Donald Maxwell

Tutor profile - James Halsey

NESMS’s cello tutor, James Halsey

Friends’ Play-a-Thon raises £1,200The first Friends of NESMSevent of this autumn tookplace in the School on 10thSeptember with the sponsoredPlay-a-thon. Pupils played andsang throughout the day andapart from entertaining anenthusiastic audience, raisedover £1,200.

This is one of a variety offund raising events arranged bythe organisation which exists tohelp fund the School and itswork. At the moment the annualsubscription rate is £7, but thisis sure to rise by the end of theyear, so the message is clear –join now!

The Friends organisation hasbeen a constant source of helpand support for the School overthe past 30 years. Not only dothey fundraise throughout theyear, but they also help withmany practical tasks that easethe running of the School.

“Thanks to the Friends ourtutors are hosted and taxied ontheir visits to Aberdeen andwithout this invaluableassistance the School simplycould not function,” says Schooladministrator, Joan Thomas.“Over the years strongfriendships have beenestablished between hosts andtheir particular tutor, andstaying with their ‘Scottishfamily’ guarantees a comfortablevisit for a tutor.”

On Saturday 29th October,the annual Friends’ CoffeeMorning will be held in theSchool from 10 am to midday,with the usual stalls and a newChristmas card, designed oncemore by our own Colin Brockie.Piano student AnthonyJohnston will play while you sipand buy.

Don’t miss Robert Martin’srecital of Schubert’s Die schöne

Müllerin, on Wednesday 9thNovember at the School. Hisaccompanist, Dr. RogerWilliams will give a pre-concerttalk, and tickets will be availablefrom the School.

One of the highlights of the autumn season will be the Friends’ concert inCraigiebuckler Church onWednesday 16th November,featuring our newest tutor, PaulAnderson, the renownedScottish fiddle player. Paul willbe accompanied by NicholasCowling and this concert willform part of the new SoundFestival of Contemporary Music.

Friends’ chairman, JennyShirreffs says: “By becoming aFriend you not only enjoyconcerts and fun events, but alsocontribute to and support theSchool, a cause which is close toall our hearts. What are youwaiting for?”

A valuable and rare artist’sproof of a painting by HRH thePrince of Wales will be themain sale item at the KeynotesAuction Lunch on Sunday, 6thNovember at the Marcliffe atPitfodels Hotel in Aberdeen.

Fund Raising andDevelopment Committeechairman, Nicky Bradford, whois organising the auction, isdelighted to have such aprestigious donation. “Wewanted to make this year’sKeynotes Lunch Auction anextra special one to celebrate theSchool’s 30th Birthday, but Inever dreamed that our quest

for auction items would be sosuccessful. All of our supportershave been incredibly kind, butto have a beautiful painting ofBen Avon given by the Prince ofWales really is the icing on the cake.”

As well as the painting therewill be a host of other valuableauction items including aweekend for two in Vienna,including accommodation andreturn flights from Aberdeen; a unique piece of fine jewellery (a flawless diamond set in whitegold) designed and hand craftedby Jamieson & Carry; a silverbrooch in the form of a squirrel,designed, hand crafted andgenerously donated by MalcolmAppleby, a weekend break fortwo in Bruges including returnferry passage for one car and twoadults from Rosyth, a one weekstay for four guests in one of thesplendid holiday cottages on theGlen Tanar Estate, Aboyne; twoweeks in a holiday home inRoyan; an original painting inentitled ‘Muchalls Cliffs’ by

Joseph Long’s mother, Rosy; aday’s fishing for two rods on theRiver Dee on the legendaryMorven beat, on the left bank ofthe river opposite Birkhall;executive hospitality for four atPittodrie Football Stadium and acase of wine, generously donatedby the Marcliffe.

In addition to the auction,the School’s newest tutor, PaulAnderson, will play a thirtyminute mini-concert of Scottishtraditional music during whichhe will perform an unnamedcomposition of his own. A special auction item is theopportunity to name Paul’s pieceand to own the manuscript,signed by Paul and dedicated to the successful bidder orsomeone of their choice.

Tickets for the lunch cost £20and application forms areavailable from the School.

Keynotes is produced for the North East of Scotland

Music School

EDITORNeil Jones

Cairnstone LimitedTel: 07050 259859

email: neil.jones@cairnstone.co.ukwww.cairnstone.co.uk

DESIGNERCatriona DuncanGraphic Designer

Tel: 07984 233 866email: cat.duncan@tiscali.co.uk

PRINTERProntaprint

Tel: 01224 582258

4

One of the hand painted CD coversauctioned at the Glen Tanarconcert. This one was painted byIan Bashford and titled ‘HarbourGlow, Stonehaven’.

Bonny Prince Charlie painting forauction lunch

the audience of distinguishedacademic researchers, writers,artists and others interested inthe field: “Whereas most peoplemight use names to label keyson a piano keyboard, I usedcolours. Apart from the unusualnature of my labels, there was no logical distinction betweenthis system and any moreconventional learning approach.“My colours contributed vividlyto an awareness of the tonalconstruction of pieces.Beethoven’s Fifth Symphonywas, and is, a mass of rich, deepblues overlaid with the warmyellows, greens and othercolours of its secondarymaterial. As I listened to it andother works, I began tounderstand that pieces of musiccould tell stories that were basedon key contrast, and it was notlong before I was applying thisunderstanding to my owninterpretations.”

The full text of Joseph’spaper can be found at either www.nesms.org.uk orwww.josephlong.co.uk.

Linking coloursand soundsContinued from front page

Rosie Long’s painting ‘MuchallsCliffs’ is one of the auction items.

In June the School held a concert to celebrate its30th birthday in themagnificent setting of theGlen Tanar Ballroom. Acapacity audience of 150was captivated by aperformance of the MozartOboe Quartet with Mary Noden (oboe), Jessica Coleman (violin),Samantha Copeland (viola)and Alice Allen (cello) aswell as a dazzling display ofpianistic virtuosity fromJoseph Long.

A new and exciting part of the evening was theexhibition and sale of ‘Art ina CD Case’, and the School is most grateful to all theartists who so generouslycontributed work to makesuch a spectacular display. Asum in excess of £4,000 wasraised from the evening andpart of this will be used tosupport ensemble playing at NESMS.

Glen Tanarconcert success