As another school year comes to a close, we are thrilled to share the joy and success of our Big Noise summer concert season, where we had the privilege of witnessing the transformative work of Big Noise in action!
Across Raploch, Fallin, Govanhill, Torry, Douglas, and Wester Hailes, Big Noise has continued over this past year to make profound impacts on the lives of children and families in some of Scotland's most disadvantaged areas. Through music education and community engagement, we have helped empower our participants and communities, enhanced academic and social skills, and fostered a strong sense of belonging. Join us as we celebrate the milestones, achievements of this year’s summer concert season!
At Big Noise Raploch, we marked the 15th anniversary of the programme with an unforgettable concert at Stirling's Church of the Holy Rude. The concert showcased the hard work, dedication and achievements of our oldest Raploch participants with a fantastic turn out from the wider community.After 15 years of targeted delivery, we now with around 500 children and their families in each week in Raploch, nurturing their potential and promoting vital life skills such as confidence, resilience, creativity, and aspiration.Guests in attendance were treated to special renditions of musical selections from film and TV such as music from Cinema Paradiso and Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as performances of the pop classics by Michael Jackson, and symphonic pieces by Beethoven and Gershwin.The concert was a true celebration of the talent and achievements of our young musicians, many of whom will leave Big Noise this year to pursue college, university, and job opportunities – although we’re sure they’ll be back to visit, teach, and perform with us in the near future!
Elsewhere in Scotland, the birthday celebrations continued as we proudly celebrated the 10th anniversary of Big Noise Govanhill with a fantastic concert at Glasgow’s Elim Church, reflecting a decade of transformative work. By working closely with approximately 1,250 children and their families each week, we have provided invaluable support and empowered individuals to reach their full potential. At the concert at Elim Church, guests enjoyed an energetic programme of amazing performances including pieces by Edward Elgar and Queen, as well as selections of music from the soundtrack to the video game ‘Minecraft’. Much like Big Noise Raploch, some of our older Govanhill participants will now be moving on fromBig Noise, with one even obtaining a scholarship to a prestigious Glasgow music school! It was lovely to see community members out in force to support our young musicians and this is testament to the community cohesion that Big Noise delivers.
Further north at Big Noise Torry, our young people took centre stage to celebrate their8th anniversary! The spectacular concert to place at Torry St Fittick's Parish Church and those in attendance at this special birthday concert were treated to some old favourites, including Bill Haley’s ‘Rock Around the Clock’ and a version of the Scottish folk song ‘Marie’s Wedding’.The concert showcased the exceptional talent and accomplishments of all our young performers, the dedication of our young people and their families to the programme, and was the perfect opportunity to celebrate the positive impact of the programme together and to thank the Torry community for their continued support this year!
At our Big Noise programme in Dundee, we were honoured to celebrate the 5th anniversary of Big Noise Douglas with a fantastic community concert attended by First Minister Humza Yousaf. Taking the form of a Summer fête, the participants and staff of Big Noise Douglas celebrated five years in the community with a range of fun activities, culminating in a special outdoor concert in the Dundonian sunshine. Concertgoers were treated to a variety of different styles of music, including traditional Scottish nursery rhymes like ‘Ally Bally’, baroque music from Handel's Fireworks, and performances of different dance styles such as disco, tango and hoedown. After five years, our programme in Douglas now works with over 500 children and their families each week, providing them with essential life skills, helping to improve their confidence, and fostering community cohesion in the Douglas area. The concert was a dazzling display of the musical talents of our young participants and a testament to the unwavering support of our community in Douglas.
At our newest Big Noise programme in Edinburgh, we were delighted to celebrate the first full year of Big Noise Wester Hailes with a joyous concert at Clovenstone Primary School. The first year of work at Wester Hailes has been incredibly special – and seeing our youngest participants pick up their instruments and perform at their first concert was extremely specialfor all our participants and staff alike.Working diligently with approximately 400 children and their families each week, we have provided a nurturing environment for personal development and growth within our young participants. At the concert at Clovenstone Primary, guests were treated to renditions of Big Noise favourites ‘Busy Busy Stop Stop’ and ‘The Dodo Song’ as well as our Edinburgh programme’s signature ‘Big Noise Wester Hailes Song’.The concert was a great showcase of the burgeoning confidence and talent of our youngest participants and a testament to the transformative power of music!
As our summer concert season comes to a close, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for all of our wonderful participants, their families, and the amazing communities that we work in, as well as our incredible funders and supporters– who all made our birthday celebrations so special. Together, we can create a world where every child has the opportunity to discover their potential, express themselves creatively, and thrive in a nurturing and inclusive environment.
