Taysiders hitting the right notes with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra

RSNO

WEDNESDAY, 31 MAY , 2017

EMBARGOED UNTIL PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: 12.15PM, MONDAY, 5 JUNE, 2017, WIGHTON HERITAGE CENTRE, CENTAL LIBRARY, WELLGATE CENTRE, DUNDEE

Taysiders hitting the right notes with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra

People in Tayside with stroke and acquired brain injury conditions hit the right notes as they celebrated the finale of a musical programme with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO).

Today’s (Monday) event at the Wighton Centre was organised by ST/ART, a creative engagement project for stroke and acquired brain injury participants across Tayside, NHS Tayside and the RSNO’s Learning and Engagement programme in Dundee, which is supported by Northwood Charitable Trust.

Participants from the Headway Tayside group and the Tayside Speakability Group have been working with five musicians from the orchestra for the last eight weeks. The sessions were led by Artistic Director of Learning and Engagement for RSNO, Bill Chandler.

During the programme, the participants explored and experimented with different instruments and musical methods with the support of the orchestra members. The group has developed various pieces of music where they can all play together. Some participants were picking up a musical instrument for the first time in their lives, while others were re-engaging with instruments and music after a long time.

Family and friends attended the finale performance event, which was designed around poems and musical motifs suggested by individuals in the group.

Bill Chandler said, “We have taken the group through a number of musical forms using a variety of instruments and have watched them develop and embrace the process. As orchestra musicians, it is exciting for us to work in this way to allow people of varied ability to engage and contribute. It has also allowed us to explore how to build work with a large group of players.”

Chris Kelly, THAT project co-ordinator, said, “This has been our first opportunity to work with RSNO and it has been a revelation for the group and our organisation. To partner with Scotland’s national orchestra gives our participants access to an elite level of musicianship and an entirely new perspective on music and the thrill of playing together. We are all learning so much from the partnership that we hope to be able to develop it further in the future.”

The RSNO programme is one of a range of art programmes for people with long term conditions currently being delivered by Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust, which promotes creative engagement with the arts to enhance participant’s health and wellbeing.

For further information, please contact Chris Kelly on 01382 835507 or email ckelly3@nhs.net

Contact:

Debbie Huband

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 740134

5 June 2017