Photographs attached of participants, Matilda Brown and members of the RSNO

WEDNESDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 2024

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra with Matilda Brown present ‘From Sunset to Sunrise’

Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust’s (THAT) latest musical collaboration between the ST/ART Project and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) took place earlier this week at the Ashton Hall, within the Caird Hall, Dundee.

The ST/ART Project supported by NHS Tayside is a creative engagement project for people in Tayside who have had a stroke or acquired brain injury or other long-term condition.

The RSNO and THAT’s ST/ART Project worked together to create a new musical experience for participants living with stroke and other long term health conditions. The group met regularly before their finale performance which shared a sequence of musical compositions was shared with family, friends and other guests.

‘From Sunset to Sunrise’ is a short programme of new musical pieces developed by composer Matilda Brown and participants with a variety of long term conditions, supported and accompanied by a number of the orchestra’s musicians.

Composer and programme lead, Matilda said, “It’s been another fabulous programme working with the ST/ART Project and a fantastic group of musicians from the orchestra. This year we have taken the participants even further, building on the experience of the core group, creating moments of solo and duo playing whilst bringing in new participants as well. This year we had increased access to the orchestra musicians which allowed us to really push the ideas behind the music and build stronger musical bonds with the participants. This year there has been real depth and complexity in the work with participants being inspired to write words to accompany the musical ideas that we developed.”

THAT project co-ordinator Chris Kelly said, “This has been a great group of participants who have relished being able to work with the orchestra musicians in creating more complex work. Matilda has done a fantastic job of guiding everyone and ensuring that the right balance has been achieved. A couple of years ago we would never have thought that this level of performance was at all possible. It’s just amazing to see the group work together on such a range of musical instruments and compose elements with the professional musicians.

“The participants take so much pleasure from working alongside Matilda and the musicians from the RSNO. It gives a massive boost to their self-esteem to be working with musicians they have seen perform live on the Caird Hall stage.”

The RSNO’s work with Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust this year is supported by Leisure & Culture Dundee, Northwood Charitable Trust, Leng Charitable Trust, RJ Larg Family Trust, Tay Charitable Trust and W M Sword Charitable Trust.

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 well being.

For further information, please contact Chris Kelly on 01382 835507 or email chris.kelly2@nhs.scot

Contact:

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 424138