Young Musicians On Their Way To Perform At International Festival

5th July 2011

TODAY (Wednesday 6 July) 15 members of The Highland Council's Regional ceilidh band 'snas left from Inverness Airport to embark on the first part of their journey to the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in North Wales.

The group of talented musicians and are travelling via Manchester where they have a special 'busking' licence for the city centre. Once they have wowed the city dwellers on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, they will then travel to Llangollen by coach as guests of the International Eisteddfod to perform on Friday as the only Scottish representatives at the events Celtic Day.

The Eisteddfod attracts performers from all over the world. The Council's Music Development Office, Norman Bolton said: "Opportunities like this one are often created by chance and it was definitely so in this case. A contact from a colleague in the instrumental service in Wales enquiring about a possible musical exchange ended up with the Eisteddfod Chairman hearing the 'snas CD and subsequently inviting the group to perform. This all happened very recently and it is all credit to the support of the groups members and parents that we have been able to get the trip finalised. Thankfully the exchange idea is also going ahead in the spring of 2012 so it's a win win situation for all involved.

"The group will return north on Saturday and are all very much looking forward to the whole Eisteddfod experience."

MORE ABOUT MUSIC IN HIGHLAND SCHOOLS
Highland Council offers pupils at school a wide range of opportunities to be involved in music and to learn to play an instrument. For more details see - www.highland.gov.uk/learninghere/schools/musictuition/

Highland Council's Education Department supports a range of music groups that pupils may be invited to join and details can be found at
www.highland.gov.uk/learninghere/schools/musictuition/musicgroups.htm