Perth music fans enjoyed an afternoon at the opera, folk and theatre in St Leonard-in-the-Fields church,  all in aid of the Perth and Kinross Music Foundation

The generous performance of Liam and his friends raised over £1000 for the charity which assists families with the cost of tuition fees and supports their attendance at the orchestras and ensembles that meet after school throughout term time.

(L-R) Liam Bonthrone, Stephanie Maitland, Peter Norris and Sian Voller with Robin Versteeg (accompanist).

CAPTION – (L–R) – David Murdoch and Alex Cairncross (Methven Castle); Kenneth McIver, Maureen Rutherford, Liam Bonthrone and Maggie Adamson; with Annette Welch (YMPA) and Henry Neill (PKMF).

Two local music charities were the beneficiaries of last Sunday’s concert in Methven Castle. Making a breath-taking appearance was the award winning Shetland fiddler, Maggie Adamson.

Henry Neil reports, “Maggie arrived in Perth on a flight from Lerwick with only minutes to spare. But then a magical pocket of Shetland air seemed to fill the stately drawing room and she played her programme of strathspeys, reels and marches. She also demonstrated ably that a fiddler could also be a violinist as she turned next to some well-known classics including Czardas by Monti. Her technique was breathtaking.”

“Tenor Liam Bonthrone and baritone Kenneth McIver’s well-balanced programme of Scottish, classical and light music provided the ideal complement to Maggie’s airs.”

At the piano, Maureen Rutherford turned from Shetland air to Mozart aria and from Gilbert and Sullivan to Robert Wilson as she accompanied the young musicians.

Liam Bonthrone’s accompanied himself in a personal medley of songs, as tribute to the late Perthshire musician George Donald who had composed the music for ‘Scotland the What’. To everyone’s great delight, host David Murdoch drew attention to the fact that the piano stool had been George Donald’s own one.

Maggie Adamson’s recent tour to Germany with Runrig’s former lead singer, Donnie Munro, led to production of a CD – ‘Sweet Surrender’. Liam and Kenneth are no strangers to the recording studio either. Liam is currently studying at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire in Glasgow and Kenneth is preparing to do the same.

The sell-out event was coordinated by Neil Copland, with the generous backing of David Murdoch and Alex Cairncross, whose home at the castle proved to be the perfect setting. Over £1000 was raised.

Speaking on behalf of both the Perth and Kinross Music Foundation and the Young Musicians Parents Association, Mr Andrew Mitchell praised the trio of young artists. “Our charities exist to support tuition fees and other expenses involved in learning music. We are grateful to David and Alex at Methven Castle for their continued support for our work. We rely a great deal on the generous goodwill of the wider community and it is especially moving to witness how our most talented young musicians are prepared to give their time and talent in support of others.”

A Perth City South councillor has welcome the decision not to put a new arm’s length trust in charge of music lessons in Perth and Kinross.

Campaigners had feared the much respected Instrumental Music Service (IMS) might be handed over to a new trust being set up to run the council’s cultural services. Parents had suggested tuition fees could rise or music camps or jobs could be cut if the move went ahead.

The changed had been proposed after a review of existing sports and leisure trusts in Perth and Kinross, Live Active and Horsecross Arts. Last week councillors agreed a new cultural trust should be set up by April 2016 to run the council’s museums, galleries, libraries and archives.

According to the report put to councillors the new trust will also act as a fundraising vehicle for the Cultural City Project alongside Horsecross Arts.

The setting up of the trust, which it emerged during the meeting would NOT take on the IMS, is expected to save the council around £332,000 on non-domestic rates for its buildings.

PKC’s deputy chief executive John Fyffe also said staff moving to the trust will have the terms and conditions of their jobs protected under TUPE arrangements.

Council leader Ian Miller told the room: “This paper is the conclusion of the options appraisal carried out into the future delivery of culture and sport in Perth and Kinross. The proposals are sensible and will lead to significant efficiencies and saving for the council.”

Referring to IMS being left out of the new trust, councillor Willie Wilson told the PA after the meeting, This is a sensible decision. The IMS did not fit well within the trust model and there was a real danger that a huge amount of voluntary effort, both by parents and young people, would have been lost of the service had been forced into a trust. There was no real advantage intros move and common sense has prevailed. This decision does, however, represent a real challenge for the council and all those involved in the Music Matter movement. We can move on from here and help build an even stronger and more positive relationship between the council and the voluntary sector.”

He added, “We are lucky in Perth that the sector is very strong and has excellent leadership. I will be urging the council to work fully in partnership with Music Matters in the future to ensure that the very best services can be provided for our young folk to allow them every opportunity to excel in instrumental and choral work in the future.”

by Paul Cargill
PERTHSHIRE ADVERTISER 7th July 2015