With students all returning to universities and colleges throughout the country, the University of the Highlands and Islands is making sure that it’s BA (Hons) Applied Music students are arriving with a bang, and a tuneful one at that, with free Inverness events to showcase fresh student talent.
Seventy music students and staff from the University of the Highlands and Islands are to descend on Inverness on 9 September for a musical celebration.
The university’s Applied Music students will spend four days rehearsing, creating music and performing gigs as part of a FREE mini festival to kick start their new academic year. Based at the Old High St Stephen Church Halls in the city’s Church Street for rehearsals and creative workshops, the students will be performing in various locations including the Centre for Health Science, The High Church itself and three times at Hootananny with musical genres including traditional music, classical, jazz.
Wednesday 11th September, 1pm – Centre for Health and Wellbeing, Raigmore Hospital
Thursday 12th September, 5.30pm – concert Sponsored by Moray Firth Pianos at Old High St
Stephen Church, Church Street
Thursday 12th September, 8.30pm – rock music/indie concert at Mad Hatters Hootananny, Church Street
Thursday 12th September, 9.30pm – traditional music session Hootananny, Church Street
Audiences can also expect pop and rock and high quality performances as the BA (Hons)
Applied Music is a demanding course with students from 17 to 74 years old coming from Orkney, Shetland, Uist, Fort William, Aberdeen and the east and the central belt. And there are students from Austria, Isle of Man and Eastern Europe.
This is the first residency of four to be held at different locations throughout the academic year. The next will be in Shetland in the November, and another is planned for the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow in January.
James Fraser, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of The University of the Highlands and Islands said: “This is great for the city and for the university. We aim to enrich the communities we work in and kick-starting the course here in Inverness and then spreading out across the Highlands and Islands, is a clear example of how we operate.”
Iain MacMillan, Principal of Lews Castle College UHI, where the Applied Music course is based added: “This is the second year of the course and the quality and the variety of music is stunning.”Anna-Wendy Stevenson Programme leader and leading fiddle player said: “Having five concerts over four days in Inverness is a great professional experience for these students.”
