Strachur and District Newsletter
MARCH NEWSLETTER
Primary Schoolchildren Hit the High Notes
Rowan Oxland, Arlene MacKechnie, Ross Spiers and Isabella Sumsion proudly pose for the Newsletter
School pupils from Strachur, Dunoon and Lochgilphead have had great success in competitions recently held at the Inverclyde Music Festival. Strachur Primary School pupils picked up the first four slots in the Under 13’s solo Scots Fiddle section. First was Arlene MacKechnie; Isabella Sumsion came in second; third place went to Rowan Oxland, and Ross Spiers had success with fourth place. Impressive as these results were the icing on the cake was that Rowan, Isabella and Arlene also picked up the award for the under 11’s Instrumental Ensemble playing. Arlene’s older brother Alex MacKechnie has now moved on to Dunoon Grammar School. He won his 18 and under group in Scots Fiddle, and together they won the piano duet section. Mairi Voinot won the Angus McGilp Quaiche, for the 18 and under Scots Fiddle Solo Competition, and she then she went on to scoop the award for Best 18 and under Solo Instrumentalist. All these talented youngsters are learning fiddle with Sarah Naylor, as part of the school and community tuition programme of FiddleFolk/ Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop.
Elise W. Nolan, Email: StrachurNL@aol.com