Our Christmas Dinner for all ACMS pupils will take place on Thursday, 12th December at 5:15 pm, kindly hosted by Boarding. Please note that ACMS will close slightly earlier that day, at 4:45 pm.

Following the dinner, the Dyce Academy Music Department will present their Christmas Concert at 7:00 pm in the MPA. It promises to be a wonderful evening, so do come along if you can.

A quick reminder that the deadline for entries to this competition is 12th December. Full details can be found on the online bulletin board.

Congratulations to Lewis G, who performed last Sunday at the Classical Strings by Candlelight recital series at the Fife Arms in Braemar. Lewis entertained the audience with 45 minutes of classical and Christmas music—a fabulous achievement!

Best of luck to Freya R, who will perform at the same venue this Sunday. We hope you have a fantastic time, Freya!

This week we’ve welcomed several prospective pupils and their families to visit ACMS. From touring our facilities and boarding accommodation to meeting our pupils, these visits have highlighted many of the things that make ACMS so special.

A huge source of pride is how our current pupils are our best ambassadors. Their friendliness and enthusiasm effortlessly put visitors at ease, leaving them impressed and confident that ACMS at Dyce Academy is an excellent place to grow both musically and academically.

Congratulations to our pupils who performed for the residents at Parkhill Court this week. The programme included an upbeat and varied selection of Scottish traditional music, classical pieces, art songs, jazz, and pop. The audience and organisers were absolutely thrilled, and we’ve already been invited back! A huge thank you to the pupils for their hard work and excellent preparation - it certainly paid off. 

A big well done to our S4 pupils who have just completed their prelim exams. We wish them the very best for good results and constructive feedback as they prepare for their final exams in May.

We’ve had two full rehearsals for the Beach Ballroom concert this week, and excitement is building! Rehearsals will continue on Monday evening at the venue, with performances on Tuesday and Wednesday night. 

A quick reminder that Secret Santa gifts must be handed in to Miss Donati by Tuesday, 10th December. Please make sure they are wrapped and labelled.

A quick reminder:

• The minimum spend is £5. If pupils wish to spend more, that’s fine, but overspending is discouraged to keep things fair.

• Please ensure your gift is thoughtful and inclusive – humour is welcome, but nothing that could exclude or offend others.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and I’ll pass them on to Freya.

It’s with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Mr Buchan, who has been our Bagpipe teacher for the past 18 months. Despite his full-time teaching role in Banff, Mr Buchan has dedicated himself to travelling twice a week to teach our pipers. With the arrival of his second child, he has decided it’s time to lighten his workload.

We’re so grateful for his hard work and dedication, which have left our pipers in excellent shape.

We also extend a warm welcome to Mr Duncan, our new Bagpipe teacher. Mr Duncan brings a wealth of experience in solo performance, pipe bands, and the academic side of bagpiping. We’re excited to have him join our ACMS family.

Thank you to the Boarding staff for organising a brilliant Christmas Party on Monday evening. One of the highlights was the creative artwork designed for our large river-facing window - a festive masterpiece!

A huge congratulations to Adam T and his band, WyldKat, for making it to the finals of the Eruption: Battle of the Bands contest! This competition showcases the incredible musical talent in the Grampian region. After successfully making it past the heats, Adam’s band triumphed in the semifinals last night.

We wish Adam and his bandmates the very best of luck for the finals in February 2025!