With an event as large and prestigious as the Tall Ships Festival, it felt appropriate that ACMS pupils could take a little time out of the holiday and volunteer to provide some music.

A group of our pupils performed a 45-minute set of jazz standards on the Transit Stage at Regent Quay, entertaining a lively audience of jazz fans, tall ships enthusiasts, and tourists. It was a hugely memorable experience for everyone!

A big thank you goes to the Tall Ships staff who organised the event and looked after us so well, both beforehand and on the day. Thanks also to Mrs Kyle and Mr Birse for joining in and supporting our performers.

It has been a delight for the staff to hear such positive stories from pupils returning from their various summer courses and projects.

Several pupils took part in summer schools at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, gaining invaluable musical experience and making new friends. For some of our older students who are considering applying to RCS this year or next, it was also an excellent chance to meet prospective teachers, staff, and course directors.

Elsewhere, our pupils have been busy on band and orchestral courses, busking at the Edinburgh Fringe, performing in stage musicals, and competing with pipe bands. These opportunities to travel, collaborate with new musicians, and perform in new settings are priceless. We’re so pleased that so many of our ACMS pupils embraced them across Scotland and beyond.

Our new intake of S1s,  affectionately known as “the swans”,  have settled in brilliantly. They have already adapted to new timetables, longer working days, and the buzz of working alongside musicians of all ages.

Two of our swans gave their very first performance last night in front of the whole school. Performing for the first time at ACMS can feel daunting, but they rose to the challenge beautifully, taking a deep breath and delivering high-quality performances that impressed their new peers. A wonderful start to their ACMS journey!

Plenty of exciting events are on the immediate horizon:

    Parents’ Meeting – Tuesday 26th August, 6.30pm in the library

    Specialist Weekend 1 – Friday 29th – Sunday 31st August: our first chance to begin preparations for the Christmas and spring concerts

    Recital – Saturday 30th August, 12 noon at St Andrew’s Cathedral

  Evensong – Sunday 31st August, 5pm at St Andrew’s Cathedral

We are delighted to share the dates for our Come and Play sessions, which were first released in June and have now been resent out to schools across the city and shire. If you know anyone who might be interested in discovering ACMS, please do pass the details along.

Dates:

      •   Tuesday 2nd September 

• Bagpipes

• Scottish traditional instruments

      •   Tuesday 23rd September 

• Jazz and percussion

      •   Wednesday 24th September 

• Solo Voice Workshop (Come and Sing)

• Acoustic guitar

      •   Tuesday 30th September 

• Strings, wind, and brass

(Full details can be found via the QR code on our poster.)