About

The Scokendia Ensemble will bring young musicians from Scotland, Kenya and India together to connect, collaborate and perform during Culture 2014. Featuring some of the most talented young musicians from each country, the ensemble will perform three world premieres at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, as well as at Glasgow Green, Kelvingrove Bandstand, Merchant City Festival, community venues with Live Music Now, and at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival

A composer from each nation has been commissioned to write new music that encapsulates their country’s musical traditions and heritage, as well as reflecting the vitality of the Commonwealth’s young people.

Whilst vastly different, these three countries share an intertwined history and share much commonality. All three nations also have very strong musical traditions that play an important role in national life, and use music as a tool for social change. The musicians in the ensemble are a mixture of young professional, working musicians, students from conservatoires, players from the national youth orchestras of Scotland, Kenya and India, and young musicians from outreach projects.

The musicians shall receive workshops and lessons from professional musicians in preparation for their concerts around Scotland, including a performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Stevenson Hall featuring three world premieres. The group shall also perform as part of Festival 2014 in venues around the city, in community concerts with Live Music Now Scotland; at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival and The Glad Café. This final concert, geared towards young people with special needs and their families, is a collaboration with Travelling Birds, a project working with young people who have complex needs. They will perform alongside Scokendia musicians, who will then perform at Rachel House Hospice.

Scokendia is a highlight element and is expected to make a significant contribution within the Culture 2014 programme as part of the Scotland wide prestigious programme of events in Scotland to celebrate the city’s hosting of the XX Commonwealth Games.

The Cultural Programme will be a key part of the Games experience for spectators and visitors, showcasing the best of Scottish culture alongside creative work from across the Commonwealth and be a nationwide celebration of the Games, reaching its peak as Glasgow bursts into life at Games time.  The programme will feature theatre, dance, music, visual arts, comedy and multi-media; intimate shows and outdoor spectaculars; work in theatres, community centres, on bicycles, by rivers, in botanic gardens, art galleries, cinemas, public spaces and much more.

 

The Scokendia Ensemble is an official project of the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme and is supported by the Hope Scott Trust and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The Cultural Programme is a partnership between the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee, Glasgow Life, and Creative Scotland through National Lottery funding