It's been an astonishing couple of weeks for the athletes of Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and the team's athletic successes seem to have lifted the spirits of the whole nation.
But running alongside the Olympic and Paralympic Games has been the London 2012 Festival, over 12,000 events and performances right across the whole of the UK specially designed to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic Games - and one of the projects supported by BBC Children in Need played a vital role in launching the Festival in Scotland!
Members of The Big Noise Orchestra
40 musicians aged between eight and twelve were selected from The Big Noise Orchestra to play alongside the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra to open the 2012 Olympic festival in Scotland.
A few years ago, most of these children had never played a musical instrument. They were curious 5-year-olds handling violins, cellos and oboes for the first time in their lives. In June of this year, they played alongside some of the best musicians in the world.
The Big Noise Orchestra performing at the launch of the London 2012 Festival in Scotland
Here’s a clip of them performing Egmont Overture by Beethoven with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra.
The Children in Need funded project was set up in 2008, inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema education scheme to transform children’s lives through music. There are now 120 young musicians in Raploch whose parents – without exception – believe The Big Noise has helped make their children more confident and more than 90% felt that their child was happier.
BBC Children in Need has funded this project since 2008 - they're currently receiving a 3-year grant of £86,406 which funds the salaries of 7 musicians.
With schemes like these helping to create happier children with higher self-esteem and a sense of achievement and pride, the future looks bright for Raploch’s younger generation.
Pictures courtesy of Marc Marnie.
