Mozart in Rothesay

Well - he wasn't there exactly - this is a tale of playing some music of Mozart (and Borodin, Tchaikovsky and Dvorak - and Strauss as an encore) in Rothesay.

My fifth year at Allan Glens was "Highers" year. For many in Scotland it is the last year at school before going to university - however I was enjoying school so much (!!!) that I had already decided that I would do a sixth year to add a few extra exams. My highers included music - not much of a surprise there - and that required a practical exam as well as a written one.

As a French Horn player I had not (and still have not) ever bothered with doing "grades" - the Associated Board examinations that measure how proficient you are as a player - and so this was really my first ever 'real' examination on any instrument. The accepted wisdom was that The Scottish Higher was tested at a standard slightly higher than Grade 8 - the top grade that you could achieve and that was reflected in the required repertoire.

As well as scales, sight reading and some "listening tests" of harmony and other musical skills there were three "set pieces" for the exam. The first movement of Haydn's 1st Horn Concerto, the slow second movement from Mozart's 4th Horn Concerto and the Rondo finale from Richard Strauss' 1st Horn Concerto. No mean little recital required there.

The "powers that be" (or should that be "the powers that were"!!) within the Glasgow Schools music department were sufficiently impressed with what they heard from me that they did something that was previously unheard of - they scheduled a concerto for the Glasgow Schools' Second Orchestra in the summer and asked if I would be prepared to play the Mozart (K495) in that concert. I was, of course, flattered - a bit worried - and needing to learn the other movements to a sufficiently high standard!!! This was to be my first "real" orchestra concert and I would not only be principal horn, but also I would be the soloist. Wow!! It was 'traditional' to have a soloist at the First Orchestra - that year the music was the Mendellsohn Violin Concerto - but it was a real honour that they thought enough of my playing to deem it worthy of a place as soloist with the Second Orchestra.

As an aside this was the start of a number of years of really enjoyable association with the Glasgow Schools' Music Department with many adventures thrown in!! One of the times in my life when I really felt that my skills were appreciated.

The rest of the programme was Borodin's Prince Igor Overture, Tchaikovsky's Marche Slav and the eight symphony of Dvorak. Unlike "professional" soloists I was required to play in all of the rest of the programme as well!! I guess that made for a particularly challenging ten days or so - but I have no particular memory of that side of it. The conductor was Trevor Harvey - a real "larger than life" figure who was associated with many youth orchestras including the British Youth Symphony Orchestra. He had a really great way with the orchestra - drawing out the skills - whilst understanding the limitations. Not only was this my first "real" orchestra concert, it was also the first time that I had experienced the wonders of a "music camp" of any sort - the intensity of rehearsals - morning and afternoon for the duration of the course - the challenges and delights of "living with" a group of over 50 young people who shared a love of music - the novelty of being "away from home" for that time (this wasn't a first for me, but it was still sufficiently unusual that there was a lot of novelty).

I don't remember that much, to be honest, of what happened during that time - I do remember making many friends - that always happens in those environments - one of whom invited me to go along to the Glasgow Arts Centre Orchestra where I met a pretty shy and inexperienced horn player. Hugh Seenan would go on to a stellar career as a French Horn player (and I like to think that I influenced him just a little in the years that we played together back in Glasgow) including being principal horn in the RSNO and the LSO. (but that is another story!!)

One memory that does stick in my mind relates to the Saturday evening in the middle of the course when we were given a bit of real free time - including the opportunity of going to the cinema. I swallowed my natural introversion/reticence/hesitance/lack of confidence and plucked up the courage to actually ask one of the girls out on a "date"!! She was the principal cellist and - to my mind - the prettiest girl in the orchestra!! Unfortunately, my courage was plucked too late as I was beaten to the line by one of the other boys - her answer was sorry, but **** has already asked me. Oh dear!! There was, however, an upside to this for my sense of self worth. After the concert my rival had rather indulged in too much alcohol - this had not endeared him to her!! She confided that she wished she had accepted my date rather than his!

We remained good friends for several years - she was the one who introduced me to the Glasgow Arts Centre orchestra - where again I was able to 'help' Hugh on his journey to fame - I well remember even attempting the Schumann Konzertstuck with him and two others.

When the "repeat concert" came around a couple of months after the Rothesay one (the orchestras all repeated their summer concerts in September/October time in Glasgow after a weekend of refreshing their memories) we were performing in the Glasgow Chambers. When I walked out to play the Mozart (I needed the 'crutch' of the music on the stand - not trusting my memory - although I did write out the whole of the Dvorak part from memory after the course!!) my music was on the stand and, written on the front was "Good Luck George, Lots of Love, *****, xx".

Undoubtedly one of the nice things to have happened to me.

Growing up in Glasgow I was obviously aware of the sectarian divide - protestant and catholic schools - there was (in my world) no antagonism, but there were equally few opportunities to mix. The Orchestra camps were, therefore, the very first time that I had (knowingly) been mixing with catholics. I should say that there was absolutely no divisions noticeable at these camps - although the first question that was asked was often "which school do you go to" that was not in any way directed at choosing who was on "your side" - it was simply a way of getting know people a bit better. Hugh (from St Mungo's) and my cellist friend (from Notre Dame) were just two examples of people that I would not have come into contact with other than through these sort of camps.

Then again - as a pupil of Allan Glens' I was not mixing with boys or girls from Glasgow High or Hillhead or any of the other Glasgow Schools I guess. The point I am trying to make (I think) is that although there is - without a shadow of a doubt - some divisions rooted in the sectarian divides I don't think that they are particularly different from the "divides" between those who grow up in Penilee as against Pollock as against Partick (or wherever). People wil naturally show some tribal loyalty - and some antagonism towards other tribes. Religion is just one way in which these tribes are formed.