Young members of Bathgate’s Newland Concert Brass were recently invited to Cran-Gevrier in France to take part in the first ever International Music Camp as part of the Bathgate/Cran Gevrier Twinning Agreement.

The Scottish and French towns have been twinned since March 2010.

International camp

The brass and woodwind players who took part in the international camp were aged from 12 to 17 years and came from Scotland, France and Italy under MD Jean-Sébastien Scotton, a professional musician and Musical Director for the Union Musicale in Cran-Gevrier.

He worked alongside Newland Junior Band conductor Mark Good, assisted by Italian music teachers Fabianna Maniglio and Silvio Vaglienti.

The week was a fantastic experience for all involved and the young people from Newland Juniors acquitted themselves extremely wellMD, Mark Good

Activities

The young people rehearsed in the Cran-Gevrier Music School and also took part in many activities in the towns of Cran- Gevrier and Annecy including sailing, swimming, hillwalking, international quizzes and games. They also enjoyed taking part in the Bastille Day party celebrations.

Fantastic experience

Mark Good told 4BR: "The week was a fantastic experience for all involved and the young people from Newland Juniors acquitted themselves extremely well.

They developed immensely both musically and socially in the company of their new French and Italian friends, all in the beautiful surroundings of Cran-Gevrier and nearby Annecy."