The members of Bathgate's Newland Concert Brass recently hosted the second International Youth Music Camp with the support of West Lothian Council and the Bathgate/Cran-Gevrier Twinning Association.

France and Italy

The Scottish and French towns have been twinned since 2010, and the first International Youth Music Camp took place in France in 2011 involving musicians from Piossasco in Italy.

The Musical Director this year was Newland’s Mark Good who recently graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Music to ceilidhs

The brass and woodwind players aged from 11 to 16 not only enjoyed the great music making, but also took part in many activities including ten pin bowling, pioneering, canoeing, a burns supper and a ceilidh.

It was fabulous to hear the Youth Band at the final concert and amazing to think that Mark had only worked with them for less than a weekKaren Heenan

Concert finale

The camp finished with a joint concert with Newland Concert Brass under their conductor Andy Shaw at the Regal Community Theatre in Bathgate, with a rousing selection of music for an appreciative audience to enjoy, including piper Daniel Boyle on ‘Highland Cathedral’.

Music Camp Director, Karen Heenan told 4BR: "The week was a fantastic experience for all involved and the young people were a credit to Mark Good, their teachers, families and indeed Scotland, France and Italy.

It was fabulous to hear the Youth Band at the final concert and amazing to think that Mark had only worked with them for less than a week."