CELEBRATED composer Sir James MacMillan has launched a bid to turn a Scottish town into a new centre of excellence in the learning and teaching of composition.
The project is a partnership between MacMillan’s Cumnock Tryst and London’s prestigious Trinity College. In its first year, it is delivering a school-based composition project and a new book co-authored by MacMillan and fellow composer and chief executive of the Cumnock Tryst, Jennifer Martin.
It is anticipated that over the next 10 years, the East Ayrshire town will become an internationally renowned centre for composition that supports composers at the beginning of their careers; those teaching composition in schools; composers studying within higher education; and young composers still at school.
The school-based composition project will see Advanced Higher Music pupils from Robert Burns Academy work on compositions with the help of MacMillan, Martin and students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland as they write a new piece for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s brass quintet.
All of the completed works will be performed and recorded in a live event within the Robert Burns Academy in 2021 when restrictions allow.
The works by the young composers will then be collated in a growing archive of music written by pupils in East Ayrshire and in due course, it is hoped to be made available to teachers and students via the Trinity College London website.
The book commissioned by Trinity College will illustrate the compositional process and to support those teaching and learning composition in the upper years of secondary school.
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This book incorporates much of the teaching processes used in the Tryst’s composition projects for schools and will be launched at The Cumnock Tryst Festival in October 2021.
MacMillan said: “It has long been an ambition of mine to take all the experience and learnings we have built over many years of teaching composition in the schools around Cumnock and East Ayrshire and make those available to teachers and students further afield. Teachers are under an incredible amount of pressure and for many composition is a challenging topic to tackle.
“We’ve seen fantastic results at both primary and secondary school levels through our work here and feel we can really help support and empower those tasked with teaching composition in our schools across the UK.”
Stuart Pearce, director of Trinity’s UK & Ireland markets said: “Trinity’s relationship with Sir James and the Cumnock Tryst is very important to us and we are delighted to be able to support this invaluable and ground-breaking work.
“The publication of this book is a wonderful way to underpin the centre of excellence initiative and we look forward to a long and valuable collaboration.”
MacMillan added: “At a time when those who make music face so many challenges, we are very glad to be able to continue our plans to create a centre of excellence in the teaching and learning of composition.
“Working with Trinity College London we can make the resources we will develop available to a wide network of music and education establishments around the world to support the creation of new music everywhere.”
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