Young musicians from the Highlands have launched a brand new band with the aim of promoting the traditional folk music of Scotland.
Cadets from 1st Battalion The Highlanders Army Cadet Force have used the current lockdown to launch the Battalion’s new Traditional Music Band and publish their first music video online
The Traditional Music Band, which is the first band of its kind in the ACF, will see the musicians perform the traditional folk music of the Highlands & Islands. For the past few months the cadets have been practising virtually, and with the Band being spread geographically from the Western Isles to the Shetland Isles even without current restrictions normal face-to-face rehearsals would be difficult. But these barriers have not prevented them from recording their first Music Video “Wild Mountain Thyme” which was published on the Battalion’s YouTube Channel. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qw_n8SSGHbg
The cadets have received full support from the Battalion with the creation of the band and lots assistance from the ACF Music Advisor at 51st Infantry Brigade and HQ Scotland, AUO Callum Mellis.
Band member Cadet Lance Corporal Alannah Logue (16), from Stornaway Detachment, said: “Traditional music, in general, is a massive part of the culture in Stornaway.”
There are currently eight members of the Band: Lt Catherine Browne (36), Bdr Stephanie McDowall (18), LBdr Freya Laing (15), Cdt Anna McDowall (16), from Orkney & Shetland Battery, and LCpl Alannah Logue, Cdt Elizabeth Greenstock (13), Cdt Karen Logue (13) and Cdt Lucy Spinks (13), from Western Isles Company.
The band are looking to expand their numbers, but due to the current virtual nature of the training they currently can only take musicians with musical experience.
