Calderglen High musicians celebrate success at Glasgow Jazz Festival

Nov 18 2009 by Graham Mann, East Kilbride News

YOUNG musicians from Calderglen High School in the town have every right to blow their own trumpets after hitting the high notes at a prestigious Jazz festival.

Calderglen’s budding Louis Armstrongs and Charlie Parkers won the Chic McCafferty Cup at the Glasgow Jazz Festival’s Schools’ Jazz band competition beating off stiff competition from schools throughout the country.

Calderglen High School’s music teacher Susan Mathieson led the band to a double success at the Fruitmarket in Glasgow’s Merchant City.

Their pitch perfect performance of ‘Moon Dance’ by Van Morrison and ‘Saxes With Attitude’ by Michael Sweeney won over an expert judging panel.

As well as winning the top prize on the evening, the Calderglen beboppers were also named ‘Best Big Band’ to add to their growing accolade.

And to round off a superb evening for the East Kilbride school, talented trombonist Craig McMahon was presented with an individual prize for his superb solo performance, making it an exceptional night for the Calderglen pupils.

Susan said: “It was a great night for everyone at the school.

“We were up against regional bands as well as school bands so it really was a tremendous effort by all our members.

“The members of the band deserve great credit and everyone at the school is very proud of them.”

And now, hot on the heels of their recent success, the band is already tuning up for another big performance.

It will perform on the main stage in George Square, Glasgow as part of Winterfest on a date yet to be confirmed in December.

Jazz aficionados will be in for a treat when Calderglen share the bill with Strathclyde Youth Jazz Orchestra as part of a two hour show.

Susan added: “As winners of the Chic McCafferty Cup we get the chance to play at Winterfest which is something we are all really looking forward to.

“Stuart Forbes from Strathclyde Youth Jazz Orchestra will also be visiting the school soon to hold a workshop and then on December 16 we will be playing at the school’s Christmas concert.”

Now in its fourth year the Chic McCafferty Cup is named in honour of one of the original board members of the Glasgow Jazz Festival, who helped to establish the Festival in 1987.

The cup was presented by his widow Margaret McCafferty who said that her husband would have been very proud of the high standard of performance seen during the evening.

The judging panel was made up of Ian Smith, head of music at the Scottish Arts Council; Keith Bruce, arts editor of The Herald, Jazz trumpeter Tom MacNiven and Todd Gordon, who runs the jazz promotion company Jazz International as well as being a renowned jazz singer.

The event was made possible with the support of The Carntyne Trust, The Commonweal Fund Trades House of Glasgow, Glasgow’s Concert Halls, ESP Music Rentals and Strathclyde Youth Jazz Orchestra. The event is run as part of the Glasgow Jazz Festival.

The winning line-up is: Holly Ogilvie, Caithlin Stewart, Craig Clayton, Allan Dixon, Jaqueline Fergusson, Anna Doig, Kieron Burns, Andrew McLaren, Ross Cathcart, Lauren Esler, Claire Wilson, Rachel Mitchell, Amy Hendon, Katie McNee, Katie Willis, Craig McMahon, Joan Miller, Emily Tse, Rebecca Coghill, Lewis Hunter, Rachel Jones and Calum Doig.