EAST Lothian’s Senior String Ensemble have been thanked by Members of the Scottish Parliament following a performance by the group at a reception hosted by Craig Hoy MSP in the Parliament celebrating community champions from across the South of Scotland.
Members of the ensemble were invited to tour the Scottish Parliament building and Craig Hoy MSP also submitted a parliamentary motion to thank them for their performance and recognise the group’s recent achievement for being named Scottish Young Ensemble of the Year 2023.
The ensemble is made up of secondary school pupils from Knox Academy, North Berwick High School, Musselburgh Grammar School, Ross High School and Dunbar Grammar School.
Following the reception, Craig Hoy MSP said: “I was pleased to welcome East Lothian’s Senior String Ensemble to the Scottish Parliament building to perform at my local community champions reception. The group’s award-winning set was very well-received by local champions at the reception.
“I was also happy to tour the group around the Scottish Parliament building and submit a parliamentary motion to MSPs to thank them for their performance as well as congratulating them for winning the Scottish Young Musicians Ensemble of the Year.”
The motion, which has been presented to MSPs, states: “That the Parliament congratulates the East Lothian Senior String Ensemble for winning the Scottish Young Musicians Ensemble of the Year 2023; recognises the work of team leader, Jonathan Gawn, from the East Lothian Council Instrumental Music Service, and instructors, Fiona Smith, Carolyn Wilson, Pauline Hickman and Ewing Lauder, in coaching the ensemble to win the awards; further recognises the contributions of violinists, Isabella Gold (Knox Academy), Brodie Wallace (Knox Academy), Lois Thomson (North Berwick High School), Lilia Villarreal-Forrest (North Berwick High School), Michael Hoole (Musselburgh Grammar School) and Thomas Bull (Ross High School), celloists, Freya Harley (North Berwick High School) and Hannah Swinney (Dunbar Grammar School), double bass player, Peter Stuart (North Berwick High School), pianist, Hayden Way (North Berwick High School), and drummer, Ben Gentil (Knox Academy) in winning the award, and thanks the ensemble and pianist, Ivy Briggs, for playing at Craig Hoy MSP’s Community Champions Reception in the Scottish Parliament to thank volunteers from across the South Scotland region for their contributions to local communities.”
