Thursday, 24th October

We started with our usual routine, teaching in Ballanta music academy. The students were already waiting for us having practiced what we taught them in time for our lessons. It was incredible to see how much they had progressed and their enthusiasm to learn more still. Meanwhile, the teaching at JT continued. Football, glitter and nursery rhymes were all on the agenda. 

After lunch we took the bus down to the Aberdeen Women's Centre. AWC is a centre for women caring for their maternity, especially for the poorer citizens. This was a very interesting experience for us, as we met many mothers whose age ranged from 12 upwards, some given birth to their child just today. After being given a tour of the centre, we gave a concert to the patients and the 117 members of staff. Opening the concert with Angharad on the trumpet the repertoire ranged from Wallace and Gromit to Gershwin's Summertime. Plenty of entertainment, photographs and laughter followed, then we had to make our way back to the comfort zone to prepare for the concert in the evening.

After a satisfying meal of spaghetti carbonara, we drove to the British Council to deliver our concert. The atmosphere was buzzing with a mixture of apprehension and excitement as the audience began to fill the hall. Lizzie started the evening with a blast, singing the great jazz piece, Ella Fitzgerald  'At last'. As the concert drew to a close, Darcey dueted with a local citizen and the amazing Ballanta band played a few tunes as everyone left.

Nurry