Youngsters took part in a special concert with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO).
The group of 40 children from Big Noise Govanhill, all aged between 10 and 15, performed side-by-side with the world-renowned RSNO at Glasgow’s City Halls on Sunday night.
Concertgoers were then treated to a rendition of Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5 conducted by RSNO Music Director Thomas Søndergård, following weeks of hard work, preparation and rehearsals.
It gave the young people the opportunity to demonstrate their confidence, teamwork and musical skills to friends, family, and a public audience.
Big Noise Govanhill, delivered by the charity Sistema Scotland, is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its launch in Glasgow this year.
The programme now supports around 1,250 children, young people, and their families.
Independent expert research by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health found that Big Noise participants are more likely to achieve a positive post-school destination – including going into employment, training or higher or further education – than those who do not take part.
The work of Big Noise Govanhill is delivered in partnership with Glasgow City Council, with additional support from a wide range of public and private funders including the Scottish Government and players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Ali Gornall, Head of Centre for Big Noise Govanhill, said: “The concert at City Halls with the RSNO was fantastic and we were so proud to watch young people from Big Noise Govanhill performing alongside professional musicians from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
“It was wonderful to see our young musicians demonstrating their confidence, team work, musical skills and talents on a big stage in front of a public audience as well as their families.
“This was made even more special by the fact we are celebrating our tenth year of working in the Govanhill community.”
Sophia Ghafoor, whose 12-year-old son Mohammad Jibran Ali performed in the concert, said: “I feel so proud of my son and all of the young people who took part – I had tears of joy in my eyes watching them perform.
“Mohammed was quite an emotional, shy and sensitive boy, but since he started Big Noise I have seen his confidence and self-esteem grow massively.
“He no longer gets stressed or nervous when it comes to big events like this concert. I can’t believe how far my boy has come, and it’s wonderful to see that he feels so proud of himself.
“Big Noise Govanhill is a great opportunity for our community to come together.
“Most families in the area are on low incomes and we can’t afford extra-curricular activities for our children, so to have this programme where they learn music and get healthy snacks is just amazing.”
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