The Glasgow International Jazz Festival, which runs from today unitl July 2, will host the inaugural Glasgow Schools Jazz competition this weekend. Five schools have entered.
The competition grew out of an initial idea to invite some school bands to play at a concert which features the Strathclyde Jazz Orchestra and the Strathclyde Youth Jazz Orchestra, the flagship ensemble of the BA in applied music at Strathclyde University. Instead, the bands will join the concert on Sunday afternoon at the Old Fruitmarket to compete for the Chick Macafferty Cup.
“Margaret Macafferty, the education convener for Glasgow City Council, was keen to commemorate her late husband, Chick, in some way. They were married for 50 years, and he was a jazz fan and a big supporter of youth music. We suggested the competition,” explains Cathie Rae, the festival’s programme manager.
Neil Robertson, Glasgow education’s youth music officer, invited all the secondary schools in the authority to participate. Five have come forward: Rosshall Academy, Smithycroft, Hillpark and King’s Park secondaries and Jordanhill.
Each group has been asked to prepare two contrasting pieces to play in 10 minutes, with, if possible, improvised solos.
www.jazzfest.co.uk
