Making Music - Scotland

28/05/2026

Enjoy this recording of the 2025 composition, also funded by Creative Scotland

Making Music is the UK's number one organisation supporting and championing leisure-time music, with over 3,800 member groups. Offering practical services, online resources, artistic opportunities and

18/05/2026

Join the Big Summer Wind Orchestra & Choir at The Kelpies and Helix Park on 21 June - Make Music Day UK. We're inviting anyone who can play a wind orchestra instrument or who loves to sing to join us for a big blaw oot!

Everyone is welcome to join, with any wind orchestra instrument or just your voice. No experience required, no rehearsal expected, no fee - just join in and have fun! The programme will have something for everyone - from folk song to musicals, and pop favourites to opera choruses. Performers can access the sheet music digitally a few weeks in advance if they do want to have a wee practise.

We'll be one of four events taking place across the UK, the final leg in a relay from Belfast to Aberystwyth to London and then Falkirk from 4.30pm. The event is organised by the BSWO&C with Making Music and supported by Falkirk Council.

Full info and sign up here: https://falkirk.bigsummerwindorchestra.org/

18/05/2026

Congratulations to Forth Valley Chorus and Aberdeen Chorus - 1st and 2nd places at Quartet of Nations Region 31 - Sweet Adelines International contest earlier this month. Scotland representing!

Region 31 history has been made.... FIRST PLACE with a score of 700 baby!!!!

Congratulations to every single chorus, some incredible scores once again, you make your region very proud!

15/05/2026

This Mental Health Awareness Week is about Taking Action to improve your mental health. Any of you who have been singing or playing together this week are doing just that. Singer and MM member Samir Savant explains how in this article: https://www.makingmusic.org.uk/news/why-singing-good-you

And have a look at this study by UCL with evidence that "People who engaged in arts activities reported a greater ability to cope with mental health problems... Cultural attendance may not alter the psychological or behavioural factors relating to coping in the way that the act of ‘participation’ in arts activities does "
https://sbbresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SBB-Evidence-Brief-Arts-and-mental-health.pdf

We love that our members are not only taking care of themselves by making music, but also taking action to open up music to all and creating friendly and happy environments for their community. Thank you and enjoy your music making this week.

05/05/2026

Less than 2 days to go until we go to the polls for the Scottish Parliament elections. If you are still considering which boxes to check, here's a couple of articles with a round up of the parties policies on culture and the arts. Culture Counts have a full round up as well (and not behind a paywall!) - Making Music is a member of the Culture Counts network and we are backing the call for a Culture Act for Scotland.

https://culturecounts.scot/news/2026/4/8/scottish-parliament-elections-2026-party-manifesto-pledges-for-culture

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26073239.scotlands-political-parties-planning-arts-industry/

https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/what-scotlands-political-parties-have-planned-for-arts-and-culture-7173156

The parties’ manifestos differ dramatically in their focus on culture

29/04/2026

Are you wondering what your candidates in the Scottish Parliament election will do for culture? Culture Counts have been tracking the party manifesto pledges for culture and produced this handy chart 👇. You can see the full detail here: https://culturecounts.scot/news/2026/4/8/scottish-parliament-elections-2026-party-manifesto-pledges-for-culture

Read why Making Music are backing the Culture Counts ask for A Culture Act for Scotland here: https://www.makingmusic.org.uk/news/scotland-culture-act

24/04/2026

📣The Big Summer Wind Orchestra and Choir are coming to FALKIRK on Make Music Day UK 21 June and you are all invited to join!

🎺 We'll be at the iconic Kelpies at Helix Park at 5pm, for a scratch performance. Everyone is welcome to join and sing or play any wind orchestra instrument. You'll perform a wide range of music including well-known pop, folk, opera songs and classical arrangements plus some Scottish favourites. Sheet music will be provided for free to all performers in advance. No charge to take part.

🎷All info and sign up forms are here https://falkirk.bigsummerwindorchestra.org/

Please share and spread the word. There will also be an event in London, Aberystwyth and Belfast, so join us and make this an epic way to celebrate music making across the whole of the UK!

21/04/2026

21/04/2026

Sing with the spectacular Caird Hall Organ on Saturday 26 September. All details 👇

We're delighted to announce that our popular Come & Sing returns on Saturday 26 September, featuring director Frikki Walker and organist Andrew Forbes.

This is an unmissable opportunity to sing in the wonderful acoustics of the Caird Hall, accompanied by the magnificent Harrison & Harrison organ. Repertoire includes Five Mystical Songs by Vaughan Williams and Parry's two barnstorming choral favourites, Blest pair of sirens and Hear my words, ye people.

Book now! Full details and online booking at https://focho.org/come-and-sing/

We welcome Frikki Walker to lead the day. Frikki has been Director of Music at St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow since 1996, and under his leadership the choir has developed into a choir of professional standing, with an international reputation for excellence. Until recently he was also Director of RSCM Scottish Voices.

Andrew Forbes, born in Perth, is an innovative Scottish organist who was appointed to Glasgow Cathedral at the age of 21. He is a First Prize winner of the Northern Ireland International Organ Competition, a shortlisted finalist at St Albans International Organ Competition, an Associate of the Royal College of Organists, and winner of the RCS Prize for Early Music.

14/04/2026

Are you a singer who'd like to learn to read music? The folks at Acquire - Glasgow are running a series of workshops in May and June to develop knowledge and confidence in reading, writing and singing from written music. Wednesday evenings at Woodside Halls. Links in their post 👇

13/04/2026