It was as maternity cover that Allan Young arrived on the Perthshire music scene in 1984 – with the expectation he would stay in the role of the region’s strings instructor for only one term.
The Luncarty native had just completed his studies at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) and was brought in as short-term maternity cover.
Instead, Allan remained in the role for 13 years, becoming the music co-ordinator for the Perth and Kinross Education and Children’s Services in 1996 and heading up a team of 29 talented instructors.
This also handed Allan responsibility for the Perthshire region when Tayside music services were split into four different areas and in 2000 he succeeded the late Eoin Bennett as the conductor of Perth Youth Orchestra (PYO).
MBE marks 40-year contribution to Perthshire music scene
As he starts his 40th year of developing youngsters’ musical potential, the 61-year-old has now been recognised for his efforts with an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List.
“It was a complete surprise and unexpected but was a very nice surprise”, he said.
“When I got the letter at the beginning of November from the Cabinet Office, I thought it must to be fill in an application for someone else.”
Allan received this award just three weeks after helping the Perth & Kinross Instrumental Music Service (PKIMS) to raise about £10,000 from its 20th annual Christmas Childline concert on Thursday December 7 2023.
As the head of PKIMS for the last 21 years, Allan has played a crucial role in these performances, which bring large crowds to the Perth Concert Hall.
On average they have raised £10,000 per year from the event, with the money from last month’s performance expected to be even higher.
“The orchestra used to perform a small charity concert 20 years ago, before Childline approached us and asked if we wanted to use it to raise funds for them”, he explains.
“It’s a great evening and a nice event for the youngsters.”
Allan may be slightly modest about the money these concerts have raised, but the role he has played in encouraging Perthshire youngsters to pick up an instrument can’t be underestimated.
How important is music for Perthshire youngsters?
At the forefront of his work is a realisation about the role music can play and a focus on inclusivity when it comes to giving young people in the remotest parts of Perthshire the opportunity to be creative.
“There is the joy of playing an instrument and having the opportunity to play with other people, while there are also social benefits and the technical enjoyment as well”, Allan explained.
“All sorts of evidence shows how music can enhance learning across the curriculum and it can help children learn skills that are transferable to other subjects.
“We have tried to encourage young people from more rural parts to take up music and that means travelling out to certain remote parts of the region to improve accessibility across the board to provide more support.”
Allan has also directed Perth and Kinross music camps on a yearly basis for the last 28 years, with these residential camps recognised for the important role they play in the region’s educational output.
One of the standout moments for Allan during his time with the service was leading the orchestra in a performance for Queen Elizabeth II to mark the opening of the new Perth Concert Hall in June 2005.
“I was very proud of the PYO after their performance and I was able to introduce many young musicians to the Queen, which was an honour”, he said.
The conductor has also taken PYO youngsters on trips further afield on a triennial basis, with the group performing in Estonia, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain in recent years.
Despite, the MBE that has now been added to Allan’s title, the music veteran and talented violinist sees the recognition as a joint award that he shares with those he has worked alongside.
“I’m very lucky to have such a supportive wife, Laura, who is also part of the instrumental support of the orchestra and the choir”, he said.
“I like what I do and one of the things that makes it much easier is leading such a fantastic and unique team that is so professional.
“I see this award as an honour to the music service as a whole, which has me at the helm.”
Conversation