Pioneering players from Carnoustie High School Brass Band have returned triumphant from a trip of a lifetime to China.
The young Angus musicians were the first school youth brass band in Britain to be invited to perform in China, at the request of the Chinese Ambassador to Scotland.
They enjoyed highlights including performances in front of crowds of up to 2,500 and a trip to the Great Wall.
The group spent the first part of the two-week trip in the city of Tianjin where they performed four times to capacity audiences.
As well as playing, the musicians and staff also attended Mandarin lessons for three hours every morning, took part in Chinese fan painting and learned to play the zither.
They performed at the British Embassy in Beijing in front of 2,500 guests, before meeting with British Ambassador, Dame Barbara Woodward.
Band piper Owen Sweeney was invited to perform for the Embassy Security Services and was then presented with a medal and invited to be the official piper for the British Embassy in Beijing.
Carnoustie & District Brass Band – Visited, walked to and on the Great Wall of China. pic.twitter.com/EVsHvH3d3V
— Carnoustie High (@CarnoustieHigh) September 19, 2018
The Carnoustie contingent also included dancers Meggie Martin-Lyall and Cara McFarlane whose Highland Dancing also impressed audiences at every event.
The Embassy concert was screened on Chinese national television, and their hosts were so impressed with the Angus band that they have been invited to return next year.
Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City were part of the cultural agenda the pupils enjoyed before a performance at the Beijing Conservatoire of Music which earned the band a standing ovation.
They also made the steep climb to the Great Wall before a concert with schools attached to Beijing University, sharing the platform with young Mongolian dancers and a primary school orchestra.
Prior to departure, the pupils also took in the spectacle of the Water Cube and the Birds Nest Olympic stadium in Beijing.
Musical director Michael Robertson said: “This was the trip of a lifetime for the young musicians.
“The Chinese people were very warm and welcoming and many friendships have been formed.
“The pupils were a credit to Carnoustie High School, Scotland and especially to their parents.
“I am so proud to have been able to take this group to China and I would like to thank again everyone who helped make this possible.
“A special thank you must go to Miss Fiona MacPherson, faculty head of expressive arts at Carnoustie High, percussion teacher Paul Judge and Angie Hill, Mrs Jocelyn Robertson and Mr Ding who organised and co-ordinated all the events in both Tianjin and Beijing.
“He did a superb job and was extremely popular with both pupils and staff.”
