music

Alyth Pipe Band gets new look with casual uniform grant

by

Alyth & District Pipe Band have a new look for their practice sessions and informal appearances thanks to the Community Projects Fund administered by Alyth Development Trust.

A CPF grant of almost £1000 has enabled the Band to buy enough new T-shirts and hoodies featuring the Band’s name and logo.  This means all its members now have a new casual uniform to complement the full kilt outfits worn for formal performances.

The new gear also means that younger members who are too small for the full uniform can be properly decked out when joining the rest of the band while playing at events, while their parents and other non-playing members are identifiable as being part of the Band family.

The T-shirts and hoodies were ordered from specialist clothing suppliers Image Scotland and are already being worn with pride at Band practice sessions and performances. 

Band secretary Karen Barton said:  “The new outfits will help give the Band a stronger

band identity, within the band itself bringing the band together and to the public when out and about, which should hopefully help attract new members and make those members feel part of the Band.  We also thought it was unfair to expect all members to pay for new casual uniforms on top of weekly subs during the cost-of-living crisis, meaning everyone is treated equally.”

The Band is always keen to have new members come along to learn to play.  They practice on Wednesday nights in Alyth Town Hall at 6.30pm – if you or anyone you know is interested please contact alythanddistrictpipeband@gmail.com or get in touch on any of their social media platforms @alythanddistrictpipeband.

Alyth & District Pipe Band often plays in the town at community events such as at the Remembrance Sunday Parade and Alyth Christmas Lights Switch-on, helping the town come together and promote community spirit.  The Band gives these performances free of charge and also provides free volunteer tuition to new members, as the members feel that it is important to give back to the community.  But this means that the Band needs to fundraise and apply for funding to help support its growing membership – exactly the kind of initiative for which the Community Projects Fund was established.

ADT’s Community Projects Fund distributes the community benefit funds provided for Alyth by the operators of the Tullymurdoch Windfarm, some five miles north of the town.  Applications to the fund are judged by an independent panel of volunteers drawn from across the community.  Apply at https://lovealyth.org.uk/projects/alyth-community-projects-fund/.

Grant awarded to help Alyth Musical Society

by
Alyth Musical Society in their 2023 production of “Sister Act”

People in Alyth will continue to enjoy, and gain valuable skills and experience in staging, high quality musical entertainment helped, in part, by a grant from Alyth Development Trust (ADT).

ADT has awarded £2000 from its Community Projects Fund to Alyth Musical Society (AMS) to assist with the increasing production costs of its annual musical, which has been enjoyed by generations of Alyth people.

AMS put on its first production over 70 years ago, but the increasing costs of venue hire, costuming and musical expertise in the last couple of years threatened the continuation of this much-loved fixture of the local calendar.

Albert Halliburton of AMS explained:  “Our 2022 production of ‘Hello Dolly!’ incurred a significant loss, and this year we were facing increased costs for hiring rehearsal space and the performance venue.  This year’s production of ‘Sister Act’ also required additional paid musicians, putting the costs up still more. Increasing ticket prices to cover the whole deficit would have made them very pricey for many in the community, so the grant from ADT is of immeasurable assistance.

“Our annual productions are about much more than giving local people a great night out with live entertainment.  Our cast and crew – almost all local people themselves – get the opportunity to perform in, work backstage on props, lighting and staging, and front-of-house in ticketing and customer service.  Learning the nuances of preparing and putting on a stage show are very fulfilling and, especially for the younger generation, can teach valuable skills and experience.”

George Hall, chair of ADT, said:  “Alyth Musical Society is an important and established cultural asset for Alyth which has been delighting local audiences for decades.  We’re pleased to be able to help it continue to deliver a great experience for cast, crew and audiences alike.”

ADT’s Community Projects Fund distributes the community benefit funds provided for Alyth by the operators of the Tullymurdoch Windfarm, some five miles north of the town.  Applications to the fund are judged by an independent panel of volunteers drawn from across the community.

Back to top