L - R: Laura Carter, Amy Stewart and Hannah de Bordes
A trio of talented musicians from St Margaret’s School for Girls is celebrating after all three were offered a place at their choice of university to study music later this year.
Sixth year pupils Hannah de Bordes and Amy Stewart have each been offered and accepted a place at the prestigious Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, to study violin and composition respectively. Classmate Laura Carter has accepted an offer to study music at Edinburgh Napier University.
All three girls have studied music at St Margaret’s for several years and are members of a number of the school’s ensembles. They have also all attended music tours in Budapest and Krakow and will be taking part in this summer’s tour to Prague, where they will play concerts and perform to audiences.
Head teacher Anna Tomlinson said the success of the girls was testament to the dedication and commitment they showed, as well as the many hours of hard work they put into music practice each week.
“We are exceptionally proud of Hannah, Amy and Laura and their fantastic achievements,” she said. “They have all worked exceptionally hard to secure offers to study at their choice of university, and they are an absolute inspiration to the other girls in school, not just those who study music. St Margaret’s has a rich tradition of music – it is a very important aspect of the school and one in which each and every girl has an opportunity to take part.
“All three of them have very exciting futures ahead of them and we will be following their careers with huge interest and pride.”
Hannah first picked up a violin about seven years ago and has gone on to become an extremely accomplished player. She is a member of the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland, Grampian Youth Orchestra and the RCS Junior Conservatoire.
“Music tuition at St Margaret’s has given me a better understanding of music theory and history and also helped me to identify and understand musical concepts better,” she said. “Playing in the school string ensembles and orchestra has helped me to develop my listening skills and there have been several performance opportunities which have helped me to develop as a performer and use nerves in a more positive way. Being offered a place at the Conservatoire is a dream come true - I am so grateful and excited to be able to follow my passion.”
Amy’s love of composition has developed in the 10 years since she first started playing piano, which is her first instrument, and violin, which she picked up later. She is currently a member of Grampian Youth Orchestra, Aberdeen Chamber Orchestra and attends “Get Composing” sessions run by Sound Scotland.
She said: “I have developed a range of styles, mostly in the past five years since composition has been taught at school. I always loved doing extra compositions by myself, rather than sticking to the prescribed tasks set in school. I am currently in the rehearsal stages of a new piece I have written especially for the musicians in our year, which was premiered at our Spring Concert. I was so excited when I received my offer from the Conservatoire. The teachers at St Margaret’s inspired me to go down the composition route, and I know that I would definitely not be going to study it without their help and support.”
Laura, meanwhile, has been studying brass since primary 5, when she first began playing the trumpet. She started tuba lessons six years ago and has been studying singing since second year, through which she has developed a passion for musical theatre.
“I am interested in lots of aspects of music, and I am very much interested in exploring the area of music therapy after I leave school,” she said. “Although I currently study tuba, voice and piano, I love to teach myself other instruments in my spare time such as trombone, ukulele and guitar. I also play in concerts and attend rehearsals for the Bon Accord Silver Band, which competes nationally in the championship section, as well as the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland. I was overjoyed when I received my offer as I felt as though all my hard work had paid off.”