Music school director retires

MUSIC SCHOOL RETIRAL

Iain Ferguson Well-known throughout the area for his musical talent and enthusiasm for encouraging young people to learn instruments of all kinds, Peter Rose has retired after 16 years as director of Lochaber Music School.

Under his leadership and with a team of highly talented and experienced tutors along with financial support from The Highland Council, the music school now offers individual lessons with an exciting and fulfilling musical curriculum, currently enriching the lives of more than 140 Lochaber children aged from six months to 17 years old.

The organisation was founded in 1987 by eminent cello teacher Audrey Scott when there was no string teaching provided for Lochaber schools and since then its range of instruments and teaching has greatly diversified.

Audrey, Peter’s successor, violinist David Murray, trustees and members gave him a suitably tuneful send off at an open air garden party, with gifts of a laburnum tree plus a special bottle of whisky and Highland Pottery.

Audrey Scott, on behalf of the trustees, also presented Peter with a beautiful engraved quaich.

Video of messages and music from Peter’s past students were also played in a moving and sincere tribute to Peter’s inspiring work as director of Lochaber Music School. Peter’s daughter Helena joined Clare Reynolds, David and Sarah Murray in a live performance of quartet music. Peter is also known internationally for his extremely successful environmental musicals, performed in prestigious concert halls and theatres throughout the world.

Co-written with lyricist Anne Conlon, these have been commissioned by WWF and sung by thousands upon thousands of children from every continent.

Recently, their musical ‘Ocean World’, which highlights the plight of the planet’s oceans, was performed for the G7 First Ladies in the spectacular open air Minack Theatre in Cornwall.

In 2016, Peter was awarded the MBE for services to musical education and conservation nationally and internationally. His retiral as director means he can devote more time to composing, teaching the piano and performing.

He said: ‘The music school is a unique Lochaber institution and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to direct its course for the last 16 years.

‘In so many ways, the music school has always felt like one big musical family.’