Orkney Music & Culture
Announcing our first event for 2025
We are starting the New Year with a great Burns Night concert at Kirkwall Town Hall on 25th January. Doors open at 7.30pm and tickets can be obtained in advance from Eventbrite here or use the QR code with your phone. You can also purchase tickets on the door on the night. Please see the poster below for the full line up. There are more details on our Facebook page.
Slow Sessions and other events of interest
Slow Sessions are now taking place at the Orkney Music Rooms from 7.15pm to 8.15pm. These events are free. Music notation and stands will be provided for this session. All welcome. For more information please go to see the Slow Session Calendar. On Facebook you will also find details of other events of interest.
Sibelius Laptop Loan Scheme
Orkney Music and Culture aims to provide increased opportunities for people to participate in music-making, including through the use of modern technology where appropriate. The Charity identified that providing access to Sibelius software could be a way of promoting composition of tunes, songs or multi-instrumental music through the use of technology.
The project is being supported by generous grants awarded by Voluntary Action Orkney and Orkney Islands Council to facilitate the purchase of the laptops, interfaces and licences for the Sibelius software.
Through the Sibelius Laptop Loan Scheme, we aim to make this expensive specialist music software available to musicians of all ages across Orkney to support musical composition and creativity.
The Sibelius Laptop is supplied to meet a specific need in the local community. The laptop is provided on short-term loan for use in the borrower’s home. Loans can only take place once a Loan Agreement and an Acceptable Use Agreement have been signed. For borrowers under 18, this is supplemented with a Parent/Carer E-Safety Agreement.
Help documents will be available to view from the Desktop. In the event of any technical issues, borrowers can contact David Harvey by sending an email using this link.
Borrowers will be asked for feedback at the end of their loan period in order to enable Orkney Music and Culture to monitor and improve the scheme.
For more information or to discuss arranging a loan, please email using this link.
The Slow Sessions began in 2018 and encourage people to play together in a group, experiencing the complete joy of being a part of a bigger sound than we can ever make on our own!
Slow Sessions
Buying a musical instrument can be an expensive gamble, especially if you have never actually played that type of instrument before. The Bank has over one hundred instruments including keyboards, whistles, guitars, fiddles and ukuleles which can be borrowed, free of charge, for three months.
The Instrument Bank
About Us
Playing music together has been part of Orkney’s culture for centuries. Traditional tunes, old favourites and many recent pieces about the people and places of the Islands, are played and enjoyed by Orkney musicians young and old. Music on the Islands is inclusive and Orkney Music & Culture exists to give everyone a chance, and the confidence, to make music.
Contact
Feel free to contact us using this form. We are keen to get ideas for new activities to further the development of music and culture on Orkney. Also, if you are a music teacher and wish to be added to our register of teachers on Orkney please get in touch. This will be useful for those borrowing instruments and who are looking for some tuition during the loan period.
Email
info@orkneymusicandculture.org