Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014 -
Queen’s Baton Relay Project
The Commonwealth Youth Orchestra & Choir (CYO) performed at the launch of Queen’s Baton Relay and later that same day, at the Commonwealth Secretariat, the CYO launched its Commonwealth Games 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay Project, Music for Peace & Development - a tour which travelled with the QBR on its journey through the Commnwealth and as a result the CYO has engaged with many hundreds of the orchestras, choirs and music schools in its Commonwealth Music Partnership.
The CYO’s mission “Using music as a means of international dialogue, knowing no boundaries” is at the core of the CYO’s Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014 Project, which has engaged with communities across the Commonwealth using music education workshops and performances and promoting the project’s theme: “Music for Peace & Development”.
As a culmination of the CYO’s Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay Project, and in partnership with the Commonwealth Games Federation, Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, Commonwealth Youth Council, Commonwealth Students Association, Commonwealth Youth Sport for Development and Peace and the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra presented three events in June 2014:
Exactly one month before the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014, and in front of a capacity audience of nearly 3,000 people, the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra presented an unique Commonwealth Gala Concert – Music for Peace & Development, in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in the city centre.
The Commonwealth Youth Orchestra was joined on stage by a great number of its Commonwealth Music Partners from across all 6 continents of the Commonwealth.
Also, a more local Commonwealth Music Partner, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, provided musicians to perform in the concert.
The Commonwealth Youth Orchestra brought together 21 schools in Glasgow to create a choir of 700 primary school children (the Glasgow Commonwealth Children’s Choir) and it formed an adult choir drawn from universities and community choirs from all over the city (the Glasgow Commonwealth Community Choir).
The Gala Concert was opened by over 1,000 singers performing the Commonwealth Anthem and they closed the concert with the joyful Commonwealth Song.
Other items in the concert programme included the Winner of the Glasgow International Piano Competition 2014, Jonathan Fournel (who had won this prestigious tri-annual piano competition the day before) and also the winning entry of the Commonwealth Music Competition Glasgow 2014.
Both of these winners were formally announced by the Professor of Composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
