1. Aberdeen Chamber Music Concerts
Are you in S5 or S6?
Do you have children of this age group?
Are you interested in music, journalism or just eager to experiment with your range of writing skills?
Then listen on as this could be the competition for you.

2. Aberdeen Chamber Music Concerts
But first!
Some acknowledgements.
ACMC would like to thank ConocoPhillips (UK) Limited for providing the prizes for this competition and printing all our literature
…and the background music is copyright of Sonimage and is Faure's “Papillon” played by Philip Higham on cello and Simon Lane on piano

3. Aberdeen Chamber Music Concerts
Here’s some background information too!
What is ACMC and what does it aim to do?
ACMC is a local charitable society and it is entering its 79th season
That means that it has been bringing chamber music to Aberdeen since before World War II and has only missed XX concerts in that time
It aims to provide its audiences with music of the highest quality from musicians of an outstanding calibre
No other event or organisation in Aberdeen offers this range of music
However the November 2013 concert will be in the Sanctuary at Queens Cross Church
Concerts are mainly at the Cowdray Hall

4. Aberdeen Chamber Music Concerts
What is chamber music and who plays it?
Chamber Music is exactly what it says. It is music to be played in a room
By its very nature then it is performed by small groups of musicians that can fit into a room
In its early days therefore it would have been the equivalent of music on your iPod or MP3 player
It is written and can therefore be played by any group of musicians either from the traditional orchestral range or from more specialised, sometimes historical instruments
Today it is often played by musicians who have come together at a conservatoire and who either want to specialise in this form as they do not want an orchestral career or else as a back up to an orchestral career
It opens a route for entering many prestigious competitions which can lead to valuable sponsorship

5. Aberdeen Chamber Music Concerts
Yes, but who exactly plays it and who writes it?
Well, it is played by anybody from young up and coming musicians who start
during their studies, to well established performers such as Edinburgh born
cellist, Philip Higham accompanied by Simon Lane, who are playing
the Fauré piece that is
running in the background
Beethoven 1770
… and it is difficult to think of a composer who doesn’t write chamber music
J. S. Bach 1685
Just about every composer has written some chamber music as it gave them a source of income from private individuals and it also provided them with a very special palette from which to create some very special sound pictures. Also, it meant that they could give some exposure to very talented friends, let them expirement with the particular character of either a small group from the orchestral range or even a solo instrument perhaps as part of a sketch for a full symphonic piece.
Peteris Vasks 1946
Here are some well known and maybe not so well known composers
Janáček
1854
Which covers every century from the 17th
to the 20th

6. Aberdeen Chamber Music Concerts
What kind of chamber groups does ACMC attract?
Does anybody know which great British composer has a centenary year this year?
That’s correct – Benjamin Britten. Benjamin Britten didn’t just write for Peter Peers though, he also wrote solo oboe music, cello suites, music for horn and voice and much much more besides. But he and Peter Peers came to Aberdeen in 193X and 194X
Nowadays we attract YCAT, Tunnell prize winners to mention just a few but many are at the start of very fine professional careers or already have very well established portfolios and recording contracts

7. Aberdeen Chamber Music Concerts
So why are we organising this competition?
Because we want to encourage you as the future potential musicians (or journalists) to come and hear for yourself how varied, intimate and exciting this range of music can be
Together with ConocoPhillips (UK) Limited we have devised a competition that we hope will interest you and help you to understand and appreciate this form of music

8. Aberdeen Chamber Music Concerts
7 October 2013
PASSACAGLIA BAROQUE ENSEMBLE
18 November 2013
THE ARCADIA STRING QUARTET
OF ROMANIA
2 December 2013
TRIO DALRIADA
Featuring Ian Watt on guitar
13 January 2014
THE WU STRING QUARTET
17 February 2014
THE DORIC STRING QUARTET
17 March 2014
THE LEONORE PIANO TRIO
Review Writing Competition for School Students in S5 & S6
These are the concerts for the 2013 – 14 season and by bringing along an entry form you can come for free to as many as you wish, although prizes will be presented at the final concert so sadly that concert is not included for a review entry

9. Aberdeen Chamber Music Concerts
Review Writing Competition for School Students in S5 & S6
Come to our concerts, write a review like the ones in the photo and you could win a prize donated by ConocoPhillps UK Limited

10. Aberdeen Chamber Music Concerts
Review Writing Competition for School Students in S5 & S6
For full details visit our website at
Or ask your teacher for an entry form

11. Aberdeen Chamber Music Concerts
Review Writing Competition for School Students in S5 & S6