On Friday 5th April 2024 the traditional Scottish tale of ‘The Dream Makers’ was performed by storyteller Shona Cowie alongside the EIHF Youth Ensemble which consisted of over 30 young harpers from all over Scotland supported by 3 student volunteers and tutors Elinor Evans and Neil Wood. The enchanting story is set in the Cuillin Mountains on the Island of Skye and tells of a young girl who loses her friends in the mountains and accidentally stumbles across an elderly couple who live on the mountain. It transpires that the couple are in fact responsible for the making of all dreams, which are sent into the sky from the mountains and into the heads of those who are sleeping. The young girl spends a magical year with the couple before being returned home from the mythical land of the dream makers on a spectacular floating ship.
The story was told alongside newly composed music, based on traditional melodies and motifs, to an audience of 112 people in the magnificent wood-clad music school auditorium of George Watson’s School in Edinburgh.
Prior to the performance the group enjoyed two full days of rehearsals in which the young participants shaped and developed the performance with input from professional performers. There were also several months of planning and development between those leading the rehearsals to ensure that the music and story was ready to be explored by the young people.
The generous support of The Royal Celtic Society helped to ensure that participation in the event was free for the young people, and that the tutors and the storyteller were paid at union rates for both their preparation and delivery time. The Royal Celtic Society support also contributed towards additional costs such as space hire and publicity of the event.
The next Edinburgh International Harp Festival will be held 11th-12th April 2025 at George Watson’s College in Edinburgh. The programme can be found at www.harpfestival.co.uk The Royal Celtic Society will support the Young Performers’ Concert entitled ‘On the Edge of the Woods’, to be held on Saturday 12th April at 11am.
