Play Auld Lang Syne for global festival performance

MUSICIANS are being invited to join in with a digital version of Auld Lang Syne to celebrate the power of music.

The project has been created by global festival Make Music Day UK.

And it is inviting musicians and singers of all ages, skill levels, and musical persuasions to join together in a celebratory performance of one of Scotland’s must popular songs.

The song has been specially-arranged by Strathspey musician and Hamish Napier from Grantown, along with Scottish drummer Cat Myers.

Everyone has until June 5 to submit their performance – and then the full musical collage video will be unveiled on Make Music Day’s annual date of June 21, the summer solstice.

The festival is a grassroots but global event which was launched in France in 1982 as Fête de la Musique.

Musicians from all over the world will be participating this year in a celebration which spans 1,000 participating cities, and over 120 countries.

In response to the lockdown challenges created by Covid-19, Make Music Day UK, supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland has launched the Auld Lang Syne digital participation project.

Hamish Napier commented: “The lockdown has kept so many apart, but this project has been created to bring us together.

“It was exciting to be asked to create this new arrangement of one of Scotland’s most famous songs.

“I’ve been singing it for as long as I can remember at ceilidhs, weddings and other public gatherings.

“It only has five chords in it: G, A minor, C, D and E minor. You can join in by singing, playing the melody, the chords, drums or bass line.

“Or get the pots and pans out, dance or juggle!

“The most important things is to enjoy getting involved, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the song come to life in the final project video.”

Full details can be found how to participate on the Make Music Day UK website, where the sheet music, lyrics and recording tips on how best to film performances are all available as downloadable resources.

Most camera phones will be suitable to record your performance on.

The project is now live, with the deadline for submissions being 5pm on Friday, June 5.

The video submissions will be stitched together to create a musical collage, which will be premiered on the Make Music Day UK website and social channels, on Sunday, June 21.

It will be part of the global Make Music Day Live Stream.

Performers are encouraged to share their video performance to their own social channels on Make Music Day, tagging #MakeMusicDayScotland and #MakeMusicDayUK

The invitation to participate is not limited to those enjoy singing, or have access to musical instruments.

The project welcomes contributions from people playing home-made instruments too, and includes links to Bash The Trash’s environmental art project, which provides direction in how to create fun instruments from found objects!

Full information on the Auld Lang Syne Project here:

https://makemusicday.co.uk/auld-lang-syne/