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Calendar of Events
Showcase Concert Programme 2024
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🎶👏🏼 Huge congratulations to our Senior Ensembles on an inspiring performance at our Showcase Concert 2026.
Our WSSSO and WSSCB young musicians were absolutely wonderful, bringing energy, focus, confidence and joy to the stage. After a busy weekend of rehearsals and music making, it was a real privilege to see their hard work come together so beautifully at Glasgow City Halls.
A heartfelt thank you to our Artistic Directors, James Lowe and Chris Mitchell, and to all of our staff for guiding, supporting and encouraging our young musicians throughout this season of music making.
Thank you also to all of our families and friends for joining us in the audience, and to our local authorities and the University of Strathclyde for their continued support.
🔔 Applications for next season open 1st September!
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📸 Samantha C Parker | WSSSO & WSSCB Showcase Concert 2026, Glasgow City Halls
#WSSOTrust #YoungMusicians #MakeGreatMusicAndLifelongFriends #ShowcaseWeekend #YouthMusicScotland
🎼🌿 A big welcome back after the summer - it’s lovely to have everyone together again and making music.
Ahead of a busy weekend of rehearsals, we’re so looking forward to seeing it all come together for Sunday’s showcase.
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📸 Samantha C Parker | WSSO Senior Ensembles Taster Day 2026
#WSSOTrust #YoungMusicians #MakeGreatMusicAndLifelongFriends #ShowcaseWeekend #YouthMusicScotland
☀️💙 here’s to summer
As another summer begins, we’d simply like to say thank you.
To every young musician who gave their time, energy and talent this year so far…
To our conductors, tutors, house staff and local authorities…
To the families who packed instruments, drove countless miles and cheered from the audience…
And to everyone who supports the WSSO Trust in so many different ways.
Thank you for being part of this wonderful community.
We hope your summer is filled with rest, adventure, laughter, music, and memories to treasure 💙🎶
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📸 @somewhereinfocus | A selection of images from the WSSSO & WSSCB Summer Concerts, June 2026.
#WSSOTrust #MakingGreatMusicAndLifelongFriends #YouthMusic #ScottishMusic #HaveAGreatSummer
🎻💙 blown away - again!
Every year these young musicians raise the bar.
Tonight’s WSSSO Showcase Concert was powerful, moving and hugely impressive from start to finish.
Congratulations to every member of the orchestra, and thank you to the tutors, house staff, volunteers, local authorities and families who support them along the way.
What a privilege it is to watch these young musicians grow.
👏🎶
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📸 @somewhereinfocus
#WSSSO #WSSOTrust #YouthOrchestra #MusicEducation #MakingGreatMusicAndLifelongFriends
🎶💙 blown away
Every year these young musicians remind us what’s possible when talent, hard work and friendship come together.
Tonight was powerful, joyful, exciting and hugely impressive.
Congratulations, WSSCB. You were phenomenal.
👏🎶
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📸 @somewhereinfocus
#WSSCB #WSSOTrust #YoungMusicians #ConcertBand #MakingGreatMusicAndLifelongFriendS
🎶✨This weekend, the music belongs to the stage.
Months of practice become one shared moment.
Good luck to all our musicians.
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📸 Lucy Pye / WSSO Senior Ensemble Summer Concert 2025
#WSSOTrust #ConcertDay #YoungMusicians #WestSpirit #LiveMusic
🎼🌿 Some of the best musical memories are made during residential weeks.
Long rehearsals.
Big laughter.
Even bigger music.
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📸 WSSSO, Becky Whitener & WSSCB, Eilidh Horn / Residential Courses 2025
#WSSOTrust #MusicCamp #YoungMusicians #WestSpirit #MusicLife
🎼🔍 A bar here. A breath there.
Tiny details shape the whole performance.
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📸 @somewhereinfocus / WSSTB Taster Day 2026
#WSSOTrust #PracticeInProgress #YoungMusicians #WestSpirit #MusicLife
🎼🤍 Music changes when people play together.
Sound becomes something shared.
💭 From the WSSTB archives - September 2019 ✨
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📸 Claire Mitchell / WSSTB, September 2019
#WSSOTrust #EnsembleLife #MusicCommunity #WestSpirit #YoungMusicians
🎶🌱 Confidence doesn’t arrive suddenly.
It grows quietly through rehearsal after rehearsal.
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📸 @somewhereinfocus / WSSO Strings Taster Day 26
#WSSOTrust #MusicConfidence #YoungMusicians #WestSpirit #EnsembleLife
🎶✨Every musician sounds a little different.
That difference is the magic.
Great to see our Training Ensembles off to such a strong start 👏🏼
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📸 @somewhereinfocus / WSSO Training Ensembles Taster Day 2026
#WSSOTrust #FindYourSound #YoungMusicians #WestSpirit #MusicJourney
🎼🌿 It doesn’t take long to feel at home here.
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📸 @somewhereinfocus / WSSO Training Ensembles Taster Day 2025
#WSSOTrust #MusicCommunity #YoungMusicians #WestSpirit #MusicLife
🎻✨Playing in front of other people can feel daunting.
But do it anyway - and keep going 💪🏼
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📸 @lucy_pye.photos / WSSSO - Showcase Concert Aug 2025
#WSSOTrust #YoungMusicians #MusicConfidence #WestSpirit #EnsembleLife
🎶✨Rehearsals are where the real work happens and where the music starts to come alive.
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📸 @somewhereinfocus / WSSSO Taster Day 26
#WSSOTrust #PracticeCulture #MusicJourney #WestSpirit #YoungMusicians
🎼🌱 Every orchestra starts the same way -
a room full of players figuring things out together.
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📸 @somewhereinfocus / WSSCB Taster Day 26
#WSSOTrust #MusicDiscovery #YoungMusicians #WestSpirit #MusicLife
🎶✨
Every musician remembers the moment they realised: this matters to me.
Maybe that moment started here.
Congratulations to our senior ensembles for beginning Season 26 in true West style! 👏🏼
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Photos 1–2
WSSSO Taster Day — Paisley Grammar School
Photos 3–4
WSSCB Taster Day — Notre Dame HS, Greenock
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📸 @somewhereinfocus
#WSSOTrust #YoungMusicians #MusicJourney #WestSpirit #EnsembleLife
🎼🌱Before the first rehearsal, before the first note - there’s curiosity.
If you’re stepping into WSSO for the first time, we’re glad you’re here.
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🎥 @somewhereinfocus
#WSSOTrust #TasterDay #StartOfSomething #WestSpirit #YouthMusic
🎶✨ New faces. New music. A year waiting to be written.
This is how it starts.
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🎥 Samantha C Parker / WSSCB Taster Day 2025
#WSSOTrust #NewSeason #MusicJourney #WestSpirit #YouthMusic
🎼🌱 You won’t notice it day to day. But one day you’ll look back and hear the difference.
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📸 From the archives / Jane Reid, 2010
#WSSOTrust #MusicalGrowth #PracticePays #WestSpirit #YouthMusic
🎶✨There are moments when everything lines up - sound, breath, intention.
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📸 Lucy Pye / WSSSO Showcase, Aug 2025
#WSSOTrust #MusicMoments #YoungMusicians #WestSpirit #EnsembleLife
