Mendelssohn on Mull

Eight young string players at the pivotal point of finishing their formal education and embarking on a professional career are selected by our Artistic Directors, the renowned Doric String Quartet, for this unique immersive experience on Mull in September each year. The annual residency is an intense but immensely rewarding experience for all the artists. Every day has a demanding rehearsal and performance schedule but there is also time to enjoy and be nurtured by the beauty of the landscape and the warm hospitality of the islanders.

A unique feature of Mendelssohn on Mull is the opportunity for the young artists to rehearse and play alongside the members of the Doric Quartet in specially configured ensembles. The first rehearsals together take place on Mull and it is a tribute to the quality of the young artists that they can rise to the challenge of playing as equals with the world-class Doric members in a varied and demanding repertoire. In just a few days they are performing to a standard that would be the envy of many of the world’s great concert venues.

A special aspect of the residency is the opportunity to perform in a range of venues on Mull and Iona. Touring to different locations means that the players perform pieces two or three times. The players point to this as a special aspect of the experience that other courses and master classes do not provide.

Concerts across the island, including in isolated communities, give residents and visitors the chance to experience high quality live music performances - often for the first time. Concerts are offered on a pay-what-you-decide basis and are well attended. Audience members tell us that they feel enriched and uplifted by the music and the performers.

In 2019 we introduced the opportunity for participants of Mendelssohn on Mull who are working towards creating their own ensemble to return to the island the following Spring for a self-directed retreat. We see this Alumni programme as an important part of our work in the future.

Mull Music Makers

Mull Music Makers was started in 2013 to offer children on the island a year-round programme of violin and general musicianship tuition. There are currently 42 participants on the programme (15% of Mull’s primary-age school population are members) ranging from beginners (ages 4–6) to advanced - the young people who have continued with the programme and are now 14-16. The retention of older pupils is one of the programme’s great strengths.

The core of the MMM programme comprises eight weekend workshops and a week-long summer school. Children from across the island come to these sessions which, in addition to the musical benefits, provide an opportunity for young people to meet and interact with each other, increasing their social skills and raising their confidence. Communities on Mull are among the most access deprived in Scotland. Mull Music Makers plays a significant role in tackling access deprivation and for most children on the island this is the only opportunity to learn a musical instrument. We work in partnership with Community Transport Schemes for the Ross of Mull, Iona and Ulva to enable children from these communities to participate.

We have a team of highly experienced music tutors, led by renowned performer and music education expert, Patsy Reid, who come to Mull from the mainland for the workshops. When, during Covid-19, face-to-face workshops were not possible we introduced online sessions to keep the children engaged. When workshops became possible again we designed a blended programme of workshops and individual online sessions. Individual sessions proved to be unsustainable financially but Patsy Reid has designed a structured online programme for groups, according to their ability. This is now a core element of the programme.

As part of the Summer Week we have a Tutor Trainee programme where people who are interested in developing their skills as a tutor have the opportunity to work alongside our highly experienced tutor team and gain practical experience of working with young people.