Composer Blair's proms dream comes true

Apr 24 2008 By Gary Fanning

A LARKHALL teenager’s dreams will come true when his music is premiered at the Royal Albert Hall next month.

Blair Russell, of Hamilton Street, hit the right notes to scoop The Cathcart Young Film Composer of the Year.

The 17-year-old’s winning piece will feature in the Spring Proms in London on May 15.

Blair, son of Larkhall GP Colin Russell, is a student at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow.

In order to win the prize, competitors were asked to compose a piece of music to accompany an evocative piece of film provided by the WWF focusing on the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.

The film will be shown on giant screens at the Cathcart Spring Proms where Blair’s composition will be premiered by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra to an audience of 5000.

The former Machanhill Primary pupil began playing the piano when he was six years old, progressing to the saxophone. He began studying at the RSAMD Juniors and only began playing bass guitar two years ago.

Blair, a sixth-year pupil at Glasgow Academy, discovered his talent two years ago when he was required to compose for part of his Standard Grade music exam. He developed a passion for composing and spent a week’s work experience with film composer Craig Armstrong at his Glasgow studio.

The teenager plays bass guitar and saxophone in St Machan’s Church band.

Blair’s triumphant piece is called Encompassing of the Incompassionate.

He said: “I decided not only to convey the destruction of the environment of the Amazon, but also to draw attention to the effect this has had on the communities and livelihoods of those established within it.”

David Arnold, who was a judge and will be conducting the RCPO on the night, added: “Blair was thinking creatively, avoiding the obvious and displayed a deeper insight into the emotional depths of the subject.

“Writing to a picture can become formulaic and cliched but, in this case, the music was self-supporting in its own right.”

Blair lives with his mum Yvonne (47), dad Colin (48), and 19-year-old brother Alasdair. Thrilled Yvonne said: “We are over the moon that Blair has won the first competition he has entered.

“Having his composition played at the Royal Albert Hall in London is an outstanding achievement. His family will be going down with him to give his support and his aunt is flying in from Canada.

“His dream is to compose music for television and film.”

Blair wants to follow a career in composition and began studying with vibrant composer Gareth Williams at the RSAMD Juniors last October. He has a place in the Bachelor of Music course studying composition later this year.