Pupils from Gordonstoun School joined up with North Walls school to raise more than £300 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) on Hoy thanks to a special concert.
It was free to attend, but the schools hosted refreshments and raffles to raise money for the Longhope Lifeboat, organised by the local Lifeboat Guild.
North Walls Community School acting head teacher Andy Trafford said the idea came about when Gordonstoun pupils reached out to say they were visiting.
“It was too good an opportunity to miss The two schools got their heads together to create what has been a wonderful collaborative day for a great cause. We are grateful for the help given by a huge number of people across the school and Hoy community.”
Mr Trafford said that RNLI was an obvious choice to benefit from the fundraiser.
“The RNLI is strong within the Hoy community and certainly at this time of year, being close to the anniversary of the loss of the Longhope lifeboat, the TGB in March 1969.
“The concert seemed the ideal opportunity to work with the Lifeboat Guild to help raise some funds for the RNLI.”
Gordonstoun and North Walls concert for a cause
There were 25 pupils from Gordonstoun who took the trip north. They performed at Kirkwall Grammar and St Magnus Cathedral, in addition to their musical workshop and fundraiser at North Walls.
While at North Walls, both schools rehearsed and performed throughout the day, on Monday ahead of the big event in the afternoon in front of a packed house at the Gable End Theatre.
The schools jointly performed the Skye Boat song and the Orcadian song, The Bride’s Lament.
North Walls pupil Lexi said she overcame some early jitters but had a great time in the end.
“It was interesting because of all the instruments!”
Katy added: “I enjoyed all of it. My favourite was probably the mini harp and my favourite song was The Bride’s Lament.”
After the performance, a raffle and refreshment sale organised by the Lifeboat Guild raised £349 for RNLI.
A musical tour of Orkney
Speaking just before he left for the islands, Gordonstoun student Hamish Martindale said he was excited about seeing a different side of Orkney.
“Whilst I have been to Orkney before, I am really excited to be returning and sharing music in different venues with different communities.
“I’m looking forward to learning more about Orkney’s history and culture. It is going to be amazing.”
Fellow Gordonstoun student Flo Moncur was visiting for the first time.
“It was a great opportunity to not only visit somewhere new and meet new people but also to share our music with others and raise money for charity.”
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