A new national contest is being launched, calling on musicians of all genres – whether rock, rap, folk, classical or anything in between – to show their love of nature by writing music inspired by the coasts and waters of Scotland’s beautiful nature reserves.
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Feis Rois have partnered up on this first-ever competition for Scotland to inspire people to connect with nature through music.
The competition, called In Tune with Nature, will be judged by a panel of well-known faces from the Scottish music industry – including Julie Fowlis, Vic Galloway and Karine Polwart – and is part of the celebrations for the Year of Coasts and Waters.
Entrants aged 16 and over are invited to compose a piece of music inspired by one of 10 national nature reserves across Scotland.
Winners will receive a £500 cash prize, as well as the opportunity to take part in live performances throughout the year. Every winner will also make a film on the nature reserve which inspired their music with a professional film-maker.
Entries can be in any style of music, and may or may not include lyrics. References to local culture, language and tradition are encouraged.
New Gaelic songs are particularly encouraged in the Beinn Eighe and Creag Meagaidh areas, as are songs written in Scots and regional dialects in other areas.
Stuart MacQuarrie, SNH’s head of nature reserves, said: “There’s so much to be inspired by on our nature reserves, particularly during the Year of Coasts and Waters.
“We have such an amazing variety of marine wildlife and seabirds in Scotland, as well as stunning beaches, lochs and rivers. It’s hard not to be inspired by such beauty!
“Music and nature have so much in common – they’re both moving and give us so much pleasure. We can’t wait to hear what people come up with to make us see these special places in a new light.”
Fiona Dalgetty, chief executive of Feis Rois, added: “We are thrilled to be collaborating on this new project with SNH to encourage musicians to create new work inspired by our beautiful landscapes in Scotland.
“We also believe musicians have an invitation here to make a creative response to the climate challenge affecting our natural heritage in Scotland today. We look forward to receiving entries from all genres of musician.”
The contest opens on March 1 and closes 31 May, with winners announced on 26 June.
It is one of several special SNH events and projects to celebrate our coasts and waters and their wildlife during 2020.
For more information on how to enter, see
https://bit.ly/2Vum1eF