A group of musically talented Moray teenagers will mark the end of the school year with a poignant concert in tribute to two classmates who died.
Members of Elgin Academy’s string quartet are busily rehearsing numbers ahead of the show later this month.
The violin and cello performance has been organised to reflect the passions of Abbie Robinson and Matthew Campbell.
Matthew died in January 2014 when he was 16, after battling cancer for most of his life. The teenager, who played the cello, was a devotee of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and the string quartet will perform the film theme in his honour.
The concert will raise funds for the Make a Wish charity, which helps to fulfil the final aims of terminally ill children. There will also be performances of classical Handel pieces and Coldplay songs.
Matthew’s mum Liz revealed her son had enjoyed a dream trip to the Wimbledon singles final from the charity in the year before he died.
She said: “It really was a wish come true for him. We all have fantastic memories of that weekend. It was a special occasion from a special charity.
“He played music right up until he died. He played at a concert in the December and passed away just two weeks later. When we had the memorial service, we played a lot of music from films such as Jurassic Park, he really enjoyed them.”
Abbie died from clear cell sarcoma, a rare form of cancer which targets young adults, last June aged 17. The Elgin youngster was a huge fan of boy band One Direction, and once even met Harry Styles in London where he gave her a necklace.
To reflect her tastes, there will be a vocal performance of some One Direction hits.
Members Rhona Sword, Mhairi Maclean, Rhea Fraser and Samuel Nealon started playing together more than two years ago and have taken part in several school concerts.
Rhona’s mum, Anne-Marie Sword, is helping the pupils to arrange the upcoming show and spoke of its special significance.
She said: “Abbie was in Rhona’s year, and Matthew was a very keen musician, so his loss is felt within music circles at the school.
“A lot of thought has gone into how best to represent them.”
The concert will take place in Elgin Academy at 7pm on Friday, June 23. Tickets are available from the music department, the front office or on the night.
