Highland musicians passing on skills to the next generation

Two young musicians are hoping to inspire the Highlands’ future musical maestros.

Both Tomas Leakey and Fergus Bryce are former High Life Highland Young Musicians.

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Tomas Leakey will now be conductor of the Highland Regional Youth Orchestra at this year’s Highland Young Musicians Festival at Eden Court Theatre on Saturday while Fergus is joining the High Life Highland music tuition service staff, sharing his knowledge and experience as an award winning pipe band drummer.

While still at school in Inverness, Tomas played the trombone and piano and was involved in three groups – the Highland Youth Big Band, Highland Youth Wind Band and the Highland Regional Youth Orchestra.

It was this that led to him to eventually studying at George Hurst’s summer school for conductors in Sherborne, going on to establish Inverness-based orchestra the Mahler Players – which includes some Highland Young Musician instructors – to bring more orchestral music to the Highlands.

This will be his second time taking on a pivotal role at the Highland Young Musicians Festival.

“It feels like a big responsibility and particularly so as the current students have had a challenging time, having lost so many opportunities to make music in-person due to the school closures during the pandemic,” he said.

“Its effects for us are very much ongoing, because the pupils who are in the orchestra now missed out on face-to-face teaching at a key stage of their development and there is no substitute for that.

“So we’re working on a smaller scale than we were in the mid-2000s when I was a pupil, but I feel privileged to be involved with such a great team of Instructors and staff, all of whom are extremely committed to their pupils.”

Fergus, from Evanton, began his pipe band career with Ross and Cromarty Pipes and Drums School in 2015.

At 17 he joined Glasgow Police Pipe Band and enjoyed both the 2017 and 2018 seasons there before joining Inveraray and District Pipe Band in August 2018 where he is currently the bass drummer.

In his years at Inveraray, Fergus has enjoyed collecting multiple Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association major championship wins including the World Pipe Band Championships in the top competing grade in 2019 and 2024.

He said: “I am delighted to be taking on this new role as a drumming instructor and really looking forward to working alongside the hugely experienced group of High Life Highland music instructors striving to produce greatness ‘up North’!

“It’s brilliant to be able to give something back after everything I have gained from being a Highland Young Musician.”

Drew Caldwell, one of High Life Highland’s pipe band drumming instructors, said: “We are delighted to have Fergus come on board.

“It’s always great to see ex pupils returning to the area and Fergus brings so much knowledge into the band and the pupils will benefit from his experiences.”

Norman Bolton, head of music development at High Life Highland, said: “I am always delighted to see our former pupils excel in their music careers but it gives me even greater pleasure when they want to come back and be part of our Highland Young Musicians family.”

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