A Young Leader from Carrick District has done Girlguiding Ayrshire South County proud – showcasing her musical talents at the 50th Anniversary Concerts of the National Scout and Guide Symphony Orchestra & Concert Band this summer.
Evelyn Butler, Young Leader at 1st Girvan Brownies, applied to take part in the prestigious concerts playing a variety of instruments as a talented percussionist.
The NSGSO and NSGCB is The National Scout and Guide Symphony Orchestra/Concert Band. They host an annual event held in Birmingham; and this years’ event was extra special as the Symphony Orchestra celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2025! The Orchestra and Concert Band consist of Scouting and Guiding members aged 14-25 playing all kinds of instruments.
The week-long event includes a course consisting of sectional instruction, group rehearsals and fun activities culminating in a performance at the end of the week held at the Birmingham Symphonic Hall. This year, as it was the 50th anniversary, there was an additional concert held at the Nottingham Albert Hall on the Thursday evening. One of the highlights was the final piece – the Pirates of the Caribbean – played by both the Symphony Orchestra and Concert band, as well as a number of alumni performers – one of whom travelled all the way from China. This incredible orchestration resulted in well over 200 members on stage at once, forming an amazing memory for all the musicians and audience members. Many of the young members return year after year and make so many memories and friends from all across the UK. This year, 10 members from Girl Guiding Scotland attended, with Evelyn representing Ayrshire South County.
Evelyn, 16, told us: ‘’Being a part of the NSGSO is something that I don’t think I can put into words. It’s hard to express just how amazing it was. It was absolutely brilliant, being around other people with the same interests as me was just wonderful. I learnt so much and made many friends that I will keep in touch with. Being up on that stage in the Birmingham Symphony Hall is something that will stay with me forever. It was such a beautiful place and being able to perform there was just magical. It felt like a dream! In between full on rehearsals, we were still able to have fun; taking part in ceilidh dances, quizzes, hikes and picnics as well as their annual talent show – which was really a competition to see how much you could wind up the leaders!
It was so nice to take part in an event with both Guides and Scouts and we all had so much in common. Overall it was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about it. I would go back in a heartbeat!’’
County Commissioner, Elin Marsh said: “Evelyn is not only a talented musician but an inspirational Young Volunteer too, and a credit to our county. She pours so much passion into her volunteering with Girlguiding and we are all absolutely delighted that she has had this opportunity to shine on stage doing something that she loves. We hope that Evelyn’s incredible experience will inspire other young members to apply for the NSGSO and NSGCB in the future.’’
Read more about the NSGSO here: https://nsgso-nsgcb.com/
For more information about Girlguiding in South Ayrshire, visit www.girlguidingayrshiresouth.org.uk
