UK Kids Golf European Championships
26 May 2008
Young golfers from around the world met at in the Concord Hanger at the Museum of Flight on Monday evening for the opening ceremony of the first US Kids Golf European Championship hosted in East Lothian.
Over 500 golfers between the ages of 7 and 14 played at the week long championships testing their skills at Craigilaw, Kilspindie and Luffness New golf courses.
At the opening ceremony three Lorettonians, Katy Thomson, Alexander Urquhart and Kirsty Hamilton were delighted to perform some musical items to the multi-national guests.
Alexander performed a Pipe Medley. Alexander is one of the Heads of School at Loretto and is a senior member of the Pipe Band, which in the past week has played at Lords Cricket Ground in London and for the beating of the Retreat at Holyrood Palace and Edinburgh Castle.
Kirsty a Sword Dance (accompanied by the pipes)
A traditional dance around crossed swords placed on the ground. It dates as far back as 1573, when Scottish mercenaries are said to have used one as part of a plot to assassinate the King of Sweden: the idea was to put the bare swords on the ground, dance round them then pick them up and chop the king to pieces before anyone had time to defend him. They lost their nerve at the last minute and there will be no bloodshed today either.
Kirsty has been dancing ballet, jazz, modern and traditional for as long as she can remember and is going to dance and drama college next year.
Katy performed Amazing Grace & O Whistle an' I'll come tae ye my lad
Amazing Grace is an appropriate choice for this international event. The tune probably originated in Scotland or Ireland, the words were written by an Englishman, it became famous as an American folk hymn and is now known all over the world.
The second item is a cheeky Scottish song. A girl says "no" to her boyfriend while managing clearly to say "yes" at the same time!
Katy is the other Head of School at Loretto and is hoping to make a career as an opera singer. Listen out for her at an opera house near you in a few years time.