Perth Concert Hall is offering the chance of a lifetime opportunity for young local bands and musicians in Perthshire and the surrounding areas, aged 16 - 21 to take part in The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.

This Spring, the community team at Horsecross will be hunting high and low for five young bands/groups to take part in "The Swindle" and grab the chance to arrange and record their own music with some of the best musicians in the UK.

All styles of music are welcome, from folk, traditional, rock, indie and world right through to electronic, and the more eclectic the better.

"From June to September local bands will get the rare opportunity to work alongside the critically acclaimed Music at the Brewhouse which is made up of some of the UK's finest musicians and composers," says Joëlle Fenna, Music Development Coordinator at Horsecross.

"Each band will work with a hand picked professional composer/arranger, receive top performance coaching, rehearse and perform with some of the country's finest session musicians, and to top all that, they will also get the chance to record their works live at a concert in Perth Concert Hall.

Joëlle adds: "It's such a superb opportunity for budding music makers and performers out there to work alongside the best in the business."

The Great Rock n Roll Swindle has been created for Perth Concert Hall by Music at the Brewhouse, an ensemble established in April 2003 by Scottish based composer Stephen Deazley.

Music at the Brewhouse comprises of thirteen musicians, a music director and one sound engineer, drawn from classical, improvised jazz, experimental and electronic music traditions. The ensemble boasts six composer/arrangers, four of the UK's most respected music animateurs and specialists in sound design and live electronics.

Members of the ensemble have played and recorded with many leading exponents and performers of contemporary music such as: ensemblebash, The Smith Quartet, London Sinfonietta, Tommy Smith Sextet, Ensemble Modern of Frankfurt and Ensemble Alternance of Paris, and with Joanna McGregor, Michael Finnissy and Kenny Wheeler to name but a few.

As individuals, Music at the Brewhouse members have been involved in the premiere of over 300 new works.

Musical director, Stephen Deazley says: "It takes a brave person to put their music into someone else's hands, but when you work with great musicians, they make you work harder."

"You have to make sure your material can keep up, otherwise the gaps in your writing begin to show but when you introduce a range of new instrumental combinations and players who keep you on your toes, the results are always surprising."

Stephen continues: "Creative music making is all about taking risks, pushing your own creative boundaries and trusting your performers to keep you moving forward. When the Brewhouse lands at Perth Concert Hall and we add in local musicians, we'll be making one monster band. "

The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle promises to be an exciting and adventurous journey and will open up fantastic creative opportunities for young bands.

To participate bands must have been playing together for over a year, must write their own material and be between 16 and 21 years of age. It is expected that demand will be high so bands should apply by contacting Joëlle Fenna as soon as possible (deadline for entries May 22). Only five bands will be able to participate and demos or videos will need to be provided for selection. Email: jfenna@horsecross.co.uk  
or phone 01738 477722 for information and application details.

Horsecross gratefully acknowledges financial support from the PRS Foundation and the Scottish Arts Council for this project.