Music On Mondays With Peebles Players

Who are they?

Peebles Players is a community music group, which offers adults with a disability the opportunity to take part in music sessions using voice and percussion.  At each session there can be as many as 40 players, the group being made up of disabled members with carers. Members come from all over the Borders, from West Linton to Kelso. All have learning difficulties, while several have an additional physical disability, including profound hearing loss, but none of this is a bar to active participation in creative music.   

What do they do?

Every Monday afternoon the Peebles Players meet in the Eastgate Studio from 1.30 to 3.00 for a lively 'hands-on' music session. The session starts with singing well-loved songs, after which members choose percussion instruments for creative music.

All the music is improvised by the players and remarkable skill in handling the instruments and contributing to group music is shown. One important factor is the opportunity to communicate through music. Each one needs to balance their playing within the group context, and everyone has a chance to 'have their say' as well as listen to others. Above all, every session is fun!

From time to time the Players present their work to the public and have had the privilege of performing in the Eastgate Auditorium. They were all so thrilled by this experience - one that many of them never would have thought to aspire to. Their most ambitious production was dramatic performance of a musical improvisation of Tam O' Shanter as part of the 2009 'Homecoming' for Robert Burns. Other opportunities for creative music here have been offered by a picture exhibition in the Studio which inspired the Players to compose music to match the images, and the chance to follow up a professional performance in the Theatre with a special drumming workshop.

How is it run?

Peebles Players is community group run by volunteers. Peebles Players is a charity and always looking for ways to find funding for basic running costs and maintenance of instruments. Members pay a small subscription for each session and the Players enjoy fund raising themselves busking in the Arts Festival. However, we are only just able to meet running costs and look to local sponsorship for any extra activities or projects. We have some good instruments especially suitable for people with disability which always need upgrading.

Please look in at the Eastgate Studio on a Monday - even if only for one session.

You will be sure of a welcome and it is always a fun!  

We warmly invite local businesses or individuals to
sponsor us by donation.

Claire Garnett  - Leader of Peebles Players