Here is a map showing our on-line audience to the Blogspot website (not including our Facebook statistics).

The darker coloured areas show highest amount of readers - nearly 800 to this blog!

Video of Bill Baird and Richie Meldrum performing the song at the Proclamation

As Alex Hastings was on holiday, he wasn't able to perform the song at the Proclamation, so here it is performed by Bill Baird and Richie Meldrum

http://youtu.be/0OiBqEwYrmY

And a link to Alex Hastings singing it in Palma Nova!

http://youtu.be/X7-LZQGXwiA

That's it all over - thanks

So that's it all over!

I hope you'll agree we received some fantastic songs, and I hope you enjoy singing them for years to come.

I would welcome any suggestions and ideas for how we can promote the excellent songs we have, or for any future events.

I would like to offer sincere thanks to all the competitors who have entered this competition, and made it so successful, and thanks to the younger folks’ tutors and teachers too, for nurturing such awesome talent!

I have been heartened by the amount of interest in the competition - the entries have been inspiring, and some have brought tears to my eye – for various reasons.

Thanks to the singers too, who have made the songs come alive.

I would also like to thank the Gala Day Committee for their encouragement, help and promotion of this song contest.

I am very grateful to Douglas Benson, and the dutiful Baton team, who have helped me organise, as well as promote, the competition.

Thanks to Nathaniel Codona who organised the Marquee and sound for the Final and Proclamation.

And special thanks to the adjudicators, Mike Farrell, Graham Whitelaw, Elma Paton and Anne-Marie Vance who kindly agreed to take part in the hardest job in this competition.

The purpose of the Song Competition was to encourage our talented community to create a song which would make us proud to be Armadalians, and looking at the entries received, our wildest expectations have been surpassed manifold.

Last but not least, thank you, the Spirit of Armadale, for coming and cheering on the songwriters and singers.

                                                    Up Armadale!

 

Short video from the proclamation

Video from the Proclamation with
Bill Baird and Richie Meldrum singing the last verse
and chorus of 'This is Armadale' here;

http://youtu.be/0OiBqEwYrmY

Winning song

I've just realised I didn't announce the winning song here!

Congratulations to Alexander Hastings and Bill Baird for 'This is Armadale'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyEjDanfl10

It will be sang this evening at 5.45 at The Proclamation in the Marquee at Watson Park.

Here is a link to the lyrics which you can print out;

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bydr__3SEMFGQzdVZGVqSy1ZQmc/edit?usp=sharing

Please come along and join in!

Quartet scores for finalists

Newlands have confirmed their quartet will play the winning song on Friday at the proclamation!

For any musicians among you, here are simple quartet scores for the three finalists this evening.

Bonny Armadale – Paul Gallagher

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bydr__3SEMFGSnJqRjkzRzdCXzg/edit?usp=sharing

 

Armadale -Ellie Purvis

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bydr__3SEMFGaEMxblhaeEhYNkk/edit?usp=sharing

 

This is Armadale – Alexander Hastings and Bill Baird

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bydr__3SEMFGc25kRk56MlVXd1E/edit?usp=sharing

24 hours until we find out who has won the Song for Armadale competition *biting nails*

Just 24 hours until we find out the winner, and to guarantee you have lyric sheets you can download your own here;

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bydr__3SEMFGWngtZkRrN2tpMzA/edit?usp=sharing


I will be bringing some along with me too.

Finalists announced!

Many thanks to all who entered the song competition and performed today. It was a very enjoyable afternoon, spent in the company of some of Armadale's finest talent.
I hope there will be some platform in future to air some of the very deserving songs that didn't make it through.
The final will be held this Wednesday 18th June in the Watson Park Marquee.
Congratulations to the Finalists, Ellie Purvis, Paul Gallagher and Alexander Hastings/Bill Baird.
Looking forward to seeing you all there.
:)

Trophy!

Trophy collected from Rings n Things, Armadale, this morning :)

 

Sunday's line-up

Just a reminder the Semi-Final is at 13.30 this Sunday 15th in the Community Centre, Lesser Hall.
Congratulations to the semi-finalists, and we hope you'll all come along and support them.
Here is the line-up;

1.Marco Marzella – Armadale Gala Day Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whb_BlxKdS0

2. Ellie Purvis – Armadale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZSR0ZO0ly8

3. Paul Gallagher – Bonny Armadale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBMpgmctZDw

4. Youth Action Group – The Armadale Calypso
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnDsAc6-KCI

5. Joshua (Armadale Primary) - Armadale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOY5E4ivqXw

6. Emily (Armadale Primary) – Armadale Rules
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWaWsGF_Nr4

7. Callum /Kate (Armadale Primary) – The Gala Day Jubilation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3DCcssCLh0

8. Alex Hastings/Bill Baird – This is Armadale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyEjDanfl10

Three of the runners up

Here are three of the runners-up in alphabetical order of song title;

Armadale  - Stuart Gristwood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFMfnZxcimE

 

Armadale’s the Best – Hannah Reid, P4, Armadale Primary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5fM6VvAbWI

 

Awaken the Night - Paul Gallagher

From the West Lothian Songwriter’s Album, The West Lothian Trail

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpbAWwrXk3c

Anticipation for the Runners-up

I'll be putting some of the entries that didn't make it to the semi-final on YouTube later.
If anyone's child entered a song and they would like it made public on YouTube and Facebook, please let me know either through Facebook, Blogspot, or by emailing me on Armadaleanthem@gmail.com and I will publish it for you.
Otherwise, I cannot upload it without your permission.
In the meantime, keep an eye out for the runners-up.
Cheers, Mary 

Armadale Primary School Entries

And here are the entries from the very talented semi-finalists at Armadale Primary School
(in alphabetical order of song title).
Well done guys, congratulations and all the very best of luck in the competition!

Armadale, Armadale – Joshua P5 Armadale Primary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOY5E4ivqXw

 

Armadale Rules – Emily P5 Armadale Primary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWaWsGF_Nr4

 

Gala Day Jubilation - Callum and Kate P5 Armadale Primary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3DCcssCLh0

Three semi-finalists still to be told from Armadale Primary School!

We are waiting on three more songs to share on our website and Facebook page. Three semi-finalists from Armadale Primary School don't know they have been chosen yet. As soon as they know and we get permission to upload their songs, we'll let you all know.
:)

Some of our entries!

Here are five of the semi-finalists in alphabetical order of song title.

Armadale – Ellie Purvis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZSR0ZO0ly8

 

Bonny Armadale- Paul Gallagher

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBMpgmctZDw

 

The Armadale Calypso - West Lothian Youth Action Group

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnDsAc6-KCI

 

The Gala Day Song – Marco Marzella

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whb_BlxKdS0

 

This is Armadale – Alex Hastings and Bill Baird

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyEjDanfl10

 

 

Mis-spelling of email address

Apologies everyone - it has been brought to my attention there was a mis-spelling in the email address.
I am now changing this, so to compensate for anyone who has tried to send their entry in, but couldn't, I am postponing the closing time for entries until tomorrow, 2nd June, noon.
Please let everyone know, and apologies again, Mary

How to get your recording from your phone, to me

Just a technical point - someone hummed a tune into their phone's voice recorder and asked me to record it while it played.
They weren't aware they could 'share' it by Bluetooth or email.
So, just in case you also didn't know how to send me your tune from your phone's voice recording, on most phones, if you hold the title of the recording, it will give you a list - i.e. rename, share, etc.
You can either share by email if you have email on your phone, or share by Bluetooth to someone else's phone who does have email, and send your entry to me that way.
Please let me know if you have any issues :)

The Adjudicators

We were asked, to ensure there would be no conflict of interest, our adjudicators were not to be resident in Armadale.

We are still awaiting confirmation on one of our adjudicators, however, I can tell you the names of the confirmed ones.

At the semi-final on Sunday 15th June, one of the adjudicators will be Mike Farrell from FSL productions. Mike is a music graduate with a wealth of experience playing in bands from large orchestras, to pipe and rocks bands.

At the final on Wednesday 18th June, our first adjudicator is Elma Paton, singer, Secretary of the Livingston Highland Society and former Mod Winner.
On Wednesday we also have Anne-Marie Vance - Senior Arts Officer at West Lothian Council, and member of 'Upscale' band. (Recently in the papers when Susan Boyle popped into 1912)

What the adjudicators will be marking

As the 31st May, closing date is drawing nearer, I thought I should write a post on what the Adjudicators will be marking the songs on.

1, The Armadale Factor - the relevance of the song to Armadale, West Lothian
2, The Crowd Reaction - will they sing along? How loud will they cheer?
3, Melody and Lyrics - We want to promote the song as much as possible - how easy would it be for another band to play along - brass/flute or pipes?

I will be posting the entries by Monday 2nd June so you can hear and 'like' them.

Further details to come...