Group heads to Youth Proms in 'dream come true'

The folk group Scran perform traditional Manx music

A Manx folk group has been selected to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London as part of a Music for Youth Proms event.

Scran, an ensemble of 13 to 17-year-olds, is part of Culture Vannin's Bree Manx music project which works with young people to celebrate Manx culture.

The collective, which plays traditional Celtic music, will be part of the Proms event featuring more than 1,200 young musicians from across the UK.

Band member and harpist Alyth Braithwaite said performing at the Youth Proms was a "dream come true".

The 17-year-old, who has been in Scran for three years, said it had helped her develop as a musician.

She said: "It's made me a lot more confident and I've also learned a lot more techniques and I've just become a better harpist overall."

To perform at the Royal Albert Hall was "the pinnacle [and] what we've all been aspiring to do... it's a massive dream come true".

Daniel Cross (left) and Alyth Braithwaite both said their confidence had grown after joining Scran

"It's amazing how the Proms are about celebrating, not competing, and it's just a lovely thing that I'm able to say that I'm going to do this - it's really exciting," she added.

Daniel Cross, 16, has been in the band for two years and said it "opened up this brand new experience to me".

"It's improved my confidence, made me more sociable, made me a better guitarist and brought me into this amazing world of traditional music," he said.

To perform at the Royal Albert Hall was "still quite hard to process in my head", he said, adding: "It's mind-blowing."

The ensemble is made up of two harps, fiddle, acoustic guitar, keyboard, cajon and vocals

Group mentor David Killgallon said: "They all have a strong passion in music.

"I think as a group that is quite magical really, there is something special there in terms of the people they are and the people they've become through doing this," he added.

As well as a "really good opportunity" for Scran, he said it was also "an opportunity to showcase Manx music and culture, and also our language".

David Killgallon said it was an honour to mentor the group

Culture Vannin, the charity that supports Scran, provides rehearsal space and covers the costs of mentoring, said it did not have the budget to pay the travel and accommodation costs for the trip.

It is seeking sponsors, donors and partners to help the group perform at the iconic venue on 7 November.