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Ross kids rock the challenge as dedication allows them to dazzle on the big stage


By Hector MacKenzie

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Alness Academy again wowed Rock Challenge judges. Picture: Nick Scott Photography.
Alness Academy again wowed Rock Challenge judges. Picture: Nick Scott Photography.

MONTHS of rehearsals paid off for Ross-shire pupils last night as dazzling performances in Rock Challenge heats saw them snap up slots in the national finals.
Secondary pupils in Alness and Dingwall will meet again in the June showcase after winning their Highland heats at Eden Court this week.
Ben Wyvis Primary booked a place in the junior J Rock Challenge final with a performance aptly-titled Dare to Dream!
Resolis and Culbokie primaries also made their mark taking second and third place respectively on their heats’ night. Invergordon Academy secured a third place.

The Ben Wyvis Primary performance was set in Canada and the unchartered wilderness Alexander Mackenzie encountered when he moved from Stornoway as a young man. He dared to dream of reaching the Pacific Ocean over land using the river systems.

With the help of friends and the Dene tribe, he achieved his goal. The great Canadian river bears his name. He was knighted by King George III for his endeavours. Pupils interpreted the story in a performance which took first place at the challenge.

Ben Wyvis Primary took a first place in the J Rock event at Eden Court.
Ben Wyvis Primary took a first place in the J Rock event at Eden Court.

The Alness Academy performance, Enslaved, was set on a wasteland where villagers scavenge and water is cruelly controlled by warlord Immortan Joe.

Max, a prisoner, selflessly rescues Joe’s 5 mistreated wives. Close on their tail and enraged by betrayal is Joe and his warboys. Life is perilous; amid an ebbing sandstorm they are found. Can Max defy the odds and seek redemption for those tormented under Joe’s regime?

The performance proved to be another winner for the school which has excelled in the challenge, a global movement which aims to encourage young people to pursue positive pastimes and channel their creative energy productively.

Dingwall Academy won its heat on Monday night. Invergordon Academy placed third.


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