COMPETITION FINALIST with her composition A Sang for Sumburgh
Jess Purbrick (24) is a music teacher originally from Linlithgow, Scotland. She studied a Bachelor of Education degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and graduated with honours in July 2022. Since then Jess has been teaching in secondary schools in Scotland, first in Fife and now in Midlothian. Jess is the Principal Eb Bass player in Lochgelly Band, a first section band in Fife. She also conducts Penicuik Silver Band in Midlothian. Aside from brass banding, Jess enjoys exploring Scotland by going on camping trips to the Highlands and Islands, as well as wild swimming.
A Sang for Sumburgh is inspired by the Shetland Islands. Jess spent a lot of her childhood summers on the Islands visiting family that live there. Sumburgh Head is located at the southern-most tip of the main island, consisting of a 100m high rocky spur topped by a lighthouse. Jess was always captivated by the feeling of standing on the very edge of the headland and looking at the turbulent waves of the North Sea crashing down below. Shetland holds a special place in her heart and because of this she wanted to try and capture these feelings through the art of music. The piece reflects on Jess’ time there, emulating her love for the landscape, whilst simultaneously looking back at these memories with an air of childhood nostalgia. Jess found that the soaring melody and crunching harmonies that came to her reflected both the beauty and the fierceness of this landscape that she has always been so taken by.
