The BBC has recently broadcast Michael Portillo's 200 Years of the Railways, a brilliant 2-part TV series about a "journey that changed the world - sparking a global transport revolution" and this coming Saturday, 27th September, BBC Radio 3 celebrates the actual 200th railway birthday with "Train Tracks", an 8-hour train journey and musical and cultural celebration of a landmark moment in national life.

And then it is our turn: For the past few months our orchestra members have been preparing for the World Premiere performance of an exciting new work by Edinburgh-based composer, Deborah Shaw who happens to be a passionate fan of the train.  Since being brought together by Making Music, she has created for us a work that tells the musical story of the history of the train since the original journey of Stephenson's Rocket exactly 200 years ago.   

Please mark in your diaries, 7pm on Sunday, 9th November in St Michael's Parish Church, Linlithgow. This is the time, date and venue of the Linlithgow String Orchestra's next concert, sponsored and supported by LNER and Making Music, which will feature a number of train-inspired pieces alongside Shaw's new work.