'Maxwellton Braes’ are bonnie but so too were the faces and the sense of cheer and excitement in Peebles Nursing home when the Maxwell String Quartet came to give a concert, a Quartet with local connections. Colin Scobie, lead violinist, hails from Peebles and amongst the audience, was Colin’s granddad, who is a resident in the home.

The afternoon concert kindly funded by the Peebles Common Good Fund provided an opportunity for residents of the nursing home and some of their relatives, plus some residents from Riverside and Dovecot, to hear a live concert of classical music by this most talented String Quartet.

They were treated to music by Haydn, Mendelssohn and Schubert, with a dash of Scottish folk tunes added to the mix.

Particularly good, were the interaction of the Quartet with the residents at the interval and the general hum of conversation as people munched their sausage rolls and quiche followed by cakes and tea. The nursing home did everyone proud with its hospitality.

The concert came about as part of Music in Peebles’s (MIP) outreach work. The idea of outreach work with older people works in tandem with outreach work being undertaken in schools by MIP.

In the Peebles schools, some artists appearing in concert as part of the Music in Peebles programme, provide workshops/master classes for students. The Nursing Home concert is an extension of this work with the Maxwell Quartet going on to play at the Eastgate on Tuesday evening.

Another aspect of this outreach work to older people, is that provided by Fiona Reed, head of music at the High school, who has facilitated students to play at the Nursing Home throughout the year.

This has included a sax quartet and violinist and has proved to be a runaway success with lots of benefits on both sides.

A big thank you to all concerned, a great community effort.