Newborn babies in Scotland will be welcomed into the world with a disc of classical music, thanks to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) and the Association of Registrars of Scotland.
All babies born over the next 12 months in Scotland will receive the disc, which includes Scottish songs and nursery rhymes as well as classical pieces. The recording is called ‘Astar’, which is Gaelic for ‘journey’.
Peter Oundjian conducted the recording with the RSNO and the RSNO Junior Chorus, having just taken up the position of music director with the orchestra. Speaking to the BBC News website he said: ‘When I was an infant my godfather gave me a tiny record player, I would place it under the family piano and put on my prized recording of Peter and the Wolf. It became my sanctuary, a place where I knew I could find joy.’
The recording will be sent out to register offices across Scotland and the disc is expected to reach up to 60,000 families.