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Dumfriesshire siblings Curran and Niamh Stainthorpe in the spotlight

Talented Dumfriesshire siblings Curran and Niamh Stainthorpe have been entertaining people around the world during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The stay-at-home young heroes have been working together to show off their music and dancing skills.

Piper Curran, 15, and Highland dancer Niamh started out performing together for the benefit of residents in their home village of Ruthwell.

But the creative pair also attracted a worldwide audience after videos of them were shared online.

Mum Sheen, a teacher at Annan Academy, said: “We are really proud of them for thinking about others and putting their talents to good use during the lockdown. They have really cheered up the village.

“It was tricky for Curran to work out how to play his pipes to match Niamh’s dancing but once they got the hang of it, they were okay.”

Both pupils at St Joseph’s College in Dumfries, the talented duo regularly perform in competitions.

Curran started to play the pipes in S1 and became hooked when, in his debut performance, got to perform with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers through Dumfries Town Band.

He is tutored privately by Alan Maltman and, through school by Calum Moffat with the South West Scotland Piping and Drumming Academy.

Putting in hours of practice each week, he has had competition success and a highlight was piping at the Belgian battlefields during a school history trip.

During lockdown he took on the UK-wide online Bagpipe Challenge, achieving an amazing 65 days of playing a rousing tune during lockdown, which can still be viewed at Facebook @swspda.

And he has learnt how to temper his pipes to meet the steps of his 12-year-old sister Niamh, whose Highland dancing prowess has taken her to compete all over the UK, as well as Canada and the USA during the past five-and-a-half years.

Originally with Mary Notman in Dumfries, Niamh is taught by Louise Smith who has dance academies in Annan and Dumfries.

Together, Niamh and Curran, gave Ruthwell villagers a boost on Thursday evenings during the Clap for the NHS night over 10 weeks and at the VE day lockdown celebrations.

And they have posted their performances online to an ever growing audience.

Curran even obliged with a skirl o’ the pipes for a funeral.

Niamh, meanwhile, has also found time to make more than 50 washbags for the Scrubs campaign and has been making face coverings for The People’s Project and Shambellie Quilters initiative.

Source: www.msn.com
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