IT GAVE her a platform when she was starting out in her career, and this week renowned solo percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie made a welcome return to a Basingstoke college to open a new £2million music building.

Dame Evelyn, who is 49, made several appearances at Queen Mary’s College, in Cliddesden Road, Basing-stoke, during the 1980s after being invited to perform and talk to students by former principal Eric Macfarlane.

And the Grammy award winner, who performed at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, was keen to reflect on her time at the college on Monday when she was the guest of honour at the opening of the £2.3m Charles Butler Music Building.

Dame Evelyn praised the commu-nity spirit at the college, telling The Gazette: “It is fantastic and it incorporates all of the creative things that people are doing through the technology and allowing them to enjoy themselves.

“I can’t tell you how important QMC was to me at the beginning of my career as a soloist percussionist in the 1980s. It is an honour to be here and to be part of the building’s history and to see the extraordinary talent and diversity of music making.”

The new centre includes 14 class-rooms and rehearsal rooms equipped with the latest technology to allow students studying musical courses at the college to thrive.

Guests at the official launch were entertained with a variety of musical performances from students and members of the Basingstoke Area Youth Percussion Ensemble.

Former principal Stephen Sheedy spoke to guests about the history of the man the building was named after – Charles Butler – who was the former headmaster of Queen Mary’s School for Boys, which later became Queen Mary’s College.

In 1609, the long-time beekeeper published “The Feminine Monarchie” – the first record of the idea that the queen bee ruled the hive rather than the king bee. He then became intrigued by the changing pitch of bees humming and recorded his own composition of bee music – “The Melissomelos”.

QMC principal Ali Foss said: “I am very proud of the building, and it is at the heart of music in Basingstoke.”

Former principal Mr Sheedy added: “It is great. I think the design is technical but very sensitively done. I think it is attractive to young people for all sorts of reasons. It completes the entire look of the college.”