Festival commission celebrates our Love of  Trees

Monday 5 May, 8.15pm, Traverse Theatre

Musicians Donald Hay and Mary Macmaster are pictured in front of the remains of the 29m high  Himalayan Cedar at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. Their new song The Cedar  Silent is a tribute to the cedar and will premiere as part of For the Love of Trees, at the Traverse Theatre on Monday 5 May, 8.15pm.

This year’s festival commission For the Love of Trees celebrates the  songs and tunes associated with our nation’s woodlands and trees and  includes the premiere of The Cedar, Silent which was written as a tribute  to the 29m high Himalayan cedar (Cedrus deodara) at the Royal Botanic  Garden in Edinburgh that came down in Storm Éowyn earlier this year.  

Specially commissioned by Soundhouse who programme Edinburgh  Tradfest, For the Love of Trees is produced and performed by harpist Mary  Macmaster and drummer Donald Hay, who are joined by an incredible  line-up of talented musicians: Amy MacDougall (vocals, sampling),  Mairearad Green (accordion, pipes, vocals), Pete Harvey (cello) and Ciaran Ryan (banjo/fiddle/guitar). 

Mary Macmaster is an award-winning harpist, singer, and ambassador for  Scottish music who has previously collaborated with the likes of Sting,  Northumbrian pipe virtuoso Kathryn Tickell, English folk legend Norma  Waterson and many more. 

Mary is a founder member of The Poozies (still going strong after 35  years), Macmaster/Hay with Donald Hay, Shine with Alyth McCormack  and Corinna Hewat, and Sìleas with Patsy Seddon. In 2013, she and  Seddon were inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. 

For this commission Mary has chosen a variety of tunes related to trees,  plus there are four new compositions written specially for the concert including The Cedar, Silent. The tunes include everything from a  traditional Irish reel The Island of Woods by the wonderful Irish/American  fiddler Liz Carroll; to Scottish lament Cumha Crann Nan Teud The  Lament for the Harp Key; The Trees by rock band Pulp; and Chraobh nan  Ubhall a traditional Gaelic waulking song. 

Speaking about the commission musician Mary Macmaster said: “I chose trees for this commission because I love trees – everyone loves  trees don’t they? Also, one of my favourite ever books is The Overstory, by  Richard Powers. It’s a massive, magnificent story. It really inspired and 

affected me. Trees are in the earth and in the air. They are older and more  still than humans could ever be and yet we treat them like commodities. 

If only we could hear what they are saying to each other – and they do  communicate, through their roots and along the lines of mycelium that  connect them.They will be here when we have gone, no matter what a  mess we make of our beautiful world.” 

Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producer of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “Mary  Macmaster is one of Scotland’s finest musicians and composers so we  were absolutely thrilled that she agreed to take on this year’s festival  commission.

“She has picked a stellar line-up to join her on 5 May so we’re  sure it will be a concert to remember. The subject matter is very close to  our hearts and that set list includes tunes from across the centuries is  surely fitting.

After all, many the trees we look at today have been here long  before us and will survive long after we are gone.”  

For the Love of Trees is on Monday 5 May starts 8.15pm at the Traverse  Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh EH1 2ED. £16/£13 with special  guest Fiona Soe Paing whose new album SAND, SALT FLINT is inspired by the ballads of and locations around the northeast of Scotland.

Her  performance will include visuals from Isla Goldie. 

About Mary Macmaster 

Best known for her pioneering work with the metal-strung clarsach and the  fantastic Camac electro-harp, Mary Macmaster is also a fine singer of  Gaelic and English language songs. During the last twenty years she has  been at the forefront of the revival of the Scottish harp and has been an  ambassador for Scottish music, touring throughout the world with SìleasThe Poozies and Donald Hay, a brilliant percussionist. 

Mary has collaborated live and in the studio with many wonderful musicians  including the Northumbrian pipe virtuoso Kathryn Tickell, English folk  legend Norma Waterson and the amazing Sting. Mary’s influence on and  contribution to the Scottish music scene and her role in the clarsach revival 

in recent decades has been recognised by the Scottish Music Hall of Fame  (Hands Up for Trad / Saltire Society), into which she was inducted in 2013. Edinburgh Tradfest 2025 runs until Monday 12 May.

The full programme  includes a stellar line-up of traditional music, talks, adult and children’s  music workshops, ceilidhs, films, and storytelling thanks to continued  support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, and the  William Grant Foundation. 

Cancer 360: Tech reform to transform cancer diagnosis

Cancer 360 brings patient data into one central system, so clinicians can prioritise those most in need and see patients quicker

  • Millions of patients to receive faster cancer diagnosis, helping slash treatment delays as groundbreaking new tech rolled out on NHS as part of major reform to health service
  • For first time, all NHS trusts will have access to technology that brings key patient information together so medical teams can easily spot those in need of urgent attention
  • The £2bn tech investment from the Autumn Budget will drive essential reforms, freeing up staff time and saving lives, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change

Millions of cancer patients will receive a faster diagnosis, helping cut treatment delays and boost survival rates as the government rolls out pioneering new technology across the NHS through the Plan for Change.

Currently, there are over 2 million people living with cancer, many of whom face a complex journey of tests, appointments or treatments. But a trailblazing new tool – dubbed Cancer 360 – brings all that data into one central system, so clinicians can prioritise those most in need and see patients quicker – with the technology set to benefit millions over the next 5-10 years.

This government inherited a broken NHS. Lord Ara Darzi’s independent investigation found the NHS in ‘critical condition’ – with surging waiting lists and deteriorating national health – and set out the need to improve cancer waiting time performance and cancer survival.

Cancer 360 represents the crucial reform that must accompany investment, shifting the NHS from analogue to digital, by creating a simple dashboard showing clinicians all the information they need about their patients in one place. Instead of having to gather vital information about each cancer patient from various systems, spreadsheets, emails, and records.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “This government grasped the nettle and made difficult but necessary choices to invest £26 billion into our NHS – a move that is already helping millions of patients and will help millions more.

“It’s a long road, but we’re already getting our NHS back on its feet, giving patients over 3 million more appointments, hiring 1,500 new GPs and starting the roll out of new tech that will save lives.

“It is only this government’s Plan for Change that will deliver for patients and make our NHS fit for the future.”

The real-time tool will help teams to easily track a patient’s progress, avert delays, and even produce personalised treatment plans. It will dramatically reduce paperwork and help ensure vital warning signs aren’t missed. 

Cancer 360 is a prime example of the government’s commitment to reform – doing things differently by harnessing digital innovation to improve patient outcomes.

Following recent expansion of the NHS App, which has already stopped 1.5 million hospital appointments being missed and saved 5.7 million staff hours since July 2024, Cancer 360 demonstrates how we are continuing to drive the NHS from analogue to digital, giving patients better care and more control over their healthcare journey.

The investment comes from the Autumn Budget – where the government made difficult but necessary choices to put £26 billion in our NHS. This includes the biggest increase in NHS spending since 2010, excluding COVID-19 years – including £1 billion for digital transformation projects and £121 million for the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP). While this investment is crucial, it’s the reforms in how we use these resources that will truly transform cancer care.

The new tool is built into the FDP, which brings patient information together from across separate systems into one safe and secure environment. Since April 2024, hospitals using the platform have typically performed 70,000 more procedures and reduced unnecessary hospital stays by almost 19% – treating more patients and freeing up valuable bed space.

Suraiya Abdi, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Chelsea and Westminster Foundation Trust said: “The implementation of Cancer 360 has enabled my team to monitor and safely carry our patients through their cancer pathway.

“The tool enables us to have in-depth conversations at our weekly meetings regarding a patient’s next step as well as allowing us to escalate queries directly to other teams for faster turnaround.

“The tool has reduced the amount of admin time spent by our cancer team therefore enabling them to focus on the patient journey. I have witnessed an improvement in performance, team spirit and most importantly patient experience.”

The government’s National Cancer Plan will transform the way we approach this disease, improving care and bringing this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.

Through the Plan for Change, the UK government is driving forward work to develop innovative treatments and technologies for patients.

Last month the Prime Minister announced plans for a new health data research service, to transform access to NHS data so clinical trials can be fast-tracked to accelerate the development of the medicines and therapies of the future, in turn helping boost the UK’s world leading life sciences sector and drive growth. 

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also recently announced thousands of cancer patients will benefit from new artificial intelligence which detects skin cancer. In addition, it was confirmed that the NHS will become the first health system in Europe to offer a new injectable form of nivolumab – one of the most widely used cancer treatments in England. 

This forms part of the government’s wider ambitions to cut waiting lists under its Plan for Change.

With a total of 3 million additional appointments already delivered 6 months early, the government is exceeding its own targets and driving down waiting lists at pace, which have fallen for 6 months in a row and by 219,000 since July 2024 – evidence that reform and investment together can deliver real results for patients.

Delivering for Scotland?

First Minister to publish Programme for Government on Tuesday

New measures to strengthen Scotland’s public services and ensure people are supported during the cost-of-living crisis will be set out by the First Minister this week.  

First Minister John Swinney will deliver his Programme for Government on Tuesday 6 May, focused on his four key priorities – eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, investing in public services and tackling the climate emergency.

The First Minister announced last month that he would bring forward the Programme for Government from its expected publication date post-summer to enable a full year of delivery before the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.

The First Minister said: “Times are tough for households and businesses across Scotland, and the world around us is changing in ways that are difficult to predict. 

“But my promise to the people of Scotland is that amidst the uncertainty there is one thing they can be sure of: the government I lead will always seek to do what is best for Scotland.

“As First Minister, I will always put the needs and interests of the people of Scotland first.

“I made the decision to bring my Programme for Government forward to ensure people know that the government I lead is entirely focused on improving their lives.

“On Tuesday, I will bring my plan to Parliament that will strengthen our health service and ensure more money stays in people’s pockets during this cost of living crisis. 

“The 2025-26 Programme for Government will make Scotland healthier and wealthier.”