Final preparations are being putting in place for a very special Remembrance Day concert at the Usher Hall on Friday which will help to raise vital funds for leading Armed Forces charity Poppyscotland.
To add to the evening’s excitement, Royal Scottish National Orchestra’s Shostakovich Twelve will feature a work by Guildhall School of Music and Drama doctoral student and emerging British composer Daniel Kidane (above) which has been chosen to receive its first public performance. The vigorous nature of the piece – entitled Zulu – which is characterised by ever-present percussion and an unwavering drive, reflects the essence of the Zulu people.
Daniel said: “I’m very much looking forward to further collaborating with the RSNO and hearing my piece come to life in their 2017/18 season. Zulus marked their bravery and militaristic prowess in battles with invaders such as the Boer Commando and the British Empire and it is fitting that these brave warriors will take centre stage during an occasion where will be doing our bit to help our brave veterans via donations to Poppyscotland.”
Gordon Michie, Poppyscotland’s Head of Fundraising, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with RSNO to promote this wonderful World War One-inspired performance and mark the end of the 2017 Poppy Appeal and the beginning of our centenary year.
“There will be a bucket collection after the performance and we would encourage concert-goers to give what they can to remember those who have served our country and so we can go on supporting members of the Armed Forces community in Scotland by providing tailored funding and assistance.”
Shostakovich’s Twelfth Symphony is all about history on a blockbuster scale – the definitive musical retelling of the Bolshevik Revolution. But before that red dawn, a glance back at a more romantic age, as guest conductor Cristian Macelaru welcomes the newly-crowned winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Yekwon Sunwoo, in Rachmaninov’s dramaticThird Concerto.
To book tickets for the Usher Hall concert, in Edinburgh on Friday 10th November at 7:30pm, please call the Box Office on 0131 228 1155, or book online here. There are a number of ticket prices (£41, £31, £23, £18, £12.50) and under-16s can attend for free. For those under the age of 26, mature students and the unemployed, there are £6 tickets available, while disabled patrons are entitled to 50 per cent off the ticket price.