Belfast singer-songwriter Andy White’s first single Religious Persuasion and 1986 debut album Rave On Andy White kick-started a career which includes twenty albums, two books of poetry and a novel. Continue reading From A to Z: Andy White & Zoee in the Wee Red Bar
Young musicians in Edinburgh are being urged to get their entries in for the world’s biggest schools piping competition.
From quartets to pipe bands at the top of their game, the Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships offers a platform to showcase Scotland’s musical heritage – and the search is now on for performers from Edinburgh to take part in the event next March. Continue reading Call for youngsters in Edinburgh to Pipe up for Championships
The Usher Hall and Live Music Now Scotland have partnered to present a series of special concerts at Usher Hall that showcase the best upcoming musical talent from Scotland. The Emerging Artists series returns for its 10th season and will have four concerts across December and January, each presented by different musicians performing a different style of music.
Tickets are available to book now at www.usherhall.co.uk for only £3 and are free for students.
This partnership forms part of the Usher Hall’s civic commitment and the venue gifts the space to Live Music Now. Many great acts have performed as part of previous Emerging Artists series, including big names in the folk and trad scenes such as Skerryvore and Manran.
New Antonine Brass will return to the Usher Hall to perform a varied programme on the 9th of December. From the opening brilliance of Olympic Fanfare to bringing some Christmas spirit with selections from The Nutcracker there’s something for everyone.
As well as playing some well-known brass quintet repertoire, they will also branch out into the world of musical theatre with a mammoth arrangement of songs and dances from West Side Story. There is even a time travelling surprise at the very end of the recital and of course, the chance for some audience participation with our traditional Bavarian snow waltz.
On Monday 6 January, the classical guitarist Jacopo Lazzaretti focuses on Italian composers from different periods – Giulio Regondi, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Carlo Domeniconi.
This concert will take audiences on a journey that will explore some of the sonorities and atmospheres of 19th and 20th century through the virtuosism of the classical guitar.
The following week, Armonia Duo (Cuban violinist Eddy Betancourt & Scottish accordionist Valerie Barr) will present a diverse programme including works by Bach, Ravel and Piazzolla on 13 January.
Keen to explore the versatility of both of their instruments, they will play their own transcriptions of popular pieces that explore a wide variety of styles included within the classical genre. The duo first met at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and joined Live Music Now Scotland in 2019, and have since enjoyed many performances together in venues across the country.
To round off three weeks of inspiring music making, 20th January sees Scottish folk duo Hannah Rarity and Luc McNally, comprising of former BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2018 and finalist, draw from the Scottish, English, Irish and American music traditions.
They’re set to perform a range of traditional, cover and original material that showcases their own musicality and passion for songs and melodies of the people.
The Emerging Artists series is funded by Kimie Trust (Scottish Charity SC040611).
Kimie Trust was established in 2009, in memory of Kimie Okada, for the support of organisations that advance music, its performance and its appreciation in Scotland. Kimie Trust is funded by a bequest of Kimie Okada (1929 – 2008), who loved music all her life, moved from Tokyo to Edinburgh in 1993 and was always keen to support music in the country that she had made her home.
She regularly attended classical music concerts at the Usher Hall. Kimie Trust is proud to support Edinburgh’s Emerging Artists Series of concerts, now in its tenth season.
Cllr Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, The City of Edinburgh Council said: “We’re delighted to support this initiative which provides young emerging artists the opportunity to perform on the Usher Hall’s stage where all the greats have stood such as Kathleen Ferrier, Ella Fitzgerald, Herbie Hancock, Pink Floyd, Lang Lang, George Ezra and Sheku Kanneh-Mason to name a few.
“We couldn’t be happier to continue our involvement which helps us to continually develop the arts and live music in the capital. Since the partnership began, audiences have enjoyed a creative and eclectic programme and we hope our support continues to provide inspiration for everyone involved”
Carol Main, Director Live Music Now Scotland, said: “The Emerging Artists series at the Usher Hall gives our musicians an unparalleled opportunity to perform on one of the world’s greatest concert platforms at the outset of their professional careers.
“Now in its tenth season, the series also gives audiences the opportunity to spot talent on the rise and chat with them after the concert. Seating the audience in the organ gallery, with the performers facing them rather than out into the huge auditorium, makes for a surprisingly intimate space, enabling closer audience/performer engagement than the more conventional concert hall experience. We are enormously indebted to Kimie Trust for funding the Emerging Artists series every year since it started in 2010/11.”
Concert Listings
Emerging Artists – New Antonine Brass
11:00am, Monday 9 December 2019
Tickets: £3.00, Free for Students
Emerging Artists – Jacopo Lazzaretti
11:00am, Monday 6 January 2020
Tickets: £3.00, Free for Students
Emerging Artists – Armonia Duo
11:00am, Monday 13 January 2020
Tickets: £3.00, Free for Students
Emerging Artists – Hannah Rarity and Luc McNally
11:00am, Monday 20 January 2020
Tickets: £3.00, Free for Students.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay has announced the complete banging Hogmanay in the Gardens line-up for the 2019 festival. Joining superstar international DJ Mark Ronson are global anthemic hitmakers, Rudimental DJ and Glasgow’s collective soundsystem, Mungo’s Hi Fi. Continue reading Rudimental DJ and Mungo’s Hi Fi complete Hogmanay line up
Waverley Mall is set to continue its monthly live music showcase with the October edition of ‘The Waverley Sessions’ in partnership with The Youth Radio Network.
This popular event is set to take place on the weekend of 19th and 20th October with a fantastic line up of Scottish talent taking to the stage across the weekend. Continue reading This weekend: showcasing Scottish talent at Waverley Mall
Sunday Classics: Flanders Symphony Orchestra
7:30pm, Sunday 27 October 2019
Conductor – José Luis Gomez
Guitar – Miloš Karadaglić Continue reading Rich colours of Spain at Usher Hall
Three brothers rowing across the Atlantic in the 2019 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge at the end of this year are throwing a musical evening at Summerhall in Edinburgh tonight to raise money for their chosen charities.
In August, the team pillaged bottles of whisky from distilleries across the West Coast to help bring 3000 people in Madagascar clean water. The ‘whisky pirates’ captured this on film and will premier the mini-documentary at the event.
A unique blend of whisky will be created by Scotland’s leading whisky expert (and father of the boys) Charles MacLean. This ‘BROAR Blend’ will then be auctioned to fund life-saving freshwater boreholes, delivered by Argyll-based charity Feedback Madagascar.
Team BROAR , Edinburgh-based brothers Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan MacLean, hope to raise £250,000 for Children 1st and Feedback Madagascar by undertaking this gruelling row.
Pickering’s Tradlantic at Summerhall will be a celebration of Scottish music and two fantastic charities. Being musicians, the brothers know how music can bring people together like nothing else. Top acts will be performing including Edinburgh’s Samuel Nicholson, the Isle of Mull’s Sorren Maclean & Hannah Fisher and Tony McHugh from Belfast.
“Over the years, music has certainly been the thing that has brought us together as a trio – which maybe explains why we’ve opted to spend up to 60 days on a 28foot long raft together this Christmas.
“The plan is to take scaled-down versions of our instruments for the crossing and record a tune in the middle of the Atlantic – Christmas number one here we come … !
“To help reach our fundraising target of £250,000 we thought that a musical evening would be very fitting – come along to Summerhall to enjoy some gin and music for Pickerings Tradlantic this Saturday!”
Managing Director of Feedback Madagascar, Jamie Spencer, said: “We really appreciate the boys undertaking this challenge for Feedback. We will be building new boreholes with the funds they raise to transform the lives of over 3,000 people in Madagascar.
“Clean water is taken for granted but only 14% of the rural population of Madagascar has access to clean water, and as a result, hepatitis and typhoid are widespread. Diarrhoeal disease from dirty water causes 20% of deaths in children under five.”
Jason Donovan was right back in 1989 when he sang that there were “too many broken hearts in the world”, but the Australian superstar will be doing his very best to mend more than a few as he heads out on a brand new tour for autumn 2020. Continue reading Jason Donovan announces Even More Good Reasons tour
Rebel Vision are producing an immersive screening of the Rolling Stones legendary 2016 Havana Moon concert. Touring the length and breadth of the UK, the tour arrives at Usher Hall, Edinburgh, on Wednesday 23rd October. Continue reading Rolling Stones set to rock Edinburgh with immersive concert screening
