Get into the Christmas spirit with our seasonal song quiz!
Below you’ll find the initials to the words in the first lines of twelve popular Christmas songs. Can you work out the first line and the song title? There’s a possibly half-eaten selection box for one lucky winner – you’ve got twelve days to get your entries in. Good luck!
Fancy some seasonal sounds while you do your Christmas shopping? Sainsbury’s Blackhall will ring out with all your festive favourites with visits planned by three different choirs in the run-up to Christmas!
A spokesperson said: “We are delighted to welcome some members of the congregation of our local Church, Blackhall St Columba’s, to our store on Sunday (9 December) at 2pm to sing carols for our customers and colleagues. We are also looking forward to a visit from Stockbridge Primary School choir, who will be singing for us on Wednesday 12 December at 4pm, and the Edinburgh Jubilio Choir on Tuesday 18 December at 6pm.”
Edinburgh Unite Against Fascism proudly presents this Saturday (24 November):
the Love Multiculture Hate Racism Festival
celebrating our multi-cultural society with music, song, dance and comedy.
The festival line-up just gets better and better. In the last week we have confirmed: Bollywood dancers, award winning singer Penny Stone, an Indian Stick Dancer, acoustic sets from James Campbell & Scottish folk singer Eileen Penman.
The daytime cultural event will start at 3pm with jazz from Alistair McDonald backed by “Quatro Macjazz”! Between 3 and 7pm we will squeeze in a packed lineup including an African choir, Indian and Kurdish dance workshops, Indian head massage, drummers, Henna Hand painting and speeches by Show Racism the Red Card and Martin Smith from Unite Against Fascism.
Asian and Turkish food, tea and coffee and entry is by donation.
The comedy packed evening will start with the BAFTA nominated rapper Northern Xposure who has performed with Dizzee Rascal and Amy Winehouse. Then Scottish Comedian of the Year runner up Rick Molland will MC a night of four rowdy
comedians, headlined by “the lord of filth” Richard Coughlan. Your entry fee of £5 includes a free curry courtesy of the Kasbah restaurant and there will be an all-night bar. Doors open at 7.30pm, the event starts at 8pm.
Both these events will be hosted at the Summerhall Art Gallery which is showing a great exhibition of anti-racist posters. Entry from Hope Park Terrace – we apologise but there is no wheelchair access.
Facebook event: please invite your friends!: http://www.facebook.com/events/482507955105412/
United Against Fascism Edinburgh
The City of Edinburgh Music School at Broughton High School, East Fettes Avenue will throw open it’s doors on Saturday (3 November) to welcome people in to see for themselves what makes this renowned school so popular and successful. Between 10.30 and 12.30 students, staff and parents will be on hand to answer questions and demonstrate various activities that take place throughout a normal week.
The City of Edinburgh Music School is unique. It is the only specialist Music School that covers the whole age range from 4 to 19 and is totally funded by the Scottish Government, so it does not charge any fees. Entry is by audition and the gifted children selected receive specialist tuition in all aspects of music while based full-time at newly built state-of-the-art facilities in Flora Stevenson Primary and Broughton High Schools.
The school was selected to become the first UK All Steinway School of Excellence in the UK and has 25 Steinway pianos – at least one in every teaching space. There are also professional standard recording studios, rehearsal rooms and performance spaces seating up to 500.
Students from the school were recently invited to perform at the 2012 Olympic Celebrations in London, accompany the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq’s first British tour with Julian Lloyd Webber, take part in both the International and Fringe Festival and have also been featured on national radio and television programmes!
Sir Simon Rattle, CBE is the patron of the Music School. Financial assistance is given for travel if students live further afield, and there is also a trust fund to provide scholarships and resources for specialist music students.
With all the advantages of expert individual tuition and the social mix of a large, successful state school – each child’s gift for music is developed in a well-balanced and happy environment.
For more information contact:
Tudor Morris (Director) 0131 332 7805
www.edinburghmusicschool.co.uk
musicschool@broughton.edin.sch.uk
Edinburgh Mela is based at North Edinburgh Arts Centre, and the organisation has been working with young people in North Edinburgh on various projects that were first performed at the Mela festival in September. The Mela’s G-Code project has been running on Thursday evenings, working with young local musicians on developing new music.
The G-Code project has flourished over the past few months with the young people taking part in a variety of performances including performing alongside Tinderbox Orchestra at the Dalai Lama’s World Peace event.
The participants also wrote and produced two tracks – ‘Inner Peace’ and ‘Journey’ – and the young musicians showcased their musical achievements at North Edinburgh Arts Centre last Friday where they hosted an album launch, music event and exhibition before being interviewed by young people from Muirhouse Youth Development Group.
For more information about the Mela G-Code project contact Angela on 0131 315 2151.
The Peking University Chinese Music Institute Chinese Orchestra is visiting Scotland this month, under the auspices of the Confucius Institute for Scotland. As well as educational events, the orchestra will be giving two FREE public concerts tonight and tomorrow.
Monday 10 September – Chamber Concert at Reid Hall 8pm
The first formal concert takes place on tonight in the Reid Concert Hall, Bristo Place. This will be a concert of traditional Chinese chamber music performed by musicians from the Chinese Music Institute within Peking University in association with the Reid School of Music, University of Edinburgh.
Tuesday 11 September – Orchestral Concert in Canongate Kirk 7pm
Taking place in the Canongate Kirk, this concert ‘The Sound of China’ will see the 60 strong Chinese Orchestra joined by a children’s choir, pipers and traditional musicians from North and East Ayrshire and North Lanarkshire schools.
For information about ticket availabilty go to www.confuciusinstitute.ac.uk/silk/director.php
The group is pictured during a visit to the Botanic Gardens earlier today
Broughton High School welcomed the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq yesterday.
Tudor Morris, who is Director of The City of Edinburgh Music School based at Broughton, explained: “This is the orchestra’s first ever visit to the UK, where they are performing at the Edinburgh Festival with Julian Lloyd Webber, Khyam Allami and players from the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra, conducted by Paul MacAlindin.
“The National Youth Orchestra of Iraq is a remarkable project set up by a brave 17-year-old Iraqi, Zuhal Sultan, just four years ago. Although many musicians had fled the country during the war, Zuhal was determined to create a national youth orchestra, which has since enjoyed great success in Iraq and abroad.
They were featured in a Channel 4 documentary last week and have been on several news programmes this week, and we are delighted to welcome them to Broughton.”
The Iraqis are spending three weeks working with the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra
before the 26 August concert at Greyfriars Kirk. They will join cellist
Julian Lloyd Webber and their repertoire will include a concerto by Scottish composer Gordon McPherson.
Find out more at www.nyoiraq.com.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill joined the Proclaimers and young musicians who are developing their career skills thanks to cash seized from crime.
North Edinburgh Arts Centre is one of eighteen studios from across Scotland to have received investment to allow 12 to 25 year-old musicians to record their first demo tracks and allow them access to professional standard recording and rehearsal facilities.
It’s part of Creative Scotland’s Cashback for Creativity project which uses crooks’ cash to benefit young people of Scotland through a series of cultural diversionary activities. Over three years £2.25 million is being invested into dance, film and music programmes.
During 2012 in the Year of Creative Scotland, the CashBack for Creativity programme will create opportunities for over 8,000 budding young film-makers, dancers and musicians to develop their skills.
The CashBack for Communities Programme takes funds recovered from the proceeds of crime and invests them in back into communities, putting young people on a positive path in life by providing opportunities for them to take part in thousands of free activities and projects – over £46 million has been reinvested to benefit over 600,000 young people since CashBack began.
Mr MacAskill (pictured above) said: “CashBack gives young people the chance to get creative and broaden their horizons. I was delighted to meet Jack Hincks and his Band from Biggar who have been given the chance to record professional music at CP Productions in Edinburgh and develop their personal, social and career skills. And who better than the Proclaimers – one of the most successful and popular Scottish bands of all time – to be on hand to share their skills and some of the secrets of their success.
“Jack Hincks and his Band are some of scores of young musicians from across Scotland who will benefit from professional standard recording facilities – and some might follow the likes of the Proclaimers in making a successful career in the music industry.
“Providing opportunities for young people to get involved in the arts, theatre and cultural activities can help improve confidence and give them a sense of achievement whilst also demonstrating that there is more to life than petty crime. Investment in our young people and their communities will always be money well spent.”
David McDonald, Youth Arts Manager at Creative Scotland, said: ‘The CashBack for Creativity programme has allowed recording studios across the country to open their doors to over 161 young bands and acts. The experience of recording in a professional recording studio with experienced producers at such an early stage in their development will hopefully inspire them to achieve their potential in their future careers, perhaps even the music industry.
“The CashBack programme has also given thousands of young film makers and dancers the opportunity to shine and express themselves creatively. Taking part in creative activities can make a real difference to the lives of our children and young people, it can help build confidence, enable them to make friends and teach them how to work as part of a group.”
The Proclaimers’ Charlie and Craig Reid (below) added: “We are delighted to continue to support the Scottish Government’s imaginative policy on community based funding for worthwhile projects, using the confiscated funds from criminal activity.”
Edinburgh Elvis fans have an opportunity to enjoy music, rare video and memorabilia at a dance at the Taxi Club in Beaverhall Road on Saturday 18 August from 7.30pm ’til late.
It’s hard to believe it’s now almost 35 years since Elvis Presley’s untimely death – but for members of Edinburgh Elvis, the official local Elvis Presley Fan Club, this will be a celebration of the great man’s life and music, not a wake. So get on your blue suede shoes and go party with The King!
For further information see the Edinburgh Elvis Facebook page or email edinburghelvis35@gmail.com
This year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe guide runs to 376 pages, packed with a cornucopia of comedians, dance troupes, musicians, actors and novelty acts – good, bad and downright dire – all vying for your attention at 378 official venues.
Choosing just what to go and see – and, more importantly, what to avoid! – is tough, so perhaps you can help. Let us know what’s worth seeing – we’ll publish your reviews on the blog. And if a performance is truly awful, it’s best that we know that too!
Enjoy the shows!
