First Minister John Swinney will represent the people of Scotland at national commemorations honouring the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day landings.
Today (Wednesday 5 June) he will attend the main UK ceremony in Portsmouth, to celebrate the work of UK and other forces at the port city from which the Allies left for the beaches of Normandy.
Tomorrow (Thursday 6 June) he will attend the first ever National Commemoration ceremony to be held at the British War Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, France, to pay tribute to all who served in the Normandy Campaign.
In Scotland, a National D-Day 80 Commemoration Concert is being held in Edinburgh, supported by the Scottish Government. Minister for Veterans Graeme Dey will be in attendance.
The First Minister said: “Scotland owes a great debt of gratitude to all those who served during the Second World War, especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
“Were it not for the actions of these brave men and women 80 years ago, we would not enjoy the freedoms which we now take for granted.
“It is important that current and future generations continue to learn of the events that took place in Normandy so that we ensure such a conflict is never repeated.
“The Scottish Government is wholehearted in our commitment to supporting our Armed Forces, veterans and their families in Scotland.
“We will never forget those who have, and continue to, lay down their lives in the service of their country.”
Scotland’s Salute to D-Day 80 takes place at the Usher Hall on 6 June. The Scottish Government provided £22,000 funding towards the concert.
The Usher Hall has further cemented its reputation as the Capital’s foremost concert hall with a five-star quality rating from VisitScotland as part of its Quality Assurance Scheme.
The report, compiled during anonymous visits by VisitScotland inspectors, particularly praised the hospitality, friendliness, service, and efficiency of colleagues alongside the general core experience and cleanliness of the venue. This marks fourteen consecutive years of Usher Hall being awarded five-star status by Scotland’s national tourism organisation.
The Usher Hall is Edinburgh’s key venue for visiting national and international orchestras and has been the main venue for the Edinburgh International Festival since 1947.
The venue is the Edinburgh home to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. The Hall is also a centre of excellence embracing the widest range of music and events, including rock, pop, jazz, world, blues, comedy, talks, school concerts, conferences, sponsorship events, ceremonies, lectures and recording sessions. The concert hall is renowned for its acoustics making it one of the finest in Europe.
Since opening in 1914, the Usher Hall has played host to some of the most important cultural icons in world history. From David Bowie to Johnny Cash, Ella Fitzgerald, the Rolling Stones, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Adele and countless more this is a venue that has a central role in Edinburgh’s cultural landscape.
Last year, the Usher Hall welcomed almost 300,000 visitors and this year’s programme is well underway, featuring performances from Underworld, Richard Hawley, Squeeze and many more. Visit the Usher Hall’s website for more information.
Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker said: “We’re very proud that the Usher Hall has once again been recognised as one of the best venues in Scotland.
“It has held a five-star VisitScotland award rating each and every year since 2010 and this is testament to the hard work of colleagues who ensure that everyone who visits the Hall has an excellent experience. They have my profound thanks for their dedication and commitment to arts and culture in our city.
“Here in Edinburgh, we’re committed to maintaining the very best cultural facilities for our residents and visitors to enjoy. I’m sure that the Usher Hall will continue to go from strength to strength.”
Neil Christison, Regional Director at VisitScotland, said: “The Usher Hall is an important part of Edinburgh’s musical heritage, and its visitor experience is just as memorable as those icons of music and theatre who have graced its stage.
“For years, the venue has set a high watermark for customer service in the city. This is down to its dedicated staff who have excelled in ensuring visitors have a fantastic day or night out.
“By providing an exceptional visitor experience, the Usher Hall is contributing towards our national goal of making Scotland a world-class destination.”
The Edinburgh Festival Chorus will perform with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Glasgow and Edinburgh in March 2024 to mark the 150th anniversary of Verdi’s Requiem
This will be the final chance to catch them before their performance at the Edinburgh International Festival in August
The performances also mark their first appearances since the appointment of their new Choral Director, James Grossmith, in 2023
The Edinburgh Festival Chorus are set to perform Verdi’s Requiem this month in Glasgow and Edinburgh, 150 years after its premiere in Milan in 1874. These performances also mark their first public performances since the appointment of James Grossmith as Choral Director in September 2023.
The performances, which take place on the 21st of March at Glasgow City Halls and the 24th of March at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, will see the Chorus performing the Verdi’s highly operatic funeral mass with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the orchestra’s Chief Conductor, Ryan Wigglesworth.
Verdi’s Requiem is a highly theatrical and epic Catholic funeral mass which was written following the death of Verdi’s Italian poet, philosopher and novelist, Alessandro Manzoni.
The Edinburgh Festival Chorus are often credited as being the “choral backbone” of the Edinburgh International Festival’s programme. The chorus was founded in 1965 and has run continually since then. It’s comprised of 130 singers from all walks of life from all around Scotland who are selected through an auditions process and rehearse weekly.
Since the creation of the Chorus, its singers have had the opportunity to perform alongside the likes of Leonard Bernstein and the London Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop and the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan’s Berlin Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
This is the last chance to see The Edinburgh Festival Chorus in concert before the Edinburgh International Festival in August, where the Chorus will perform Alexander Grechaninov’s Passion Week.
Paul Hanlon has graduated with distinction – and added a medal to his collection
Hibernian captain Paul Hanlon has collected a different kind of silverware – marking his outstanding academic performance – after graduating from Edinburgh Napier University.
After three years of study on the programme, which is designed specifically for athletes, the Scotland international picked up his degree during a ceremony at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall yesterday.
Reflecting on his time with ENU, Paul said: “Studying has helped massively in dealing with the pressure of sport. It has given me a separate focus away from football.
“The course was a real eye-opener. It took a bit of getting used to. Things like the academic way of writing and reading were completely new to me.
“In football, things are black and white. Suddenly, I had to understand a bit more about dealing with grey areas – forming opinions and backing them up.
“At first it was nerve-racking! I left school a long time ago, so hadn’t done anything like this for a while.
“There is that daunting aspect of getting started, but the support you get here is amazing.”
During his time with ENU’s School of Applied Sciences, Paul won his first Scotland cap, and was named club captain at Hibs, all while competing at the top level of Scottish football.
The 2016 Scottish Cup winner says the course has opened new paths he could take when the time comes to hang up his boots. He said: “I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do once I finish playing, but this helps me cover a lot of bases. I feel well prepared.
“There were modules which helped with leadership and coaching, while others dealt with the business side of the game.
“It has given me a new confidence and determination to keep learning. I’m now doing the Applied Football Management course at ENU because of this – I don’t want to stop.
“I don’t think I would be like that now if it wasn’t for this course.”
Dr Tom Campbell, Programme Lead for BA Business & Enterprise in Sport said: “Paul has set a fantastic example to our Dual Career students.
“During his time with us, he has displayed outstanding academic performance, all while competing at such a high level in his sport.
“We have a strong track record of supporting athletes through their studies, and it is pleasing to see Paul develop his thirst for knowledge with us.”
Edinburgh Napier’s autumn graduation ceremonies are being held from 24 – 26 October at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall.
Scotland’s only 5-star concert venue, Edinburgh’s stunning Usher Hall, is proud to announce the 2023-24 programme for its much-loved Sunday Classics season.
The Sunday afternoon season is renowned for bringing the finest orchestras from around the world to the Scottish capital, accompanied by exceptional soloists at the height of their talents.
Starting in September, the mighty Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra kicks off the 2023-24 season with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Brimming over with drama and emotional intensity, the symphony charts a course from darkness to a final, life-affirming glimmer of optimism.
Two weeks later the Basel Chamber Orchestra, the first orchestra to win the Swiss Music Prize in 2019, makes a triumphant return to Edinburgh. Joining them is pianist Angela Hewitt, a great favorite of the Zurich International Series’ audience, who will direct the orchestra in two concerto masterpieces – Mozart’s lyrical E-flat Piano Concerto and Bach’s pulsating D-minor Piano Concerto.
December sees a visit from the Symphony Orchestra of India, bringing with it all its renowned energy and vigour to one of the great 20th-century masterpieces by Stravinsky, Petrushka.
They are joined by perhaps the greatest musician in the Indian classical tradition, the tabla player Zakir Hussain, in a work commissioned especially for this tour, his exciting Triple Concerto.
The first concert of 2024 welcomes global superstar guitarist Miloš Karadaglić and the Arcangelo Ensemble, who will treat us to a celebration of Baroque masterpieces by Vivaldi, Marcello, Bach, Pachelbel, Rameau, and Couperin.
For lovers of the Baroque repertoire, this will be a very special evening featuring music recently recorded by Miloš and released by Sony later this year.
They will be joined by the brilliant young violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen in two masterworks for orchestra and violin – Chausson’s Poème and Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso.
The second half will feature two of Respighi’s monumental tone poems, Fountains of Rome and his ultimate work, Pines of Rome.
To celebrate a new, cordial phase of Anglo-French relations, a group of brilliant, young British and French musicians have been brought together to form the virtuosic Orchestre de l’Entente Cordiale.
They are joined by acclaimed French cellist Gautier Capuҫon who will perform that quintessentially English work, the Elgar Cello Concerto. After the British first half, an all-French second half features popular music by Satie and Debussy, with a grand finale of opulent music from Poulenc’s ballet Les biches.
Russian-born violinst Maria Ioudenitch treats the Usher Hall to one of the most profound violin concertos composed in the 20th century, Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto, with its ravishing central passacaglia.
Joined by the Dresden Philharmonic, the show will also feature one of the most poignant and tragic of all symphonies, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, the ‘Pathétique’.
Acclaimed pianist Mark Bebbington joins the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Beethoven’s grand ‘Emperor’ Concerto and two much-loved Czech favourites – Smetana’s Bartered Bride and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7, in authentic and inimitable Czech style.
The orchestra’s American music director Steven Mercurio will begin the concert with Copland’s delightful portrait of the Appalachian countryside.
This finale includes one of the greatest of all choral works, Mozart’s farewell to the world, his Requiem. To balance this sombre second half, the first half includes Beethoven’s sparkling Eighth Symphony.
Taking part in this concert will be one of England’s historic choruses, the Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus, who join the Flanders Symphony Orchestra in a moving end to the Sunday Classics season.
Karl Chapman, Cultural Venues Manager at Usher Hall said: “We are delighted to announce our new Sunday Classics season, packed full of the best orchestras, soloists, and conductors in the world today.
“Sunday Classics has become an integral part of the Scottish classical music scene and the Sunday afternoon concert experience has proved ever popular. It’s fantastic that the Usher Hall can offer such an unrivalled variety of international talent to the music-lovers of Edinburgh and Scotland in a concert hall with some of the very best acoustics around.
“This season we are hosting a diverse selection of ensembles – the Czech National Symphony Orchestra make a triumphant return to the Hall led by American music director Stephen Mercurio.
“We are also incredibly excited to welcome back the likes of the India Symphony and Concerto Budapest Symphony orchestras and we know that the amazing Edinburgh audiences will leave them wanting to come back!
Councillor Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener said: “I am delighted that the Sunday Classics programme is returning for the 2023-24 season.
“There can be no better location to experience a live classical performance than the world-famous Usher Hall. Designed and built with a view to bring classical music to Scotland’s Capital, our venue has been a key part of our musical culture for over a century. I am proud that the tradition of concert-going at Edinburgh’s most stunning indoor venue continues as strongly as ever.
“It’s a genuine pleasure to sit back in the impressive hall and lose yourself in the music, and this new Sunday Classics series will feature first-class orchestras and classical superstars from around the world. Plus, with lots of options and special rates on tickets, the Usher Hall is helping to make classical music accessible to all.”
An Edinburgh Napier University Veterinary Nursing student had an especially memorable graduation day – as her partner proposed outside the Usher Hall following her ceremony.
After collecting her degree, Shannon Ward met her family at The Napier GRADUATE Graduate pub, where Jamie Carty popped the question – and got the answer he was hoping for. The moment was captured on video by Shannon’s mum Clair and cheered by many other new graduates nearby.
Shannon, from Consett in County Durham, said she had no inkling of what her other half had planned for her big day. She said: “I had no idea! I even pointed out some jewellery I liked as we passed shops on the way here and he stayed quiet.
“My reaction … just shock and awe! Jamie has always said he wouldn’t propose to me in front of people, so it completely took me aback. “It’s been such a great day!”
Jamie, from Darlington, County Durham, said he had a tough time keeping the idea quiet. He said: “I was so nervous, but I just tried to focus on Shannon as I was saying the words – and not think about all the people around!
“I wanted it to happen somewhere which is already associated with so many wonderful memories. It made the nerves worthwhile!”
While the happy couple turn their attention to planning a wedding, Shannon is already putting her studies to good use, finding work in Northumberland.
ACTIVISTSmarked the anniversary of the enactment of the 1967 Abortion Act, which legalised abortion in Britain, at an event on Lothian Road yesterday.
Also marking the significant date, but for different reasons, were pro-life group SPUC, who held a simultaneous Pro-life Chain event.
Abortion Rights Scotland’s Audrey Brown (above) said: “NHS Scotland has long supported women to make their own choices about pregnancy.
“Abortion care is extremely safe, and in fact is safer than continuing a pregnancy. NHS doctors, nurses and midwives working in abortion care are trained to provide a safe and supportive service.
“The majority of women now choose early medical abortion in the privacy of their own home. Restricting access to abortion won’t stop abortion, it will push it underground and make it less safe.
“We must continue to support free, safe and legal NHS abortion care.”
A number of politicians showed their support at the demo. Among them were Edinburgh East MP Tommy Sheppard.
THIS MORNING (Saturday),Abortion Rights Scotland is celebrating the fifty-fifth anniversary of the date the 1967 Abortion Act became law in England, Scotland, and Wales, from eleven am to 1pm on Lothian Road Edinburgh – Usher Hall side – because on the other side of the road, SPUC (the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child) are holding their protest against access safe, legal, local abortion, provided and delivered by the NHS.
The SPUC protest against safe legal abortion and the feminist celebration of the Abortion Act, are both now in their tenth year – two years missed because of lockdown.
Audrey Brown, retired NHS abortion care consultant, says: “NHS Scotland has long supported women to make their own choices about pregnancy.
“Abortion care is extremely safe, and in fact is safer than continuing a pregnancy. NHS doctors, nurses and midwives working in abortion care are trained to provide a safe and supportive service.
“The majority of women now choose early medical abortion in the privacy of their own home. Restricting access to abortion won’t stop abortion, it will push it underground and make it less safe. We must continue to support free, safe and legal NHS abortion care.”
The counter-vigil against the anti-abortion protest, is both in support of the continuing right to safe, legal, local abortion in Scotland, provided and delivered by the NHS, but also standing with people in countries like Poland and the United States, where the anti-abortion movement has achieved its goal of denying free access to safe legal abortion.
SPUC’s frequent assertion is that they want to make this essential reproductive healthcare “unthinkable” – and most people in Scotland oppose that goal.
SPUC has organised a ‘Pro Life Chain’ event from 11am – 1pm
Organisers say: ‘Remember the lives hurt and lost through abortion by attending SPUC’s 2023 Pro-Life Chain. This peaceful act of witness spreads the message that abortion kills unborn children and hurts women and families.’
The Forth Awards, a night of celebrating the great and the good of Edinburgh and the East, came back with a bang, with the sold-out Usher Hall playing host to a night to remember.
Wet Wet Wet were on hand to surprise guests after the Forth Awards, alongside performances from award winners Tony Hadley and Heather Small.
The Forth Awards, which celebrate the best of Edinburgh and the East, returned on Thursday (23 June) after last year’s noticeable absence due to the lockdown measures.
In total, ten awards were handed out with local heroes and celebrities all part of the celebrations.
Local heroes, Keith Armour and Steven Carr were awarded Volunteer of the Year and Local Hero respectively, with both raising huge sums of money over the past two years for good causes.
Emma St. Clair won the coveted Teacher of the Year award, with Edinburgh Zoo picking up the Visitor Attraction of the Year award, following the first full year of allowing visitors into the park.
Elsewhere, Tony Hadley won the Forth Icon award after decades of working across the music industry, and Heather Small won The Forth Music Recognition award, with both performing to the crowd.
Joining the already star-studded line-up, The Eves and Vula took to the stage to perform their biggest hits.
The Forth Awards were, once again, a celebration of the best music and entertainment around, with the opportunity to hear inspiring stories from Forth’s local heroes. Whether simple acts of kindness by local teachers, or staggering amounts of money raised for life-altering charities, everyone had an afternoon to remember.
Richie Jeffrey, Head of Events said: “The Forth Awards are always a truly incredible and inspiring afternoon, with our return from a two-year hiatus made it extra special.
“From the unrivalled Usher Hall atmosphere, to our non-stop entertainment and moving stories from very worthy winners, it is with real pride that Radio Forth is able to support and reward people in our community in this way.”
Full list of winners on the night:
THE FORTH FRINGE AWARD WITH MULTREES WALK
Winner: DANIEL SLOSS
THE FORTH BEST ARTIST AWARD WITH VICTOR PARIS
Winner: CALLUM BEATTIE
THE FORTH ICON AWARD WITH THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE
Winner:TONY HADLEY
THE FORTH MUSIC RECOGNITION AWARD WITH THE LIQUID ROOMS
Winner: HEATHER SMALL
THE FORTH BEST RESTAURANT AWARD WITH HERITAGE PORTFOLIO
Winner: PRANA INDIAN GRILL
THE FORTH CHARITY VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR WITH NEWTOWN REFURBISHMENTS
As the founder and chairman of Dnipro Kids, Steven has put his business and family life on hold to help evacuate 50 orphans and their house parents from the war in Ukraine, and found them a safe haven in Scotland.
Steven has been chairperson and founder of Dnipro kids charity since 2005 when he and a group of Hibs supporters visited local orphanages in the city of Dnipropetrovesk at the time Hibs played a UEFA cup tie in the city. Steven built a strong relationship with the orphanages, and this was the founding of Dnipro kids.
Since then, he has visited 25-30 times once or twice a year to take donations over and to help out in any way he can. Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine Steven has taken it upon himself to travel to the country in order to help evacuate orphans from a number of Dnipro orphanages to the safety of Poland and in due course hopefully to settle in the UK.
Emma is the teacher all the children at Colinton Primary School want . At 62 years of age, she has worked at the school since graduation. She encourages by example, has an incredible way of building confidence and always makes learning fun.
Throughout her career, Emma has been the ‘soil’ to the children she teaches where she has nourished, nurtured and protected them as well as feeding them with the knowledge and skills they need to survive in life. She is well-thought of by the whole-school community
One of the entries said ‘She is a phenomenal person who loves the job she does and the kids love her in return.’
THE 2022 World Fair Trade Gathering is getting underway to return to the stage with a sizzling ceilidh fusion and ska line up, this Saturday.
Headlining this high-energy concert at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh, are Skerryvore, Peatbog Faeries and Bombskare, who will take to the stage in an amazing line-up of traditional music from Scotland coming together to celebrate World Fair Trade Day and Scotland as a Fair Trade Nation.
Special guests, Pulse of the Place – a local, youth Leith-based Samba band – will be taking to the stage to help make the concert a super lively one. There will also be a range of stalls selling Fair Trade products in the main foyer throughout the evening.
This concert is set to lift the roof at Usher Hall and will be a fun night to remember and once again has been organised by Hand Up Events, a local social action company, led by director, Tania Pramschufer, who said: “It is wonderful we can celebrate World Fair Trade Day again with such a great and exciting line-up.
“This year, we are focussed on climate change and what we can do to make a difference linking to the WFTO climate justice theme.
