Scottish Opera Marks Birthday of Sir Harry Lauder with Tour of Hit Show

To mark the 155th birthday of legendary Scottish entertainer Sir Harry Lauder, tenor and broadcaster Jamie MacDougall is reviving the much-loved Scottish Opera show Lauder, that was originally presented in 2017,  for four performances this summer. Ticket sales from the London and Edinburgh performances will go to the charity Erskine Veterans Charity, for which Jamie is an ambassador.Continue reading “Scottish Opera Marks Birthday of Sir Harry Lauder with Tour of Hit Show”

Scottish Opera’s Breath Cycle Wins Classical:NEXT International Award

Scottish Opera’s (SO) ground-breaking project Breath Cycle was started in 2012 to helps those with lung conditions, such as Long Covid, using breathing techniques in singing and songwriting workshops. Classical:NEXT  is the world’s largest networking event for classical music professionals, featuring over 220 contributors and delegates from 54 countries and  at a ceremony in BerlinContinue reading “Scottish Opera’s Breath Cycle Wins Classical:NEXT International Award”

Louis Stewart’s I Thought About You Reissued at Last

Dublin-based Livia Records reissues Irish guitar master Louis Stewart’s all-star 1977 recording, I Thought About You on 29th May. Long deleted and much sought after in its original vinyl form, I Thought About You features Stewart with the American rhythm section of bassist Sam Jones and drummer Billy Higgins and leading European pianist John Taylor. ItContinue reading “Louis Stewart’s I Thought About You Reissued at Last”

Edinburgh Tradfest Kicks Off Next Week

Friday 2 May – Monday 12 May 2025 A packed programme of music, film and storytelling kicks off Edinburgh Tradfest next weekend (2 May to 12 May) thanks to continued support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and the William Grant Foundation. The Festival opens with Terra Kin supporting celebrated piper Ross Ainslie and the Sanctuary Band (Greg Lawson, PaulContinue reading “Edinburgh Tradfest Kicks Off Next Week”

Scottish Opera Brings Pop-Up Opera to Communities and Schools Across Scotland

From 31st May, Scottish Opera’s (SO) much-loved Pop-up Opera tours to audiences all over the country with performances of Gilbert & Sullivan’s celebrated comic operas A Little Bit of The Gondoliers and A Little Bit of The Pirates of Penzance and children’s opera, Puffy MacPuffer and the Crabbit Canals. These 30-minute shows take opera out of the theatre into unexpected places andContinue reading “Scottish Opera Brings Pop-Up Opera to Communities and Schools Across Scotland”

Testimony Bears Witness to Solo Saxophone Mastery

Saxophonist Phil Bancroft releases Testimony, an improvised suite forsolo saxophone, as the 6th release on his Myriad Streams platform onFriday 25th April. Recorded during lockdown in 2021 in a barn on the smallholding he andhis wife, Jude, had recently moved into, Testimony was musicallycompletely unplanned and spontaneous. “I was exploring the amazing acoustics of theContinue reading “Testimony Bears Witness to Solo Saxophone Mastery”

Violinist Brings Saxophone and Strings to the Queen’s Hall

Violinist Seonaid Aitken returns to the Queen’s Hall on Thursday 10th April to perform her widely admired Chasing Sakura suite. Written for a string ensemble – two violins, viola, cello, and double bass – with saxophonist Harben Kay as featured soloist, Chasing Sakura was composed while Seonaid was recovering from a serious horse-riding accident andContinue reading “Violinist Brings Saxophone and Strings to the Queen’s Hall”

SNJO Looks East for Spicy Queen’s Hall Adventure

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra expands its horizons with a concert entitled 21 Spices and featuring the sensational Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu at the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh on Sunday 30th March. The son of vocalist Shobha Gurtu, a legendary figure in Indian classical music known as the Thumri Queen, Trilok Gurtu has won an international reputationContinue reading “SNJO Looks East for Spicy Queen’s Hall Adventure”

Perth and Kinross Percussion Ensemble Wins Prestigious National Competition

Scotland’s festival of music competitions, Scottish Young Musicians, gives young musicians from every corner of the country the chance to perform live on a national stage in front of internationally renowned judges. The inaugural live final, held on Sunday 9th March, and compered by one of Scotland’s leading artists Jamie MacDougall, was the culmination ofContinue reading “Perth and Kinross Percussion Ensemble Wins Prestigious National Competition”

Live Music Now Scotland Announces Judith Anderson’s Appointment as New CEO  

Live Music Now Scotland was founded in Edinburgh in 1984 and is one of the country’s leading music charities working in schools, hospitals, care homes and hospices across the nation while supporting outstanding emerging artists.  Judith Anderson has been appointed as the new CEO and will lead the organisation into its next phase bringing herContinue reading “Live Music Now Scotland Announces Judith Anderson’s Appointment as New CEO  “