Edinburgh International Festival Launch (2)
EIF 25 Launch Part 2, 13/3/25
The Truth We Seek…
..is the ‘theme’ of this year’s Festival - though it’s not dwelt on as much as the previous ’themes’. Sadly, on one level, as Hugh Kerr has pointed out, the truth about this Festival is that after the excitement of Nicola Benedetti’s first year, which received a financial boost from EIF reserves, and the “five Opera” 2024 season, this year sees fewer major events before the new money kicks in next season.
However, talking of money, the opening concert has the cheapest seats for many years: tickets are £30 for John Taverner’s ‘The Veil of the Temple,’ not performed since its premiere over 20 years ago, and lasting eight hours. The Edinburgh Festival Chorus who are celebrating their 60 years, and the Monteverdi Choir, who were formed just over 40 years ago, join the RSNO under talented choral specialist, Sofi Jeannin (who conducted a wonderful ‘Matthew Passion’ with the Dunedin Consort last April). The 2024 heroes and heroines from the opening concert and ‘Fire in My Mouth’, the National Youth Choir of Scotland and the NYOS Chamber Choir return to make up the 250 strong chorus. We’re promised a mix of beanbag and ‘traditional’ seating with snacks and drinks available all day. Worth a punt I’d say (you can always go home for your tea and come back again).
The Monteverdi Choir under their director, Jonathan Sells, are back with the English Baroque Soloists on 4th August for ‘The Best of the Monteverdi Choir’. The Festival Chorus have, as ever, a busy year with appearances in Vaughan Williams ‘A Sea Symphony’ and Puccini’s ‘Suor Angelica’ (both part of the LSO’s residency under Antonio Pappano), in Bernstein’s ‘Chichester Psalms’ with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Karina Canellakis, and in Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’, the closing concert, with the RSNO conducted by Thomas Søndergård.
Last year two of the best concerts in the Queen’s Hall were choral – the Schola Cantorum of Venezuela in a contemporary programme and the twelve aspiring opera singers in Rossini’s ‘Petite Messe’. This years’ singers mentored by the EIF have a new name, Rising Stars of Voice, and they sing Brahms ‘Liebeslieder Waltzes’ at the Queen’s Hall on 19th August, as well as in two Usher Hall concerts, ‘Chichester Psalms’ and ‘Elijah’. The Wrocław Baroque Ensemble singing Zieleński’s ‘Offertoria’ at the Queen’s Hall on the 18th sounds like a rare treat worth seeking out.
Their concert comes under the banner ‘Focus on Poland’, which has also brought over the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra for a two concert residency, in the second of which their director Alexander Sitkovetsky joins Nicola Benedetti in a tribute to their teacher Yehudi Menuhin in Panufnik and Bach –this year’s hot Usher Hall ticket on 11th August. Music by Polish composers and Polish musicians feature in several Queen’s Hall concerts, with Ryan Wang, Young Musician of the Year, in an all-Chopin programme on 18th August and Piotr Anderszewski in Brahms and Bartok on 11th. The Queen’s Hall series starts with the King’s Singers and percussionist Colin Currie in contemporary music which includes a new work by James MacMillan. Fans of the venue should be happy with what’s on offer this year, and a 20% discount on ticket sales for 3 or more concerts is again available. The Dunedin Consort play a comic Handel cantata ‘Tirsi e fileno’ which the composer mined for tunes for his later operas – a good substitute for the fun opera missing elsewhere.
Both the theatre and ballet programme have works big enough for the Festival Theatre. Scottish Ballet’s ‘Mary, Queen of Scots’ is a new work, in which photos suggest that, like Schiller and Donizetti, the imaginary meeting between her and Elizabeth I will predominate. The Festival Theatre programme opens with the James Graham’s new play, ‘Make it Happen’, on for 10 days (including previews). Graham, who’s also a great TV dramatist, is an interesting writer for the stage, who combines dramatic intrigue with physical theatre in unlikely subjects. I admired ‘This House’ about the Westminster whips office during the minority Labour government of 1976-1979 and ‘This is England’, the story of the England football team under Harry Kane – both subjects which became unexpectedly gripping in his hands. Can he do the same for the exploits of Fred the Shred and the RBS in 2008? With Brian Cox playing Adam Smith, I’d hope this will be a deservedly popular success. Otherwise in both the theatre and dance programmes, small cast and one-person shows predominate. There will be hidden gems such as ‘Cutting the Tightrope’, a series of short plays at the Churchill which was well reviewed at its debut at the Arcola.
Finally the Festival has two free events for amateur singers – those over 18 can sign up for a morning workshop with James Grossmith on Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’, followed by their own performance with the RSNO conducted by Thomas Søndergård in the afternoon. On the Sunday of the opening weekend, everyone is invited to the Ross Bandstand for ‘The Big Singalong’. With the massed forces directed by the brilliant Stephen Deazley, conductor of the Love Music Community Choir and much else, a good time is guaranteed for all.
The Director of Marketing, Kate Carter, kindly offered to have a chat with me about some of the issues we’ve raised in the Edinburgh Music Review. We hope to talk on the phone soon. Meanwhile public pressure probably from questionnaires (and poorer sales?) seems to have reduced the numbers of beanbag concerts to four and has eliminated the “luxury” £10 programme from all but one event, ‘Orpheus and Eurydice’ at the Playhouse. Free programmes were popular and will return. Sadly ‘Flexible pricing’ is still with us…
