Finland brought stunning reviews (particularly of Beethoven‘s 1st and Mendelssohn‘s Italian Symphonies) and a desire from the players themselves to work more closely and more often with Saraste. Already Principal Conductor with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. British audiences will have a chance to see him in action when he brings it to the UK for a major tour including appearances at the Brighton and Perth Festivals.
If you fancy your own chances as a conductor and are fed up practising in front ofthe mirror to the sounds of the radio. then why not try the Conduct-In being held on Saturday 18 October in aid of the Edinburgh Competition Festival Association. For only £1 a minute you can conduct to your heart‘s content with a real live orchestra at your disposal (see Classical Music Listings). (Carol Main)
3-D ART
As of now (from 15 Oct). Scotland has its own Hologram Gallery. Illuminati 21 Renfield Street. is Scotland’s first permanent gallery to feature these multi-dimentional laser images and is based on the Light Fantastic galleries in London‘s Trocadero and Covent Garden. They have many exhibits ranging from 2in x 2in to 2ft x 3ft and feature such things as opening and closing eyes, Harvey Smith salutes and larger exhibits such as Andv
LETTERS
THE FACTS OF LIFE
Andrew Bethune is entitled to his opinions. but not entitled to twist the facts (in his review of my book about the legend ofthe Loch Ness Monster). I have never confessed to being an eccentric (I‘m not even sure what it means). Nor did I write the words he quotes. or spell Adomnan ‘Adamnan’. Furthermore. I made a point ofemphasizing that the evidence has to satisfy a physicist not a zoologist (because no animal has yet been found). I did not remove every source of deception, and ‘get rid of’ otters, logs, etc; I merely listed them and showed that they account for all the so-called evidence! Finally, my conclusion was not that ‘H = 0‘; it was that the null hypothesis (H0) applies. Evidently Bethune’s skill in algebra is no better than his ability to report what I said.
Yours faithfully Steuart Campbell Edinburgh
BETTY BLUES
Your reviewer of Berry Blue (Issue 25) felt that this was CINEMA: a
Warhol‘s Marilyn Monroe. Many of the holograms are on sale at prices ranging from £14—£4()() and the exhibition will change periodically. Opening hours are Mon—Sat “lam—8pm and Sun 11am—5pm. subject to confirmation.
I .i f
J ‘ .g’it i I
Julie Covington
N0 WEIRD SISTER
Julie Covington has come a long way since winning the Eslpeth Douglas Reid Trophy at the 1968 Edinburgh Fringe (together with an ecstatic review from Ilarold Hobson) launched her on the road to Fame. Next month sees her back in Edinburgh again. however. playing the perhaps unexpected role of Lady
virtuoso demonstration of the director's fine cinematic gift which renders the ‘superficial‘ nature ofthe film forgiveable. I too perceive Jean-Jacques Beneix‘s indubitable talent but this perception merely added to the despair I felt after two hours of the wretched self-indulgence which is Berry Blue. Alright. The world is a prisoner of its own conventions and its own mediocrity and of course. we need
heroes and heroines to show us how
to break out. to tell us how they did it. to show us that all things are possible. But though the style of Betty Blue. the jokes. the soft colours. the Beneix ‘je ne sais quoi'. invites us to choose Betty (free spirit) and Zorg (brilliant writer?) as these figures, the story. right from the opening sequences — Betty
' doesn‘t want just sex, she wants
LOVE. instantly — lends a very different and terrible effect. It seems that Beneix doesn‘t even understand his own creations — the kind of love which astonishes Zorg— I had known Betty for a week. We made love every night.‘ — and which the film peristently glamorises, is not what Betty wants at all.
I feel depressed that the cinema-going public seem to have enjoyed and accepted this film.
Macbeth. in a certain well-known ‘Scottish‘ play. alongside Jonathan Hyde as Macbeth at the Royal Lyceum. Edinburgh.
HEALTH SPRINGS ETERNAL
Stress and pressure are part of most people‘s daily lives. Sometimes is becomes difficult to cope. Who is there to turn to? Wellspring offers an alternative to the doctor and chemical solutions. Begun almost 50 years ago (then known as the Davidson Clinic) by internationally renowned Dr Winifred Rushforth. it has just opened in welcoming new premises in Smiths Places. Leith.
Dr. Rushforth‘s work is being continued by her daughter. Dr Diana Bates. who. after retiring from general practice in the South of England. reopened the therapy centre under the name Wellspring in 1978. It is dependent solely on donations and fees. is not supported financially either by the National Health or by local authorities. and is open to everyone.
The centre offers individual and group therapy ofvarious kinds for those who want to discover their own way ofcoping. They describe their
{ work as belonging to a ‘middle
ground in helping people to move from illness to wellness. from misery to happiness. from dead-ends to usefulness.‘
particularly as a sequel to Diva, which was so deeply romantic and life-affirming. Have our modern minds so little respect for ourselves and for LIFE that these sad and desperate adolescents are the only heroes we deserve?
Yours faithfully E. Nash Edinburgh
ART-E-FACTS
On page thirty-two ofyour last issue there is a reproduction ofa painting by Rob Maclaurin. This point is worth making because (a) There was no caption, and (b) it was illustrating a review in which neither artist nor painting was mentioned. Neither your readers nor the artists who you review benefit from this sort of confusion, so perhaps it is worth making the point that this illustrated but unacknowledged painter has three paintings on show at the 369 Gallery, and these are indeed part of the exhibition referred to in the review. It is also worth pointing out that the Mercury Gallery is in Edinburgh not Glasgow.
Yours Murdo Macdonald Edinburgh
TH—'SI.IST
Issue no 27 17—30 0ctober1986 l
., Cover 1 Hat by Jilli Blackwood. Modelled by 5 Suzanne. i
1. Guest List. ; People in the newsthis fortnight. I 2 Short List.
Column by John Pinkerton. News.
4 Jean Jacques Burnel. : Mab interviews a Strangler. ? 5 Paul Maversburg.
The director of Captive talks to Allan Hunter.
6 Onen To Question?
Television talk shows by Graham
Caldwell.
f Listings
i Full guide to events this fortnight. Film 8 Folk 27
j Theatre 18 Jazz 28
Dance 21 Rock 29
i Media 22 Art 32
1 Kids 24 Open 37
Classical Music 25 Sport 39 41 Backfist
As the Glasgow Style exhibition takes off. The List looks at some notable Glasgow designers. Also this issue. a four page pull-out on what's
stylish in Glasgow 44 Travel - Russia 46 Books
Publisher Robin Hodge.
Editors Nigel Billen. Sarah Hemming. Glasgow Editor Graham Caldwell. Associate Editor Allan Hunter. Design Simon Esterson. Advertising Bill Gordon. Accounts Georgette Renwick. Richard Gray, Typesetting Jo Kennedy. Aileen Jardine and Hewer Text. Production Editor Paul Keir. Production Assistant Jane Kennedy. Art Alice Bain. Books Alan Taylor. Classical Music Carol Main, Dance Alice Bain. Film Allan Hunter, Trevor Johnston. Folk/Jazz Norman Chalmers. Kids Sally Kinnes. Media Nigel Billen. Sally Kinnes. Open Richard Norris, Rock (Edinburgh) Alastair Mabbott. Rock (Glasgow) Andrea Miller. Stuart Spence. Sport Graham Caldwell. Theatre Sarah Hemming. Office Lynn Spowart. Camera Darien Printing
Published by The List Ltd, 14 High
Street. Edinburgh. 5581191 and 13 Bath Street. Glasgow 332 3393.
The List 17— 30 October 3