OMAR/TONY BEMY BAND
plain ()mar to us — hit big with the stnooth soul-funk of ‘There‘s Nothing Like This' back in l‘)‘)(). and caught the ear of his idol. Stevie Wonder, with his first album a couple of years later. His recent l-‘nr Pleasure disc on RCA mixes sophisticated soul- jazz-funk grooves with a grittier lyric content. and his fine. Wonder-iin vocal style. He shares this UK jazz-funk showcase with the highly regarded guitarist Tony Retny. (Kenny Mathieson)
I Omar/Tony Remy Band TDK Round Midnight Festival (Fringe) Queen's
Hall (Venue 72) 668 201‘).
3 Sept. 10.30pm. £8 (£5).
Assembly Direct presents I
EMMA CHRISTIAN
Chapels. churches. cathedrals and castles are some of the venues for mea Christian's Beneath The 'I‘wi/ig/i! tour. The young singer. recorder-player and harpist is promoting the album of the same name on her first visit to iidinburgh from her native Isle of Man. The album title is also translated as 721 'n David Cheer. in the Manx language she champions. A Celtic Ilistory graduate frotn Cambridge. Emma is the foremost performer of songs in that language. and with others at the Centre for Manx Studies. is carefully unearthing the unique songs of the island and reasserting a tradition on the edge ofextinction. The last native speaker within living memory died. but happily there are recordings that capture the distinctive pronunciation and sound. (Norman Chalmers)
I Emma Christian (Fringe) Acoustic Music Centre (Venue 25) 220 2462.31 Aug. 8.45pm. £3.50 (£2.50).
TDK
LDUGH
Just back from a repeat visit to Lorient. the ten- day Breton bash devoted to music from the Celtic countries. the Boys ()f The Lough had time to turn around in Edinburgh before heading south to the more genteel Aldeburgh Festival. A new Fdinburgh-recordml album is in the can due for pre-Christmas release. featuring friends and relations. There's a pianist from Norway. ace guitarist Chris Newman. and piper Christy‘s brother Tim on fiddle. The boys are back in Edinburgh for their fifteenth series of August concerts. but this time Aly Rain is an M BF: Front Kerry. they're bringing over guest accordionist Brendan Begley. and pianist. guitarist and fiddler John Coakley plays his last gigs with the band. (Norman Chalmers) I Boys Of The tough (Fringe) Queen‘s Hall (Venue 72) ()68 201‘) (credit cards 667 7776). 16—28 Aug. 7.30pm. £8
(£7).
round midnight jazz festival
Carol Kidd
Andy Sheppard / Steve Lodder
Phil Bancroft OCtEt Gary Thomas Exile's Gate
Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames
Craig MCMUI’CIO .
Bheki Mseleku Quartet
Mulgrew Miller Trio Tony Remy Band
29 August - 3 September
Queen's Hall, Edinburgh Tickets 031 668 2019
EMMANUEL CHABRIER
The French 19th century composer Emmanuel Ohabrier has already proved himself at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, with great surprise all round, through the unveiling of his incompleted opera ‘Oriseis’ - its first British performance - in a concert version at the Usher llall in the first week. But we have not yet heard all of what makes Ohabrler one of the Festival’s featured composers and the last week brings the highly acclaimed Leeds-based Opera North to the King’s Theatre with two Ohabrier operas - ‘l’Etoile’ and ‘Le Roi Malgre Lul’, the latter in a brand new production.
A composer who greatly admired Wagner — seemingly a score of Tristan und Isolde was a constant companion - Ohabrier’s reputation rests mainly on the brilliance and exuberance of his writing, most frequently recognised these days in the effervescent orchestral piece ‘Espana’. Encouraged by his parents to study law and keep music as a hobby, Ohabrier became a civil servant, yet followed a life surrounded not only by music, but by literature and painting. Manet was a close friend and paintings by Monet and Renoir were treasured in a wide collection. ‘l’Etoile’, described in the Festival programme as ‘a triumph of operatic buffoonery’, was written in his time away from the office, but
FESTIVAL
I BOYS OF THE
. MUSIC
after hearing Tristan at Bayreuth, Chabrier decided enough was enough and spent the rest of his working life devoted to composition.
The three-act comedy ‘Le Roi Malgre Lui’ is quite delightful. As the Festival’s resident Ohabrier scholar, Gerald larner, says, ‘Wherever the opera is set, and in whatever period, the irrepressible genius of Ohabrier’s score will surely shine through.’ It may be as well that there are only two nights of each opera — when ‘Le Roi Malgre Lui’ was premiered, the theatre caught fire after the third performance. Both operas are sung in English. (Carol Main)
L’Etoile (International Festival) Opera llorth, King’s Theatre, 225 5756, 31 Aug and 2 Sept, 7.15pm, £10~£44.
le Roi Malgre Lui (International Festival) Opera llorth, King’s Theatre, 225 5756,1 and 3 Sept, 7.15pm,
£1 O-£44.
fh ree ven ues
ACOUSTIC M usrc CENTR F.
two bars eleven ceilidh dances . cabaret/open-sfage drama roots/world music piping... poetry jazz exhibition comedy informal music and song sessions record stall
.. folk music and song
In 1993 over 60 different performing companies gave about 350 performances which were seen by almost 20 000 people during the three weeks of AMC activities at the time of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The 'crack' was immense!
Many will be back this year. Why not join them?
AUGUST 12 - SEPTEMBER 3 7994
one restauran t
For information please call 031 557 4446
Venue 25 at 16 Chambers Street, Edinburgh (adjacent to the Festival Club) for information call 031-220 2462 from August 12 between midday and midnight throughout the Festival
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The List 26 August- 8 September 1004 53