Edinburgh

I St Giles at Six: The Kevock Choir St (iilcs' Cathedral. Royal Mile. 226 0673. (tpttt. Free. (iraltattt l.o\'ell conducts as tltc cltoir perl'orttt a prograntttte to include l";tttt‘e's ('unliqm' (lt' .lt'tlll Rtlt‘illt' and Nltt/itl'l's .‘ll‘l’ \Z’rum. pltts folk songs. spit'ituals attd songs trottt popular tttttsical [.m- .Wls‘r'l'rlb/(fly.

Kirkcaldy

I Fife Festival of Music: Opening Concert Adam Smith 'l‘lteatre. Bettttochy Road. 0l5‘)2 4l2‘)2‘). 2.30pm. £4 (school children Ll ). The celebration of musical pcrl'ortttances hy pritttary scltools itt \Vest l‘ilc kicks oil with tlte Ricltard (ialloway Memorial Recital. itt retttettthrattce ot‘ tlte l'estiyal‘s tirst chairtttatt.

Glasgow

I BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Discovering Music (‘ity llalls. ('attdleriggs. 353 8000. 2Pltt. l-‘ree. ticketed. (‘ottdtlctor .-\le\attder Sltelley leads tlte orchestra itt this study ol‘ Strayittsky’s Symphony in Three .llut't’mwtls w lticlt is being recorded for broadcast on BB(' Radio 3

Tuesday 23

Edinburgh

I Essential Scottish Opera 2007 Brtttttott 'l‘ltcatrc. Ladyw ell Way. .‘ylttsselhttrgh. (to5 2240. 7.30pm. U2 (£9.50). See llttt l3.

Wednesday 24

Glasgow

I La Chorale de l’AIliance .-\lliattce lit‘attcaisc de (ilasgow. .3 l’ark (’ircus. 33‘) 42Sl. |.30pttt. £5. (irah tltc chance to sing your lteart ottt itt French at tltis choir grottp for all.

I RSAMD Brass Department Concert RS;\.\ll). l00 Rcttlrew Street. 332 5057. 7.30pm. Free. ticketed. Students from tlte acadettty‘s w tttd. brass attd percussion dcpat'ttttettts pay tribute to late cotttposer Sir Malcolm .-\t‘ttold. wlto died last year.

Glasgow

I Concerto Caledonia (ilasgow l'ttitcrsity ('ottcett llall. l'ttiyersily Avenue. 330 4092. l.l0pttt. liree. Music ll‘Ullt lSth century Scotland. drawn from tlte uniycrsity 's llettt‘y l’arttter collectiott. including tttttcs ttsed hy Bttrtts lor ltis songs. attd tttttsic by his lt‘lL'lttl\. l-‘ttttded hy tlte l-crgttsott Bequest.

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Afternoon Performance (‘ity llalls. (‘attdleriggm 353 S000. l.45pttt. to. Alexander 'l'iltn conducts tltc orchestra ill two (it. the lttosl popular works in tlte orchestral repertoire at this concert wlticlt will he hroadcast liye ott BB(' Radio 3. Stray ittsky 's l’t'tl'tts/tlu attd .\lo/art's I’iu/tu ('u/u't'rlu .\'u 2i) played by tlte agile lingers ol Martin Roscoe.

Edinburgh

I Gianni Schicchi and L’heure espagnole lidinhurgh l't‘stiyztl 'l'ltcatre. Nicolsott Street. 52‘) (tlllll). 7.l5pttt L'l2 L20 it") L'l7). See Hi It). I Burns Night Concert Brtmton

Clteckwttlte

:..= w}, t, r' "

74 THE LIST ll’, Jan 1 lot) 700/

OPFRA DOUBLE BILL

GIANNI SCHICCHI/L’HEURE ESPAGNOLE RSAMD Opera, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Fri 19 &Sat 20 Jan; Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Thu 25 & Sat 27 Jan

USA and Canada, England and Wales, Sweden, Iceland, Singapore and Brazil are all countries that are fielding singers in the RSAMD’s comedy double bill of operas from Italy and France. Although a one-off blip means that Scotland is rather unusually missing from this international mix, it is the reputation of its national conservatoire’s opera school that is drawing singers from all over the globe. While international students are coming to Glasgow for the renowned teaching that Scotland has traditionally offered young singers, the performances that the RSAMD presents as part of their training are increasingly gaining quite a reputation in their own right.

This term’s pairing of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Ravel’s L’heure espagnole the first dealing with death,

'l‘ltcatre. l.adywcll Way. Mttsselhurglt. (ms 2240. 7.30pm. {l4 (L‘l 1.5m. (‘eleht‘ate Bttrtts Night witlt an evening ol~ inspiring music ll'ttllt ()pera Alha.

Glasgow

I Scottish Baroque Soloists RSAMI). 100 Rettl‘rcw Street. 332 5057. lpttt. £7 (£5). Specialists itt tlte ntusic ol tlte Baroque era. this grottp L'ttlttpl‘lses sottte ol tlte country's linest orcltestral tttttsicians. Here tltey presettt a cottccrt ol' music by Vivaldi. JS Baclt attd his son Johann ('ltristian as well as lesser-known composer Baldassare (ialuppi.

Edinburgh

Royal Scottish National Orchestra: Bruckner 3 Usher Hall. l.otltiatt Road. 228 l I55. 7.30pm. L' H) £28. (‘ottdttctor Walter Weller mines the Rotttatttic repertoire l‘or Brttckner's sytttpltotty dedicated lo Wagner Symphony“ No 3' (188‘) version) attd Wagner's birthday present to his wile .Sit'g/i'it'r/ lily/l.

Glasgow Royal Scottish National Orchestra: Bruckner 3 Royal

Edinburgh

I Gianni Schicchi and L’heure espagnole lidinhurglt Festival Theatre. Nicolson Street. 52‘) 6000. 7.15pm £12 £20 (£9 £l7). See l‘ri l‘).

I Sunday 28

Glasgow

t'amily.

Edinburgh

(‘ottcen Hall. 2 Sattcltieltall Street. 353 8000. 7.30pm. £|0 £30. See Fri 26.

I Organ Recital Kelvingrot'e Art (iallery 8; Mttsettttt. Argyle Street. 276 959‘). 2.30 3pm & 3.30 4pm. Free. Take a seat iii the museum‘s magnificently restored centre hall attd enjoy sottte wonderful tttttsie at one of tlte museum's Sunday Promenade concerts. This week with John Power. I RSAMD Youthworks Music Concert RSAMI). l00 Rettl'rew Street. 332 5057. 3pm. l’ree. ticketed. linjoy a concert by the RSAMI)‘s primary school students. who demonstrate the progress they've tttade on their chosen ittstrutttettts. A concert for all the

I St Giles at Six: Piano Recital St (iiles' Cathedral. Royal Mile. 226 0673. (tpttt. Free. This week St (iiles’ (tpttt musical soiree comes courtesy of pianist Matthew Scltellltortt. pet't'ortttittg

the other with sex - is set to build on what has already been achieved. ‘They are great fun pieces,’ says head of opera, Tim Dean, who conducts both productions, ‘with the common feature that links them being a mule. As well as being brilliantly wn’tten, they give a lot of opportunity to a number of singers, especially in the ensembles, where they really have to work as a team.’ With each opera lasting around one hour, they are not too vocally demanding and, as Dean says, ‘the lyrical French repertoire in particular is perfect for young voices’.

In addition to preparing singers for their future careers, the operas also give RSAMD instrumentalists the chance to find out what it’s really like sitting in the pit. Almost 20 students join the ranks of every section of the Orchestra of Scottish Opera to play with them as part of an evolving apprenticeship scheme. ‘It shows them what life is like in the profession’ says Dean, ‘and the Scottish Opera players really enjoy their mentoring role.’ (Carol Main)

Mact‘vlillan's Angel: for Neil attd Schutttattn's (animal. 0,) t).

Tuesday 30

Edinburgh

I Get Organised! Usher Hall. l.otltiatt Road. 228 H55. l.l() l.50pttt. £3. The first concert iii the 2007 (iet ()rganised’ series. I Edinburgh Quartet Reid (‘ottcert Hall. lidinhurglt University. Bristo Square. (tax 20l‘). 1.10pm. Lunchtime concert with the quartet perforating Haydn's String Quartet in .4. Opus 55 No / attd ‘l‘attcy e\ 's

String Quartet No () in [iv/7111.

Glasgow

C- Royal Scottish National

Orchestra: Naked Classics Royal Concert Hall. 2 Sattclticltall Street. 353 8000. 5.30pm. £10. l.eartt tttore about

I popttlar classical pieces with an illustrated

discussion lollowed by a pet't‘ortttance ot'

the work itt question: Beetltoyett‘s

.S't'mpltmrt‘ No 3 ‘iz'mt't‘u '.

Dunfermltne j I Band of HM Royal Marines ' Scotland ('arttcgie llall. liast l’ort. (H.383 314000. 7.30pm. £8 (£7). The ct er popttlar concert season t'eaturittg music from the classics. shows. tilms and big hand era.