Piano Circus and Dance Live! below
Sounding off
As the sound festival announces its programme, The List finds James Macmillan's 50th birthday is just the start of it Words: Anna Millar
ollowing its success last year. the
sound festival has launched its
programme boasting over 60 performances and events. The music fest line-up will include a special celebration of the work by the festival's patron. James MacMillan to mark his 50th birthday. as well as sound residencies. special commission compositions inspired by artworks by Nathan Coley. Damien Hirst and Alison Watt. a dance strand and an ode to Burns.
Programme Co-ordinator. Fiona Robertson said of the line-up: ‘As in previous years we have brought together a large range of different genres of new music to appeal to a wide variety of tastes.
‘Our aim is to encourage people to discover new sounds and to widen their musical horizons. This year we have two contrasting themed weekends. as well as World. UK and Scottish premieres.’
The festival. which kicks off at the end of October and runs for a month. will open in the Beach Ballroom with a performance by the Piano Circus. The festival‘s first sound residency welcomes Rohan de Saram. Roberto Fabbriciani. Richard Craig and Tadej Kenig. MacMillan will give the inaugural sound festival lecture. As part of an experimental music weekend (5—8 Nov). Mark Wastell. Burkhard Beins. Will Guthrie. and Bill Thompson will discuss the crossover between percussion and live
electronics.
To showcase the sound festival residency (12—15 Nov). Tadej Kenig and Sri Lankan born British cellist Rohan de Saram will perform new works written specifically for them by the Scottish-based composers Pippa Murphy. Oliver Searle. Gareth Williams and Paul Tierney. inspired by a
work in the permanent collection of
Aberdeen Art Gallery.
The Dance Live strand features Michael Popper & Nigel ()sbome‘s Remebering . . . fingerting. while the Burns element features a concert of music by the Primrose Quartet. with contributions by James MacMillan. Sally Beamish. Anthony Payne. Piers Hellawell. Peter
Fribbens and Jacques Cohen. 3-: .. s x
For further information see visit www.sound- scotland.co.uk
5 £61"? i S i»! essaann collaboration with the RSAMD, is piloting a new programme to help graduate singers launch their careers. The Emerging Artists programme will offer graduates a wide range of opportunities over the year to help them at the start of their
careers.
THE KING'S and Theatre Royal have launched their season highlights from September. including the 25th anniversary production of the comedy Stepping Out, starring Jesse Wallace and Brian Capron and The Stripper, a new musical written by and starring Richard O'Brien.
ALL T'HibéGS
SPAlii l 5 H are heading to Edinburgh this summer from Friday 17 Jul-Sun 19 Jul. Setting its stall on the Mound. A Taste of Spain promises to explore Spanish lifestyle, culture and food. See www.tastespain.i nfo for full details.
CALLING ARTISTS AND ILLUSTRATORS
I The Edinburgh-based Forest Publications are putting together a new graphic anthology named This Will Explain Everything, which is now open to submissions from comic artists and illustrators. Writer and publisher Ryan Van Winkle explains: ‘This anthology is an imaginary encyclopedia: a compendium of knowledge that is true, half-true, false, absurd or very confusing. Your entry should explain something. It can be a piece of disinformation, speculation or thorough nonsense. We’re looking for unique points of view on a wide- range of objects and ideas.’ See www.theforest.org.uk
ALL'S FAIR AT THE FRINGE Fair Trade sets its stall at the Fringe for the first time this year in the Grassmarket from Fri 28-Mon 31 Aug. Organisers are promisin home wares, fas 'on, jewellery, food and drink, books, music and much more.
Visit us daily for arts 8. entertainment news
9—23 Jul 2009 THE LIST 7