www.list.co.uk/music
Sunday 6
Glasgow ■ The Bohemians: Pavel Haas Quartet City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 3pm. £12. The award winning quartet performs Haas’ String Quartet No 2 (‘From the Monkey Mountains’) and quartets by Janácek and Schubert. FREE Kelvingrove Sunday Organ Recitals Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. 3pm. Sunday promenade concerts with different organists. ■ Scottish Opera St Andrew’s in the Square, St Andrew’s Square, 559 5902. 3pm. £11.50 (£8.50). Mikhail Agrest conducts music by Janácek, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven. ■ Spirit of Life Youth Choir Wellington Church, University Avenue, 330 5419. 7pm. £10 (£8). Carols and Christmas classics for the Feast of St Nicholas in aid of L’Arche. With pianist Aleksander Kudajczyk. FREE Madrigirls Glasgow University Memorial Chapel, The Square, off University Avenue, 7.30pm. The all- female chamber choir presents its popular annual service of music and readings. Edinburgh ■ Notes from Scotland: Celebrating Max and MacMillan Greyfriars Kirk, Greyfriars Place, 455 6200. 3pm & 7.30pm. £8–£10 (£4–£5) for concert only; £16 (£8) for all events. Performances by the Edinburgh Quartet and Research Ensemble celebrating Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and James MacMillan. With a composer’s forum and lecture at the National Museum of Scotland at 4.30pm and 6.30pm respectively. ■ St Giles’ at Six: Rudsambee St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 6pm. Retiring collection. The a cappella group performs wintery music from various countries. ■ Edinburgh University Female Voice Choir Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh University, Bristo Square, 650 2427. 7.30pm. £5 (£3). Vaughan Fleischfresser conducts.
Dundee ■ NYCoS Dundee Area Choir Christmas Concert Caird Hall, City Square, 847 6413. 6.30pm. £4 (£2). Dundee’s finest young singers perform seasonal songs.
Perth ■ Fauré: Requiem Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738 621031. 7.30pm. £12 (£10). Perth Choral Society and the Angus Chamber Orchestra perform Fauré’s unconventional and ethereal Requiem, among the best-loved examples of the genre. Stirling ■ Stirling Orchestra Presents: The Dark Side of Stirling Orchestra Albert Halls, Dumbarton Road, 01786 473544. 7.30pm. £9 (£2–£7). Mussorgsky’s menacing Night on the Bare Mountain and Berlioz’ March to the Scaffold from Symphonie Fantastique.
Monday 7
Glasgow ■ Fejes String Quartet RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 1pm. £5 (£3). Made up of RSNO members, the group performs string quartets by Haydn and Shostakovich. ■ East Dunbartonshire Council Christmas Gala Concert Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £8 (£6). Local school children conducted by George Kelly. Edinburgh ■ Lesley Garrett Christmas Gala Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £18.50–£35 (concessions available). The ubiquitous Lesley Garrett
returns to her classical roots with works by Mozart, Vivaldi, Puccini, John Rutter and Karl Jenkins, as well as carols and seasonal songs. St Andrews ■ Alba Quartet St Leonards School, The Pends, 01334 472126. 8pm. £10 (£1–£9). Music by Schubert and Ravel.
Tuesday 8
Glasgow ■ Chopin’s World Ramshorn Theatre, 98 Ingram Street, 548 2558. 1.15pm. £4. Maki Yoneta performs Chopin’s Barcarolle and a selection of mazurkas, waltzes and studies. Edinburgh ■ Edinburgh University Singers Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 1.10pm. £3. Part of John Kitchen’s Get Organised series, he is joined by the singers for some seasonal music. ■ Fairbridge in Scotland’s Christmas Concert St Andrew’s and St George’s Church, 13 George Street, 475 2441. 6.30pm. £12 (free–£8). Musicians from George Watson’s College give a Christmas concert.
Dundee ■ Scottish Ensemble: Winter Light St Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, Seagate, Castlehill, 01382 434940. 7.30pm. £14.50 (£5–£11). A rich, warming programme, opening with R Strauss’ Prelude to Capriccio. With John Woolrich’s new work, Capriccio, Schoenberg’s luscious Verklärte Nacht and a selection of Wolf songs (arr Woolrich).
Perth ■ Dollar Academy Annual Carol Concert Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738 621031. 7pm. £7.50. Popular annual festive concert. Wednesday 9
Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh University Singers National Gallery Complex, The Mound, 624 6200. 1.15pm. John Kitchen directs the ensemble’s annual Christmas concert. ■ Paragon: Take One The Music Box, Stevenson College, Bankhead Avenue, 535 4840. 7pm. £8 (£5). A new commission from composer Tommy Fowler scored for strings and woodwind, devised for sampling and digital processing by Bhangra/hip hop DJ artist, Tigerstyle.
Dundee ■ High School of Dundee Christmas Concert Caird Hall, City Square, 01382 434940. 7pm. £6 (£3). A festive array of songs, carols and readings. Perth ■ Dollar Academy Annual Carol Concert Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738 621031. 7pm. £7.50. See Tue 8.
Thursday 10 Glasgow ■ Westbourne Music The Merchant House, 7 West George Street, 649 5347. 12.45pm. £7 (£3–£6). Pianist Artem Akopyan with an arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s sparkling Nutcracker Suite. ■ Opera Workshops RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 7.15pm. £12 (£8). Operatic scenes with simple staging and piano accompaniment. Booking is recommended. ■ Christmas Concert RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 7.30pm. £9 (£6). The sublime to the ridiculous with a Christmas twist, with all-female choir Les Sirènes, RSAMD Brass and harpist Charlotte Seger.
Edinburgh FREE Puccini Recital National Gallery Complex, The Mound, 624 6200. 6pm. Tenor Martin Aelred performs arias from some of the composer’s best loved operas.
Dundee ■ Tayside and Fife Health Services Christmas Carol Concert Caird Hall, City Square, 01382 434940. 7.30pm. £10. Norman Beedie directs a Christmas carol spectacular. Peebles ■ Dunedin Consort: Virtuoso Baroque Eastgate Theatre & Arts Centre, Eastgate, 01721 725777. 7.30pm. £10 (under 16s free). Soprano Susan Hamilton and harpsichord player John Butt perform works by Henry and Daniel Purcell, Locke, Eccles, Handel and Bach.
Friday 11
Glasgow ■ RSAMD Strings RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 1pm. £9 (£6). David Watkin conducts works from the two highly contrasting ‘Viennese schools’ by Schoenberg and Mozart. ■ Glasgow Phoenix Choir: Homecoming Christmas Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £8–£15. With Inverclyde Schools Choirs and the Co-operative Funeralcare Band. ■ Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Ticciati and Kozená City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £11–£24 (concessions available). World-class mezzo Magdalena Kozená joins the SCO and conductor Robin Ticciati for selections from Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Also with Hans Werner Henze’s Symphony No 1 and Brahms’ lyrical Symphony No 2. ■ Paragon: Take One CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7.30pm. £8 (£5). See Tue 9. ■ Mendelssohn the Master RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 8pm. £8 (£4–£6). Strathclyde University Symphony Orchestra performs Mendelssohn’s Symphony No 5 (‘Reformation’), the prelude to Meyerbeer’s opera Les Huguenots and Sibelius’ Violin Concerto with soloist Andrea Gajic. Edinburgh ■ Edinburgh University Singers Murrayfield Parish Church, Ormidale Terrace, 440 2136. 7.30pm. Retiring collection. See Wed 9. ■ RSNO: Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £10–£32 (concessions available). Renaud Capuçon demonstrates why he’s a world-leading violinist in Tchaikovsky’s popular, formidably difficult showpiece. With Wagner’s Overture to Die Meistersinger and Sibelius’ Symphony No 2 for a dramatic finish. ■ Edinburgh Grand Opera Canongate Kirk, 153 Canongate, 248 4848. 7.45pm. £10. Johann Strauss’ lighthearted opera, Die Fledermaus. ■ Scottish Ensemble: Winter Light The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7.45pm. £12–£14.50 (concessions available). See Tue 8.
Milngavie ■ Hoot Cairns Church, 11 Buchanan Street, 7.30pm. £10 (£5; children free). The flute and harp duo performs a pictorial programme including McGuire’s Folk Memories in Autumn.
Saturday 12 Glasgow ■ Children’s Classic Concerts: Let it Snow Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 1pm & 3pm. £10 (£6); family ticket £29. Owen and Olly present an all singing, all dancing Christmas cracker of a concert.
Classical Music
The Glasgow shows also feature Nicola Benedetti. ■ Junior Academy Orchestra & Choir Hitlist THE BEST CLASSICAL & OPERA*
✽✽ RSNO: Sir Roger Norrington Conducts Beethoven and Schumann A key figure in TV’s Maestro series, where would-be conductors from the celebrity world discovered the reality of working with an orchestra, Sir Roger Norrington shows how you do it with symphonic music from Beethoven and Schumann. Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 4 Dec; Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Sat 5 Dec. ✽✽ Paragon: Take One Crossing musical boundaries in Paragon style, the ensemble’s latest commission uses classical string and woodwind instruments, but puts them in the hands of hip hop Bhangra DJ, Tigerstyle, resulting in a new mix of classical music and contemporary electronica with a Bhangra feel. The Music Box, Edinburgh, Wed 9 Dec; CCA, Glasgow, Fri 11 Dec. ✽✽ Scottish Ensemble: Winter Light Continuing their tradition of putting a fresh perspective on Christmas music, the Scottish Ensemble’s candlelit concert programme has been curated by composer John Woolrich, (pictured) whose new work Capriccio receives its premiere in Scotland as part of the group’s 40th anniversary celebrations. Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 11 Dec; City Halls, Glasgow, Sun 13 Dec.
Concerts RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 3pm & 7.30pm. £9 (£6). Bryan Allen conducts the RSAMD’s junior dept in works by Reinecke, Prokofiev and Bernstein. ■ Gift of Hope: Christmas with the Salvation Army City Halls, Candleriggs, 779 5000. 6pm. £7. Annual carol concert from The Salvation Army. ■ Opera Works RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 7.15pm. £12 (£8). See Thu 10. ■ Glasgow Chamber Orchestra Sherbrooke St Gilbert’s Church, Nithsdale Road, Pollokshields, 7.30pm. £12 (£4–£9). Peter Cynfryn Jones conducts the overture to Rossini’s Italian Girl in Algiers, and works by Mozart, Dvorák and Haydn. 3–17 Dec 2009 THE LIST 83