Music Classical www.list.co.uk/music
■ RSNO: Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £10–£32 (concessions available). See Fri 11. Edinburgh ■ Chapter House Singers: A Festive Fanfare St Mary’s Cathedral, 23 Palmerston Place, 225 6293. 7.30pm. £10. John Rutter’s Gloria, works by Schultz and Praetorius, and Jonathan Dove’s Far Theatricals of Day, with Sundial Brass and organist David Goodenough. ■ Edinburgh Bach Choir St Cuthbert’s Church, 5 Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £12 (£10). Vivaldi’s Gloria and excerpts from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. ■ Piano Recital Canongate Kirk, Royal Mile. 7.30pm. £8 (£5). Jill Crossland plays music by Handel, Haydn and Mendelssohn. ■ The Kevock Choir The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7.30pm. £6–£12 (concessions available). Alasdair Hutton narrates as the Kevock Choir and Edinburgh Concert Band perform carols and seasonal music. ■ Loud & Proud Festive Concert George Square Theatre, University of Edinburgh, George Square, 473 2000. 8pm. £9 (£6). Seasonal music from Edinburgh’s LGBT a cappella choir. ■ Rudsambee The Augustine Church, 41–43 George IV Bridge, 449 3949. 7.30pm. £8 (£6). The a cappella vocal ensemble gives a Christmas concert. ■ Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Ticciati and Kozená Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £8.50–£26 (concessions available). See Fri 11.
Glenrothes ■ Glenrothes Choral Society Christmas Concert St Ninian’s Church, Cawdor Drive, 01592 757600. 7.30pm. £7 (£6). Durante/Pergolesi’s Magnificat and other choral works. Paisley ■ Glasgow Orchestral Society Paisley Abbey, Abbey Place, 889 7654. 7.30pm. £10 (£6). The Glasgow Lyric Choir joins the orchestra for a richly fairytale-infused programme featuring Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel Overture.
St Andrews ■ St Andrews Chorus Winter Concert Younger Hall, North Street, 01334 462226. 7.30pm. £10 (£4–£7). A rousing programme of Vivaldi and Handel.
Sunday 13
Glasgow FREE Kelvingrove Sunday Organ Recitals Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. 3pm. See Sun 6. ■ Scottish Ensemble: Winter Light City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 3pm. £12–£14.50 (£9–£11). See Tue 8. Edinburgh FREE Christmas Choirs National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. 12.45pm, 1.45pm & 2.45pm. A Christmas singalong with local choirs. ■ Harps of Gold Christmas Concert The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 2.30pm. £10 (£8; family ticket £22). The Clarsach Society presents the harps of Na Clarsairean and the George Watson’s College Caritas Choir for carols and readings. Proceeds to be shared with the very worthy CLIC Sargent charity. ■ St Giles’ at Six: The Wild Myrtles St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 6pm. Retiring collection. Seasonal songs from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, Israel, Finland and Scotland. FREE University Carol Service McEwan Hall, Bristo Square, 650 4381.
84 THE LIST 3–17 Dec 2009
7pm. With the Edinburgh University Singers and Renaissance Singers. Please be seated by 6.40pm. ■ Newtongrange Silver Band The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7.30pm. £4–£12 (£6–£11). One of Scotland’s top brass bands and singer Cailean Swainson present a musical Christmas special. ■ Bill Bailey’s Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 8pm. £30–£55. Bailey turns his eccentric imagination to the orchestra – in this case the BBC SSO – for the educational and the utterly bizarre. Find out how many classical masterpieces were inspired by a good old Cockney knees-up and what really interests bassoon players.
Dundee ■ Dundee Choral Union with NYCoS (Dundee) Choir Concert Caird Hall, City Square, 01382 434940. 7.30pm. £14 (£5–£11; children free). Norman Beedie conducts music by Elgar, Rutter and Beethoven. With soloists Libby Crabtree, Ross McInroy and organist Morley Whitehead. Paisley ■ Paisley Philharmonic Choir Carol Concert Paisley Town Hall, Abbey Close, 887 1010. 7pm. £9.50 (£8). The choir performs festive tunes, joined by the Scottish Co-op Brass Band.
Monday 14
Glasgow ■ RSAMD Oboes RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 1pm. £5 (£3). Oboe students and staff demonstrate their skills.
Edinburgh ■ Heath Quartet The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7.45pm. £10–£19. The Tunnell Trust prize- winning ensemble performs Beethoven, Tippett and Debussy. Perth ■ Alexander Romanovsky Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738 621031. 1pm. £6–£10.50. Acclaimed pianist Romanovsky plays Rachmaninov.
Tuesday 15 Glasgow FREE Family Carol Service Glasgow University Memorial Chapel, The Square, off University Avenue, 5.30pm. With the Chapel Choir and organist Kevin Bowyer. ■ Glasgow Schools Christmas Concert City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7pm. £8 (£6). A mixed bag of musical treats with ensembles from Glasgow’s schools.
Edinburgh ■ Christmas Concert St Mary’s RC Cathedral, York Place, 8pm. Retiring collection. Choral and organ works by JS Bach along with traditional and new Christmas tunes. Dundee ■ RSNO: Christmas Concert Caird Hall, City Square, 01382 434940. 7.30pm. £12.50 (children £5). Christopher Bell presents and conducts the RSNO’s annual Christmas celebration with carols and classics, including the magical theme from The Snowman.
Wednesday 16
Glasgow FREE Celebrate Christmas! Barony Hall, Castle Street, 353 8000. 3pm. Strathclyde University’s annual concert of Christmassy words and music. Edinburgh ■ Edinburgh Quartet Canongate Kirk, 153 Canongate, 7.30pm. £12 (£2–£8). Quartets by Haydn, Crawford
CONDUCTING DEBUT ROBIN TICCIATI – SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA City Halls, Glasgow, Fri 11 Dec; Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 12 Dec
Love affairs, even in the highly emotionally charged world of classical music, are not always shouted about from the rooftops. But in the love-at- first-sight relationship between the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and their new principal conductor, 26-year-old Robin Ticciati, it seems that everyone is smitten and proud to be so. Now making his season debut with the orchestra, it was actually on the SCO’s Highland tour in summer 2008 that it all started. ‘It was only for two weeks, but it was a very special beginning,’ says Ticciati, who is a protégé of Sir Simon Rattle, ‘and that’s the important thing. There was a feeling of the joy of discovery through relating to each other and making music together.’ As principal conductor, Ticciati conducts five wide-ranging programmes in his first season. Starting with two which bring leading mezzo-sopranos Magdalena Kozená and Karen Cargill to the SCO stage, the repertoire he and the orchestra will cover moves from Henze to Brahms and Mahler, Berlioz to Haydn, Ligeti to Mozart, and is completed in the spring with Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony. ‘The Henze – Symphony No 1 – will fit like a glove,’ he says, ‘and is hopefully a piece that not many people know too well. Henze revised it many times, so that reflects how much he thought of it himself. And the Brahms Symphony No 2? The wonderful thing is to look at the Romantic era through the glasses of the SCO’s classical training. Historical precedent is there for it being performed by a chamber orchestra. I feel that it is perfect.’ With Kozená as soloist in Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn, Ticciati’s first mainstream week with the orchestra is set for surefire success. And for audiences who want to join in the love affair, there is a chance to get to know Robin better through a series of regular pre-concert talks. (Carol Main)
and Tchaikovsky. ■ Lothian Hospitals and Friends Carol Concert Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £15–£18. With guest star, CLIC Sargent patron Nicola Benedetti. St Andrews ■ Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Ticciati Conducts Younger Hall, North Street, 01334 462226. 7.30pm. £10–£19 (£5–£17). The new Principal Conductor leads Fauré’s Pelléas et Mélisande and the famous Pavane, Haydn’s Symphony No 101 (‘Clock’) and Poulenc’s Flute Sonata (orch Berkeley), with soloist Alison Mitchell.
Thursday 17
Glasgow ■ RSNO: Big Band Christmas Party Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £12–£32 (concessions available). See in a swinging Christmas as Eliot Murray directs the RSNO Big Band through an eclectic and enjoyably cheesy selection of seasonal tunes. Edinburgh FREE Live Music Now: Maelasta National Gallery Complex, The Mound,
624 6200. 6pm. A musical celebration marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle from the guitar and violin duo. ■ Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Cargill Sings Berlioz The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7.30pm. £8.50–£26. Acclaimed Scottish mezzo Karen Cargill performs La mort de Cléopâtre, a typically Berliozian brew of impassioned melodrama and melancholy, and works by Fauré and Haydn. Ayr ■ BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Christmas Classics Town Hall, Carrick Street, 01292 269793. 7.30pm. £3–£20 (concessions available). Jamie MacDougall presents a sparkling giftbox of Christmassy, and not so Christmassy, musical treats. Stephen Bell conducts. Book early.
Perth ■ The Tallis Scholars: A Renaissance Christmas Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, 01738 621031. 7.30pm. £15–£20. Relive Christmases past with the world famous Tallis Scholars, performing Thomas Tallis, Josquin Desprez, William Byrd and Praetorius.