The Edinburgh Reporter October 2025

15

Go wild about

natural life

in Edinburgh

“To start and end in the place we all grew up
in and forged our future in, against all odds,
is the ideal way to  nish. Not many bands can
say that".

By RICHARD PURDEN

THE ABOVE QUOTE is from Black Sabbath
bass player Geezer Butler, whom I interviewed
earlier this year ahead of the band's  nal show
at Villa Park. Just weeks later, Ozzy's death,
came as a shock, despite his well-known ill
health, to fans around the globe.

I was fortunate enough to attend Ozzy and
Sabbath’s  nal show with my son, to witness
history being created right before our eyes.
Next month, there is a chance for Ozzy and
Sabbath fans to attend Black Sabbath the
Ballet in Edinburgh.

While many rock and metal fans might be
unsure about the idea of a Sabbath ballet, I
spoke to Lead Composer, Project Music
Supervisor and Conductor Christopher Austin,
who has joined forces with Sabbath guitarist
Tony Iommi, and his passion for the project
was tangible to say the least. He won plaudits
from fans for his work on a list of tracks that
includes Paranoid, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,
Ironman, War Pigs, Black Sabbath, Solitude,
Orchid, and Laguna Sunrise.

That last track provided an opportunity to

introduce Austin's orchestral arrangements to

the legendary guitarist. "I played it to Tony

early on. He has been the most tremendous

support to all of us, and he's been the 'yes

sayer' if you see what I mean? When I put on

the arrangement of Laguna Sunrise that I had

been working on, he started playing along.

That was an experience.

“I put some new chords on it and Tony said: ‘I

like what you've done with that’. He basically

gave us permission to be ourselves and was

happy and excited that his music would go on

a new journey. That’s the mark of the man's

graciousness towards us while having

con dence in his own legacy. He gave us his

trust, and that was liberating."

What was essential about Sabbath was that

it was a working class band from the industrial

north. Growing up in Edinburgh, my uncle

introduced me to the musicality of Sabbath at

an early age, songs such as Orchid and

Solitude, both featured in the Black Sabbath

Ballet, draw upon the folk and melodic

elements often overlooked. "When you listen

to Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, that acoustic

section was a real gift to us" explains

Christopher. "There's a lot that's raw and

intense, but it's also very lyrical music."

Ozzy’s recent death will compound the

performance. It’s unclear if Tony Iommi will

perform on any of the current run, but he has

appeared alongside the production's guitarist,

Marc Hayward, at previous shows.

"Tony appeared at the back of the stage,

during Paranoid, behind Mark. I couldn't hear

the orchestra because of the roar coming from

behind me in the pit. Tony was the most

gracious person to Mark when they were both

on stage. He brought an ecstatic high and a

stage presence while being an understated

person, but the power is in the playing. He has

a sound like no-one else."

Undoubtedly, there will be a range of

emotions for both the performers and the

audience since the death of Ozzy just months

ago. Unfortunately, the Sabbath frontman

never got the opportunity to see the  nal

production. "Ozzy wasn't able to see it as he

had health issues for quite some time and

wasn't able to  y. Sharon (Osbourne) saw it,

and Geezer has seen it, but I don't think Bill

Ward has yet. The whole band provide

voiceovers, they tell the story of the band and

it deals with Tony's industrial accident and

Ozzy leaving the band as well as all the things

they achieved together, some of it is scurrilous,

other parts are very moving. It gives a sense of

what they have all been through."

Black Sabbath the Ballet 30 Oct – 1 Nov

Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Picture by Johan Persson

Ballet tribute to Ozzy

A NEW BOOK has just been published

about the wildlife of Edinburgh, which

explores the diverse array of nature

found in Scotland’s capital.

In Wild Edinburgh nature writer

Keith Broom eld explores the wildlife

of the city of his childhood in an

eclectic line-up that includes foxes and

badgers, strange parasitic plants,

storm-tossed seabirds and  uttering

bats. The book includes a handy

information guide at the end of each

chapter, so that readers, too, can visit

these wonderful places and enjoy their

fauna and  ora.

Keith said: “Wild Edinburgh is the

perfect book for those who love

Scotland’s capital city and are keen to

delve deeper into its wild riches.

Edinburgh is full of green spaces and is

home to several species that are

actually very rare nationally, and there

are even nesting pu ns on the nearby

islands in the Firth of Forth.

“There is the further advantage for

wildlife enthusiasts that many

creatures have become habituated to

people, ensuring one can approach

close without causing undue stress or

disturbance.”

Keith has written four previous

books. His  rst, If Rivers Could Sing,

which focuses on a wildlife year on a

Scottish river, was shortlisted in the

2021 Scotland’s National Book Awards.

His second, A Scottish Wildlife Odyssey,

is a nature travel journey through

Scotland, which received much acclaim

in literary reviews, and his third Wild

Quest Britain, is a wildlife travel

adventure through England, Wales and

Scotland. He has also written A

Snorkeller’s Guide to the

Mediterranean, published in 2024 by

Pelagic Publishing.

• Wild Edinburgh is published by
  Tippermuir Books (www.tippermuir
  books.co.uk), price £11.99. It is
  available from bookshops and online
  sellers.

delve deeper into its wild riches.

The Scottish International Storytelling

Festival (22 October to 1 November)

organised by TRACS (Traditional Arts and

Culture Scotland), is the world’s largest

annual celebration of storytelling.

This year’s theme, Lights of the North,

explores Scotland’s northern identity

through sharing tales from the world’s

northern arc, which bridges Finland to

Iceland and connects Germany to

Norway, with Scotland in between.

Over the 11 days of the festival, some

of the North’s most celebrated

storytellers will join leading voices from

Scotland to bring a feast of traditional

storytelling to Edinburgh and to venues

across Scotland.

http://www.sisf.org.uk

Storytellers highlight

northern lifestyles

Image: Neil Hanna

Image: Johan Persson