The Edinburgh Reporter May 2023

18 WHAT’S ON

CULTURE • LITERATURE • ART • EVENTS • MUSIC • MUSEUMS...

Where do we

go from here?

Big question posed this year for Festival

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

THIS IS THE first year that internationally

renowned violinist Nicola Benedetti has been

in charge of the Edinburgh International

Festival as Festival Director.

She knows a great deal about music and the

arts, but has posed a question as the theme for

this festival - now in its 76th year - “Where do

we go from here?”

The question is a response by Ms Benedetti

after reading works written by the late Martin

Luther King Jr who believed that no matter

what their circumstances people have a

capacity to unite.The festival will ask how the

arts and their transformative powers can

impact most on society today. There are three

strands to the programme inviting audiences to

consider matters such as identity, community

and resilience.

Ms Benedetti said: “After we have celebrated

75 years of our Festival, we now enter into a

new phase of redefining, together, where we

go next."

It would have been easy for her to simply

collate this festival with a bunch of friends, but

she was quick to point out what she was trying

to do. She said: “It's not really a job for me to

invite my friends. I'm solely focused on what is

going to be best for the audiences, and looking

also at the broad presentation that we're trying

to get across this summer and who best ignites

and enlightens the question we're asking, and

also who has that flexibility to look at different

ways of communicating with audiences and

bringing them very much deeper into what it is

we present?"

She said: “I'll be playing here for the opening

of the Hub Series. It will be a really eclectic

programme with lots of different artists.

Throughout the festival, I will be getting on

stage a number of other times presenting

concerts and just trying to feel out the back

and forth between myself, between all of our

artists and and the audience.”

The Hub Series is a new concept and will

feature a series of intimate concerts and

events at the building in the afternoons

and some evenings with relays of concerts,

open discussions, films and conversations

with artists.

Artists such as the Jupiter Ensemble a

young group playing Baroque chamber music,

Geza & The 5 DeVILs playing Hungarian

gypsy music, violinist Catriona Price &

Friends, Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham,

Dame Evelyn Glennie in conversation, (the

first time in 15 years Dame Evelyn will have

appeared in Edinburgh) and some of the

musicians from the Simón Bolívar Symphony

Orchestra of Venezuela.

Ms Benedetti explained the concept. She

said: "The Hub is being totally reimagined for

this summer. And it's a really eclectic

programme itself that's going to be in the

evenings and a lot of free activities during

the day as well. But the vibe of the place is

going to be one that's incredibly

unintimidating and welcoming for people.

The space is going to really feel almost like

you're hybrid - in someone's living room and

in a formal concert venue. So it will be

somewhere that's going to feel welcoming, with

slightly shorter performances, a lot of

informality around performance, food and

drink and things that people can just feel

engaged in, and the art becomes a part of that

whole social experience.”

There will be 295 separate events from 4 to

27 August with work from more than 2,

local and international artists from 48

countries. Tickets are on sale from 3 May at

noon for members.

http://www.eif.co.uk

1 M AY

In 1589, the King (James VI) and

Queen (Anne of Denmark) landed at

Leith. And in 1612, the council

instructed the treasurer to build and

equip a song school in the Over Kirk

yard in the same place where there

was one many years before. Also in

1644, the burgh council renewed

the order forbidding the wearing of

plaids around and over the heads of

women which was a custom

adopted by “strumpets, whores, and

other indecent women” to appear

respectable.

5 M AY

In 1508, the Provost, Bailies, and

Council ruled that Fleshers should

have their stalls and stands

protected by stout canvas awning

and the meat on sale covered with

proper wrapping; also, that those

selling the meat should be

appropriately dressed with clean

aprons.

8 M AY

In 1366, at Holyrood Abbey, a

Council was held in which

discussion over a peace with

England took place; it was agreed

that the assessment to raise money

for the King’s ransom should be

voluntary; the Scottish Mint was also

ordered to strike new coins for this

purpose. And in 1826, Sir Henry

Duncan Littlejohn, surgeon, forensic

scientist, and public health official,

was born in Edinburgh.

21 MAY

In 1650, James Graham, Marquis

of Montrose, was executed by

hanging at the Mercat Cross; his

head was removed and stood on the

“prick on the highest stone” of the

Old Tolbooth outside St Giles

Cathedral until the beginning of

1661.

In 1874, the foundation stone of

St Mary’s Cathedral was laid by the

Duke of Buccleuch and

Queensberry; inside the stone was

placed a bottle containing a copy of

the Trust Deed, the Edinburgh Post

Office Directory, Oliver and Boyd’s

Almanac, newspapers, and coins.

24 MAY

In 1853, the Adelphi Theatre in

Broughton Street was completely

destroyed by fire.

30 MAY

In 1936, Portobello Open Air Pool

was opened at a cost of £90,000.

This month in history...

Compiled by Jerry Ozaniec, Membership Secretary of the

Old Edinburgh Club. E: [email protected]

Nicola

Benedetti