If the fate of new opera in Scotland - already championed in January by Ian Rankin et all in Scottish Opera’s 5:15 venture - rested solely on the fact that last Friday, a Scottish-originated opera nabbed the prestigious opening concert at Aldeburgh, the internationally renowned seaside festival founded by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, then things would be looking very good indeed. Continue reading ››
As the curtain falls on a production by Edinburgh Grand Opera of Gounod’s Faust at the Festival Theatre on Saturday, there will be a few tense faces amid the post-show elation. If they have not managed to fill the Festival Theatre every night by then, this venerable 52-year-old amateur company face not just an uncertain future, but possibly no future at all. Continue reading ››
It’s always rather encouraging when a politician shows artistic leanings. So three Christmas cheers at the news that our most popular First Minister to date, Alex Salmond - a man with the twinkle of the benevolent dictator in his eye - has commissioned a new work of art for his first Christmas card as First Minister. Continue reading ››
If Quentin Blake were to be summed up in the sensational terms of a red-top, he would be “Britain’s favourite illustrator!” Even the broadsheets call him a “national institution”. Blake is as familiar to British audiences as a cup of tea and a nice bit of cake - if a slightly eccentric cake with bright green icing - and yet his illustrations cross international boundaries with the ease of a flying snozzcumber. He is among that select band whose creations have been joyfully embraced by generations of children. Continue reading ››
Dodge the lingering tourists ambling through the plush rooms of the National Gallery in Edinburgh and deep in the basement you will find an exhibition devoted to one of this island’s foremost artists. Continue reading ››
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