Scots Opera Project, The Magic Flute - Wed 22 May

The Herald by Keith Bruce ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Colleen Nicoll’s statuesque Queen of the Night is the Nurse Ratched of the staging, all but stealing the show with her coloratura aria." 

VoxCarnyx by Keith Bruce

"There was quality singing from everyone onstage, including the community chorus of other inmates that arrived later, each of them demonstrating their own disturbing affliction." 

Review by Garry Fraser 

"This innovative company are trailblazing a path in adapting works for Gaelic or Scots language." 

Edinburgh Music Review by Donal Hurley

"David Douglas delivered a sterling performance as the troubled Tamino, crying desperately for help where there will be none... Mozart’s generosity with great tenor arias was handsomely repaid." 

 

Herbrides Ensemble - Auld Alliance - Thu 23 May

Bachtrack by David Smythe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Celebrating its 30th anniversary, The Hebrides Ensemble, a chamber group “making new music familiar and familiar music new”, is directed by cellist William Conway. Making its debut visit to Perth Festival of the Arts, the group’s strapline was a perfect fit for the specially curated ‘Auld Alliance’ programme of modern Scottish pieces dovetailed with 20th-century French works.

Review by Garry Fraser

"I might have preferred the evening’s French connection, but I have to take my hat off for the masterful way they highlighted the world of modern Scots music. If anyone is going to help me appreciate it more, it’s the Hebrides Ensemble."

The Herald by Keith Bruce ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"This was... a superb iteration of cellist Will Conway's chamber group making its belated debut."

 

 

Tenebrae - A Prayer for Deliverance - Fri 24 May 

Edinburgh Music Review by Donal Hurley

"Their flawless intonation, ensemble cohesion, dynamic power and unwavering commitment to engaging, communicative and persuasive performance are all truly phenomenal." 

Review by Garry Fraser

"Suitable superlatives are hard to find when it comes to summing up their performance on Friday night. It was simply magnificent from start to finish, with too many highlights to mention."

 

Scottish Opera, Pop-up Opera 2024 - Sat 25 May 

Review by Garry Fraser

"I could sense that those on stage were enjoying themselves just as much as the audience. This more relaxed form of opera presentation gives them a break from the norm and a chance to bring the world of opera to smaller venues."

Edinburgh Music Review by Donal Hurley

"The combination of Allan Dunn’s witty narration and the singers’ stylish artistry delivered an enchanting performance of pure entertainment." 

 

 

Czech National Symphony Orchestra and Chloe Hanslip - Sat 25 May

Edinburgh Music Review by Donal Hurley

"Lovely pace, elegant balance and a satisfying sense of architectural grandeur characterised the opening expansive introduction of the Beethoven." 

Review by Garry Fraser

"I loved her [Chloe's] interpretation of the adagio and if the finale was marked “energico”, she took that to heart with a blistering display. Silky-smooth runs, dynamic double-stopping added to a rich creamy tone ticked all the boxes demanded of a five-star performance.

 

New Focus Duo: The Classical Connection - Mon 27 May 

Edinburgh Music Review by Donal Hurley

"The Classical Connection is a music-lover’s treat. Highly recommended."

 

 

 

Il Giardino d'Amore, The New Four Seasons - Wed 29 May

The Herald by Keith Bruce ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"... it was a bit of a coup for the Perth Festival of the Arts that it signed the group for its Scottish debut and that Plewniak chose to premiere a new programme, combining Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with two contemporary responses to it by Astor Piazzola and Max Richter."

Edinburgh Music Review by Donal Hurley

"The playing was vital and compelling, with explosive energy and thrilling virtuosity." 

VoxCarnyx by Keith Bruce

"It made for a much more arrestingly inventive evening of music-making than, say, the concert of Italian music from Nicola Benedetti’s Baroque ensemble at the pandemic-era Edinburgh Festival."

 

The Fairey Band, Picutres at an Exhibition - Sat 1 June

The Herald by Keith Bruce ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"As well as the brass virtuosi – and there were star soloists in every section during this programme – The Fairey Band, which owes its name to its foundation as the Works Band of Fairey Aviation, fielded a star percussion team of three whose contributions were just as crisp and accurate."

Edinburgh Music Review by Donal Hurley

"The concert opened with Berlioz’ Roman Carnival Overture, in a super arrangement by Frank Wright.  The band lost no time in setting out their stall as purveyors of excellence.  The ensemble sound was rich, precise and stylish."

VoxCarnyx by Keith Bruce

"The format of The Fairey Band’s concert – overture, concerto, big work – was traditional, and the suspicion must be that it was a making a nice point about a brass band supplanting the usual symphony orchestra as Perth Festival’s gala closing event."