Scotland’s national orchestra gave a rousing performance at Glasgow Airport as thousands of passengers prepared to take to the skies for the September holiday weekend.
Led by Scottish conductor Douglas Boyd, 70 Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) musicians gave two performances in the departures lounge, featuring Felix Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.
After the airport performance the musicians travelled to London, where they were the host orchestra for a special Classic FM Live gala concert at the Royal Albert Hall, celebrating the radio station’s 20th birthday.
Last year the Orchestra surprised travellers and airport staff in the check-in area with an impromptu rendition of Ravel’s Boléro, an online video of which has been viewed around the world. The RSNO performance was the culmination of Glasgow Airport’s six week Best of Scotland campaign which has celebrated the best of Scottish food, drink, culture and entertainment. Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said:
"We are always looking for ways to entertain our passengers but it doesn’t get more exciting than having Scotland’s national orchestra perform live in the terminal building. Joining forces with the RSNO for this unique event was a fantastic way to round off our Best of Scotland campaign which has proved hugely successful. In addition to celebrating everything that is great about Scottish culture, the various events over the last six weeks have created a real buzz and sense of theatre in the airport. The campaign was also an opportunity to highlight the improvements we have been making to the airport over the course of the past 18 months, during which time we have invested millions of pounds in enhancing our facilities to deliver an improved service to our customers."
RSNO chief executive Michael Elliott said:
"In recent years the RSNO has developed a reputation for taking live orchestral music out of the concert venue and into public spaces. It never fails to surprise me how much of an impact our music can have, especially when performed in unexpected surroundings. It’s extremely gratifying to see people new to live orchestral music enjoy the experience with so much enthusiasm. Our thanks go to Glasgow Airport for allowing us to present these performances."
More than one million passengers passed through the airport during the Best of Scotland campaign, which has showcased some of the country’s most iconic brands and successful exports including Irn Bru, Tunnocks, Mackie’s ice cream and Harris Tweed.
The RSNO performance was one of a series of musical, theatrical and comedic events which have helped to create a carnival atmosphere in the terminal during one of the busiest periods of the year. Watch the video from the RSNO YouTube channel, here:
Associate Principal Oboe Katy MacKintosh continues her collaboration with Shetland musicians this weekend, following Orchestra’s successful visit to Shetland last March. She will perform two concerts with acclaimed Shetland musicians Maurice Henderson and Margaret Scollay, as well as her father, pianist Graeme MacKintosh. Katy sent us this blog.
Our Friday concert was some 30 miles from Lerwick, in Busta House – a 16th century Scottish mansion with a long, low-ceilinged drawing room. In this rather intimate setting, we felt a direct connection with the audience. Our Saturday concert was in the glorious Boat Hall of Lerwick Museum and Archives, surrounded by Shetland history and culture, and alongside the last surviving sixareen – an open six-oared fishing boat which was once key to Shetland's deep sea fishing industry and is of poignant relevance to items in our programme. Behind us, through an impressive wall of glass, was the small boat harbour of Hay's Dock. In this setting Spondrift – our specially written music interspersed with poetry and prose of the sea – could hardly fail to make its mark, and it was clear from the faces of the audience that they were following us closely. Long and enthusiastic applause confirmed the success of the project, and we retired to The Lounge, where fiddles and guitar (taken down from pegs on the wall) and oboe and piano entertained the Saturday night drinkers with foot stompin' reels until well after midnight. Despite this, I am pleased to report that I was up early on Sunday for a two hour run on the hills (others will confirm), before setting off at 09:45 for our flight back to Edinburgh. We were very sorry to leave. Shetland is a special place, suffused with music, and it is in the nature of the people to keep their music very much alive.
Associate Principal Oboe Katy MacKintosh continues her collaboration with Shetland musicians this weekend, following Orchestra’s successful visit to Shetland last March. She will perform two concerts with acclaimed Shetland musicians Maurice Henderson and Margaret Scollay, as well as her father, pianist Graeme MacKintosh. Katy sent us this blog. Today [Thursday] started with a wonderful run at Culswick on Shetland's west side. There's a dramatic valley here, where the hills rise steeply on either side. We came upon a small Methodist chapel, built in 1893, with an old harmonium on which we played the Psalm I wrote for our concerts. It felt like we were bringing it home. Then on to the Culswick broch, which is perched on the top of cliffs and remains remarkably intact despite being battered by the winds. The cottage lying below is built from stones plundered from the broch and, in contrast, lies in ruins. Our rehearsal tonight went well. I now spend less time thinking about how to play in a Shetland idiom, and am simply enjoying the experience of playing together. Gale force nine winds are forecast for later tonight. If this were at home, it would be time to batten down the hatches – in Shetland it's no big deal. The record wind speed recorded here was 177mph – just before the measuring equipment blew away!
Associate Principal Oboe Katy MacKintosh continues her collaboration with Shetland musicians this weekend, following Orchestra’s successful visit to Shetland last March. She will perform two concerts with acclaimed Shetland musicians Maurice Henderson and Margaret Scollay, as well as her father, pianist Graeme MacKintosh. Katy sent us this blog. Last night [Wednesday] we were rehearsing until midnight, and our concert is gradually taking shape. We are enjoying working together with Margaret Scollay and Maurice Henderson and are developing a good relationship in performance. The second half of the concert is the main focus, with our original compositions inspired by the poetry and prose of the sea around these islands. The first half is a more general tour of Scottish traditional music. By now our heads are full of Shetland fiddle music, and I am trying to develop a technique on oboe that takes account of the idioms of the Shetland fiddle. The landscape is constantly decorated with rainbows. Maurice tells us that there is less rain in Shetland than in Glasgow. A major factor must surely be the wind ushering along the showers. In a strong wind, drops of rain feel like hailstones. Building standards are high here, with structures tied down to survive the severest of winter storms. Maurice talks enthusiastically about the sights and sounds of the Aurora Borealis, which has a keen following in these islands.
Associate Principal Oboe Katy MacKintosh continues her collaboration with Shetland musicians this weekend, following Orchestra’s successful visit to Shetland last March. She will perform two concerts with acclaimed Shetland musicians Maurice Henderson and Margaret Scollay, as well as her father, pianist Graeme MacKintosh. Katy sent us this blog. A 30-seater bus arrived at the house to take me to the airport. It seemed like overkill – perhaps they thought that all the orchestra were going, as before. Our flight left on time, or slightly early. A higher tone was attached to this flight, something of a feeling of community. A great view of the Forth Bridges as we left behind the drizzle and flew into clearer conditions. With a backing wind, we reached Sumburgh 20 mins early and used that time on the drive north to visit the 12th century St Ninian's Kirk at Bigton. Here a local schoolboy unearthed the remains of a wooden box containing 28 pieces of Pictish silver. All that we discovered was an odd small pile of bones on an ancient grave, covering a 5p coin and commemorating a superstitious visitor. Some stunning scenery here – I am glad I brought my camera. Just time for a quick food shop and a bowl of pasta, then on to a highly productive rehearsal. This was the first time that we had put together the efforts of both groups. Initially we had no idea what would come of it but at the end of four hours we were all in agreement that it had been a productive and stimulating evening. The basis of a good concert. This was my first time composing – a Reel entitled "Steamin' Oot" and a "Psalm" written for oboe, two fiddles and piano. Water and wind are ever present. We are rarely out of view of the sea. The rain showers are ushered along in a strong southerly wind. Our accommodation is high on a moor above Lerwick and a wind turbine adjacent to the house provides our electricity. Whether this will continue to be the case remains to be seen, as it was in the process of being dismantled and repaired on Tuesday morning...
