Perth's Hogmanay party will bring 2009 in with a bang!
Indoor fireworks, and ‘Scotland's supergroup', Session A9, will ensure that 2009 is brought in with a bang at the annual Hogmanay party at Perth Concert Hall.Session A9, the turbo-charged, fiddle-driven Scottish Traditional Music Awards finalists will be joined by the energetic and spirited sounds of the globally-inspired Orkestra del Sol. Spectacular pyrotechnic effects and the irrepressible wit of master of ceremonies Bruce Fummey, will add to the excitement of the event; Perth's weather-proof alternative to the outdoor street party! Some tickets for this popular event are still available, call the Horsecross Box Office on 01738 621 031 or visit www.horsecross.co.uk.
Read Perth's Hogmanay party will bring 2009 in with a bang! in full.
Perth Concert Hall is Venue of the Year!
Staff, audiences and performers are celebrating after Perth Concert Hall was named as Venue of the Year at the Scottish Traditional Music Awards held in Glasgow on Saturday 6 December.Thanks to the votes and support it received from the people of Perth, audiences and artists, the Fair City favourite, run by creative enterprise Horsecross, romped past the post beating competition from several well-established traditional music venues.Andy Shearer, creative director, contemporary music, for Horsecross, who accepted the award, said:"We were delighted to be the first of the country's major concert halls to be nominated in this category and to win it ...
Read Perth Concert Hall is Venue of the Year! in full.
Amateur Operatic Society heralds season of song in Perth
Carolling by Perth Amateur Operatic Society is one of a series of seasonal music events taking place in the Fair City in the run up to Christmas.No less than ten musical acts - many with a firmly festive theme - will perform at Perth Theatre and Perth Concert Hall in December.From the stirring harmonies of the Russian Patriarchate Choir of Moscow to the excitement of the Kings of Swing Big Band Christmas Special; from the thrill of A Classic West End Christmas to the energy of the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra and the rousing anthems of Runrig; Perth Concert Hall welcomes ...
Read Amateur Operatic Society heralds season of song in Perth in full.
Snow Queen casts her wintry spell on Perth
The Snow Queen will be descending from her Ice Palace at the top of the world to cast her wintry spell in this year's Christmas adventure at Perth Theatre.Mixing a sprinkling of magic with a dusting of laughter and a dollop of evil, and serving up a feast of charming characters, the Horsecross production of Stuart Paterson's adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen classic has all the essential ingredients to make it an unforgettable festive treat for children and adults alike.Director, Ian Grieve has worked closely with Stuart Paterson, and set and costume designer Robin Peoples, to create a colourful ...
Read Snow Queen casts her wintry spell on Perth in full.
Session A9 star adds voice to Perth Concert Hall nomination
Brian McAlpine of Session A9 has added his voice to the chorus of support for Perth Concert Hall's nomination as Venue of the Year in the Scottish Traditional Music Awards.Keyboard player with ‘Scotland's Supergroup' Session A9, which is up for an award at the same event in the Scottish Folk Band of The Year category, Brian, who lives in Perth, said:"As a musician who has toured all over the world promoting Scottish Traditional Music, performing in such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall New York with The Chieftains, I cannot stress how important Perth Concert Hall is to the City of ...
Read Session A9 star adds voice to Perth Concert Hall nomination in full.
Champion pipers join Scottish Fiddle Orchestra
World champion pipe band, the Bucksburn & District Junior Pipe Band has confirmed that it will perform with the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra in Perth Concert Hall on Saturday 6 December.This is the only time this year that the two giants of the Scottish music scene will share a stage in what promises to be a great celebration of two of the most iconic Scottish traditional instruments.As well as arrangements performed with the pipe band, the ninety-strong Scottish Fiddle Orchestra, under the baton of musical director John Mason, also welcomes singers Jim Nicol and Debra Stuart and Golden Fiddle Award winning ...
Read Champion pipers join Scottish Fiddle Orchestra in full.
Perth Concert Hall turns wrestling arena for All Star action!
Perth Concert Hall will turn wrestling arena on Friday 21 November when All Star Superslam Wrestling rumbles into town!Top US stars will take on British talent in a series of challenges on the canvas in this exhilarating family-friendly spectacle. To recreate the excitement and energy of an American Superslam stadium; in the downstairs section of the auditorium, seats will be laid out in a circle around the central ring. Balcony audiences will get a great view of the action from above.Ben Jeffries, marketing and communications director for Horsecross, the creative enterprise behind Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre, said of ...
Read Perth Concert Hall turns wrestling arena for All Star action! in full.
Streetcar set is shining example for Horsecross Players
Community theatre group Horsecross Players took part in a lighting workshop on the set of the current Horsecross production A Streetcar Named Desire at Perth Theatre on Tuesday 11 November. Open to all, Horsecross Players is an opportunity for anyone with an interest in the stage to learn about drama techniques and the behind the scenes working of a busy theatre.Stage directions are key to the interpretation of the Tennessee Williams classic, and Streetcar director, Ian Grieve who hosted the event, is using a range of techniques from lighting to film projections to bring to life the imagery that runs ...
Read Streetcar set is shining example for Horsecross Players in full.
Music lovers can vote Perth Concert Hall the best in Scotland
vote now by clicking here Fans of Perth Concert Hall can play a part in securing its status as the best traditional music venue in Scotland by voting in the Scots Trad Music Awards.The Fair City favourite has been nominated in the Venue of the Year category at the 6th MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2008. The annual Gordon Duncan Memorial Concert held at Perth Concert Hall is in the running in the Event of the Year category, and completing a nominations hat trick for Perth, local singer songwriter Jim Malcolm is up for the Scots Singer of the Year Award.Jim ...
Read Music lovers can vote Perth Concert Hall the best in Scotland in full.
Horsecross harnesses technology to convey Streetcar stage directions
Rehearsals for the new Horsecross production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire are on track and creative director Ian Grieve is planning to use all the theatrical toys at his disposal to convey the original stage directions in the tense and emotionally charged classic running at Perth Theatre in November. As a man of the theatre, Tennessee Williams wrote some detailed stage directions into his scripts ranging from the practical to the surreal. Grieve is planning to use the latest technology to bring many of these complex instructions to life and interpret the imagery that runs as a constant ...
Read Horsecross harnesses technology to convey Streetcar stage directions in full.
Hot acts take the chill out of Monday nights
If staying in is the new going out, then Monday nights at Perth Theatre Redrooms are the new staying in! With the November programme kicking off with two of the hottest stand-ups on the circuit, now is the time to check out the growing phenomenon that is The Monday Night Thing.On 3 November, Fringe favourite "ludicrously original" Dan Antopolski returns from a four-year sabbatical embracing fatherhood and including an appearance as Jesus in the Da Vinci Code, with his trademark surreal insights into the everyday. Expect great jokes, crafty links, simulated anger and home-made raps.He is joined by fellow Festival ...
Read Hot acts take the chill out of Monday nights in full.
A L Kennedy returns to her roots
Dundee's A L Kennedy is returning to her Tayside roots to take part in the Horsecross Words Series at Perth Concert Hall.Described by Salmon Rushdie as: "A writer rich in the humanity and warmth that seems at a premium in these bleak times", the Costa Book of the Year winner will be reading extracts from her work, including her new short story collection, and her most recent novel; Day, on Thursday 30 October in the Norie-Miller Studio at the Perth venue.Day tells the tale of Alfred Day, a former Lancaster bomber tail-gunner, struggling to make sense of a post war ...
Read A L Kennedy returns to her roots in full.
First Minister praises Perth venue
Perth Concert Hall is "A jewel in the crown of Perthshire" according to Alex Salmond.Speaking after the Scottish National Party Conference held at the Fair City venue in October, Scotland's First Minister said:"Perth Concert Hall provided a stunning, modern setting for the SNP's 74th Annual National Conference, with excellent facilities and helpful staff. From technical expertise to the fabulous catering, the Concert Hall is certainly a jewel in the crown of Perthshire." He also had kind words for the welcoming people of Perth and announced his intention to come back soon, saying:"We hope to return in the near future to ...
Read First Minister praises Perth venue in full.
Horsecross goes for the treble!
Horsecross is in the running for three Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Star Awards.The creative enterprise behind Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre, Horsecross has been shortlisted for the Training and Development Award, the Tourism and Hospitality Award and the Business in the Community Award.Since opening in September 2005 the business has either won, been highly commended or commended in a total of seventeen awards, most recently receiving the 2008 award for Growth through Marketing & Sales from Scottish Enterprise Tayside.Chief executive Jane Spiers said:"Achieving the shortlist for these three awards is a perfect reflection of the three strands of ...
Read Horsecross goes for the treble! in full.
Celia Rees blazes into Perth
Perth Concert Hall will be a staging post for teen author Celia Rees on her journey to promote Sovay, her exciting new novel about the adventures of highwayman ‘Captain Blaze'.The infamous highwayman is, in fact Sovay, a head-strong and wilful young woman, frustrated by the restrictions of her life in the late 18th Century.On discovering that her fiancé has betrayed her, Sovay adopts the disguise of a highway robber to expose him, but, having tasted the freedom offered by the life of a highwayman, she uses the disguise more and more, to ever greater adventure and danger. With her independent ...
Read Celia Rees blazes into Perth in full.
Tension builds as A Streetcar heads for Perth
Sexually charged and imaginatively set, Perth's brand new production of Tennessee Williams' classic play is gearing up to set the Fair City alight.Horsecross creative director, Ian Grieve, has created a multi-dimensional work, which delves deep into the many controversial themes of the original piece, employing cutting edge technology and experienced actors to convey its relevance to modern audiences.The play's themes of illusion versus reality and the power balance between men and women are set in 1940s New Orleans, however, its sexual tension and power play are entirely relevant to the 21st century.A Street Car Named Desire stars Amanda Beveridge as ...
Read Tension builds as A Streetcar heads for Perth in full.
Dramatic dynamite as gender politics takes to the Perth stage
It sparked fierce debate when it opened in New York in 1992, and now David Mamet's exploration of sexual politics is set to divide 21st century audiences when it takes to the Perth stage on 24 and 25 October.Whether Oleanna is a study of sexual harassment or a portrayal of false accusation and manipulation is a point of contention for all who see this emotive play, provoking debate exactly as its creator intended.David Mamet has won numerous awards as a playwright and for his screenplays, with his work including Tony nominee Glengarry Glenross and The Postman Always Rings Twice.However, Oleanna ...
Read Dramatic dynamite as gender politics takes to the Perth stage in full.
Schubert's Scotland revisited; fans flock to the Fair City
Almost 200 years ago he put Perthshire on the map, launching the region's tourist trade with a little help from Sir Walter Scott.Now one of the world's most acclaimed composers is doing it again; attracting visitors to the landscape he so loved for a festival of romance, song and world-class performers.Franz Schubert took Walter Scott's popular romance, The Lady of the Lake, and ran with it, musically speaking. Through words and music Schubert and Scott celebrated the beauty of the Trossachs and Perthshire, and in doing so attracted visitors from throughout Europe.Following in the footsteps of these 19th-century tourists, an ...
Read Schubert's Scotland revisited; fans flock to the Fair City in full.
Silver celebrations at Sunset Song
For a quarter of a century they've come by the coach-load to Perth Theatre, in convoys of up to five buses, for music, drama and comedy.And on Wednesday 15 October Crieff Theatre Club will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a reception in Redrooms restaurant."We've still 20 of the original members from 1983," explained Gertie Adams, the club's founder. "At times we have brought more than 200 for an evening at the theatre, and it's still a super night out."I often go to see a show in London with my daughter, which is fabulous, but it's just not Perth Theatre; nowhere has ...
Read Silver celebrations at Sunset Song in full.
Feel-good festival breaks down barriers
Perth Concert Hall will play its part in a ground-breaking festival this weekend when local people take part in two free, inspirational new workshops.The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival launched last year to great acclaim and has extended its national programme of events for 2008. Crossing genres from comedy to literature; theatre to film, the festival looks at the links between creativity and mental health through various art-forms and community participation.Kicking off in Perth this Friday with the specially devised Gothic terror, the Blair Witch project, the focus will turn to fun this Saturday and Sunday with spirit-lifting ...
Read Feel-good festival breaks down barriers in full.
Going for a Song; Perth Theatre offers book groups winning chance
Book club members throughout Perthshire and beyond have been warned not to let the Sun Set on an opportunity to win free tickets for Perth Theatre's latest production.The stage adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's Sunset Song received rave reviews when it opened in Aberdeen earlier this month and is expected to play to packed houses when the curtain rises on its Perth run on Tuesday 7 October.Hailed in the press as ‘a tremendous production', the new play's popularity stems in no small part from the fact that Sunset Song was voted Scotland's favourite novel in an extensive survey carried out ...
Read Going for a Song; Perth Theatre offers book groups winning chance in full.
A treasure of a concert for Gordon
Last year's A National Treasure concert was an extraordinary musical celebration of the life of Gordon Duncan, one of the most influential traditional musicians of his time. More than 100 musicians came together to pay tribute to Perthshire piper, composer and mentor Gordon Duncan in a night of fun, camaraderie and exceptionally high quality music. It played to a capacity audience in the concert hall auditorium, yet was one of the most intimate gigs of the year.This year A National Treasure II will again reflect the high esteem in which Gordon was held. Five specially commissioned ‘songs for Gordon' are ...
Read A treasure of a concert for Gordon in full.
directing the future of youth theatre
The chance to develop a career in community and youth theatre as part of an acclaimedtrainee scheme is being offered by Horsecross Arts Ltd.The company responsible for Perth Theatre and Perth Concert Hall is inviting applications from drama workers and graduates throughout the country in a bid to continue the success of its pioneering training programme.Colin Bradie, Director of PromoteYT Scotland (the national body overseeing youth theatre) said: "Perth Youth Theatre's Trainee Scheme is unique to the youth theatre sector of Scotland playing a crucial role in providing invaluable apprenticeships to aspiring youth theatre practitioners."The Perth-based Trainee Directors Scheme is ...
Read directing the future of youth theatre in full.
Fleeto - a cutting edge look at knife crime
Knives, young men and gangs - not your average night out at the theatre, but Fleeto is not your average show.Director Paddy Cunneen throws his audience into the dark world of gang culture and, there, forces them to confront the disturbing issues surrounding violence and vulnerable young men.His story is set in 21st century Glasgow, but is drawn from a tale almost 3000 years old - proof that we're not the first generation to face the distressing reality of mob mentality. The Iliad is a long way from Glasgow, but its themes of warring young men and its use of ...
Read Fleeto - a cutting edge look at knife crime in full.
Horsecross scales literary heights
Horsecross launches new series with pinnacle event He's scaled the world's highest peaks, leading expeditions in life-threatening conditions in the most inhospitable environments, but Sir Chris Bonington will be hoping for a warmer welcome when he launches a brand new programme at Perth Concert Hall.With 47 years of intrepid expeditions under his climbing belt, numerous television series and a reputation as a truly inspiring public speaker, the world-famous mountaineer has been invited to open the first Horsecross Words Series.A select number of best-selling authors has been invited to share the stories behind their novels, bringing a fascinating insight to the literary ...
Read Horsecross scales literary heights in full.
Hank Williams sees the light at Perth
From Oregon, Memphis and Kansas the stars of country music are heading east to meet with their UK counterparts for a one-off celebration of a country legend.On the first weekend of August the Lost Highway will lead the country contingent on a pilgrimage across the Atlantic to honour the abiding musical influence that is the late Hank Williams.As a highlight of the Southern Fried American roots festival, Rachel Harrington, The Wilders and Alvin Youngblood Hart will take to the stage of Perth Concert Hall to treat a Scottish audience to their versions of Hank's seminal hits including Your Cheatin' Heart, ...