Edinburgh festival returns for 2023!

To offer new horizons

 

Edinburgh International festival 2023 now with new director Nicola Benedetti – firsts women and first Scot – this August with 2,000 artists, from 48 countries. 

of theatre, music, dance and drama. How can our institutions embolden and make people’s lives better.’

 

This years theme of ‘IDENITITY, COMMUNITY AND RESILIENCE.”

 

Nicola wants the festival to offer something mystical, magical, community and resilience. 

 

This year the festival will host the BUDAPEST FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA – their motto  is “To serve the people”

Nicola discussed concerns over recent cuts to the Arts. “We must work together to put arts as a must. We must go out to the community. Once you’ve felt it, you want to feel it again. How can we make progress in a different way? It’s a complete picture. The Arts are not an added extra. “

Nicola spoke of positive ways we can make the arts matter.

Where do We Go From Here?

Eclectic Taste in Music

I was wondering about this - why I have eclectic taste in music and why it is that many people like to focus on only one or two genres of music. I believe I perhaps I have broad tastes in music because of my own personal journey in music. 

I started piano lessons when I was seven and the focus then was on simple tunes and then musical and national tunes. I sang in school and church choirs -  sometimes Burns songs. Eventually I moved on to classical pieces - such as Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. In my teens I got very into pop music - from Motown, The Beatles, The Stones, Cream and more. I played Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Elton John on the piano. In my twenties I got involved with the 'folk scene' in Edinburgh and enjoyed traditional reels and unaccompanied and harmony singing.  

I enjoy all the genres and I wouldn't want to have to choose between them!

However for some 'music' is about their image of themselves - how cool or otherwise they see themselves. For me it's' about music or voices that move me and what makes a good song or melody.

There are great folk tunes and fairly boring folk tunes; there are also great pop songs and boring pop songs; there are great classical pieces and dull classical pieces of music; there are energizing rock gigs and dull rock gigs too. I get annoyed on Wikipedia or elsewhere when I read the music snobs who think pop music is only for young people and only for commercial reasons... and that by contrast all classical or jazz music is wonderful.   

Sometimes it is the simple song that we remember, the endearing folk song that moves us or the classical piano sonata that touches our heart.