Beanbags and picnics: Lasting through a 'mesmerising' 8-hour long Edinburgh International Festival concert
Attendees at a near eight-hour-long concert written by composer John Taverner and running at the Edinburgh International Festival have spoken about the experience.
It runs to an impressive seven hours and 45 minutes, and is only the second time the piece, by composer John Taverner, has ever been performed in its entirety.
Ticket holders for the opening concert of the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) came prepared for a marathon choral performance at the Usher Hall, which started at 2.30pm on Saturday and finished just after 10.15pm.
Beanbags replaced conventional seating in the venue. Audience members were allowed to come and go as they pleased, into bar areas which were calm and atmospheric, with dark cloths and tealights on the tables.
Some brought snacks and extra cushions. Grazing boxes were also available to order from the Usher Hall to sustain hungry concert-goers.
Outside the venue at 2pm, one group of three friends, two of whom had sung in the Festival Chorus in the past, admitted they had tucked sandwiches in their handbags.
One of the women, Jennifer, said: “We’ve got a large bag full of snacks. We know not to eat in the concert itself, but we can outside the auditorium.”
Her friend Christine added: “It might be a vigil, but I'm not missing my tea.”
Another group was visiting Edinburgh from China for just three days - but had opted to spend eight hours of that time watching the concert.
April Zhang, who previously studied in Edinburgh and had returned for a holiday with her husband and friends, said the group had wanted to see the opening concert of the EIF.
“I heard we could leave and come in again whenever we like, so I think it will be OK,” she said before the concert. “We’re happy we didn’t get the beanbag seats because we might fall asleep. We’ve got our lunch from the farmers’ market nearby, so we’re prepared.”
Mark Harding, from Edinburgh, described himself as “match fit”, having previously experienced a six-hour Wagner concert.
“I like Taverner, though I’m not familiar with everything he has written,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
By 9pm, almost all seats in the auditorium remained full.
Rachel Muir, from Edinburgh, said she had enjoyed being able to move around the venue.
“I didn’t think I would be here for the full eight hours, but I found it very mesmerising and meditative,” she said.
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“At one point, I started to get a bit twitchy, so I went out into the bar area and had some of my picnic. You can still hear the concert, so even outside, you still feel involved. I think a few people left during the concert, but not many.”
Pauline Campbell and her friend Karen Devine, from East Lothian, said the time had passed quickly.
“At the beginning, it was a bit intimidating that there was eight hours ahead of us, but it’s been amazing,” said Ms Devine. “We were on the beanbags, right in the front row, which was incredible.”
Toby Smith also said the time “moved quickly”.
“It has been very interesting, going from day to night while we’ve been in there,” Mr Smith said as he left the Usher Hall.
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