Award-winning Scottish classical music Lammermuir Festival launches programme after being saved from axe

Lammermuir Festival will take place in East Lothian in September after Creative Scotland stepped in to provide last-minute funding to allow a programme to go ahead.

And festival organisers confirmed the full line-up on Tuesday, with Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles to be performed in the Concorde Hangar at the National Museum of Flight in one of the event’s major highlights.

A total of 37 concerts will be hosted across 15 venues from September 5-16. The programme has been unveiled after the festival secured a “two-year commitment” worth £135,000 from Creative Scotland following a concerted public campaign.

Festival chief executive and co-artistic director James Waters said: “These last 12 months have been some of the hardest we’ve experienced in over 30 years of working and running arts festivals. But they have also been some of the most magical as our audiences, our friends across the industry, our patrons and supporters have all come together in voice and, where they could, with financial support to ensure that this year’s festival could go ahead.”

Talbot’s Path of Miracles will be sung by the award-winning choral group Tenebrae, who the piece was written for. The last time piece was performed at Lammermuir it received a standing ovation from a sold-out crowd.

Concerto Copenhagen will be embedded in the festival as the ensemble in residence. They will perform four concerts, highlighting the 17th-century masters who inspired Bach.

Another performer making their festival debut is French operatic Soprano Véronique Gens. The singer has a back catalogue of award-winning recordings and star appearances at leading opera houses. Her intimate recital at the festival will include songs by Fauré, Gounod, Duparc and Hahn. 

The festival also welcomes the brand new Valo Quartet, partnered with American pianist Jeremy Denk. Mr Denk will contribute two other programmes, including a celebration of the 150th anniversary of Charles Ives with violinist Maria Włoszczowska, plus a brass band and a choir. 

The town of Haddington will host Scottish Opera, which will perform Britten’s operatic comedy Albert Herring. Directed by Daisy Evans, the cast includes Susan Bullock as Lady Billows and Glen Cunningham as Albert Herring.

Some of the festival’s most popular artists, celebrating the 15th year of the event, include the Maxwell Quartet, Dunedin Consort, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Gesualdo Six, and Hebrides Ensemble.

Festival co-artistic director Hugh Macdonald said: “I think this is probably the richest, most inspiring Lammermuir programme we have yet come up with. We are so delighted - and excited - to be back.”

This year the festival aims to involve local young people by giving 100 12 to 18-year-old students in East Lothian the opportunity to attend a concert in the front row free of charge. They are also invited to attend rehearsals and meet the artists.

This is part of the new Front Row programme, a two-year audience development and learning initiative developed in collaboration with East Lothian Instrumental Services and with support from Scops Arts Trust. The programme aims to give people access to enjoy and participate in the arts.

In addition to the new Front Row programme, the festival is offering school students aged 7-18 free tickets, and full time students in further education aged 16 and above half-price tickets.