A stellar line-up for 46th Perth Festival of the Arts
Iconic ‘80s singer Marc Almond embarked on his Hits And Pieces tour across the UK this week and a stop in Perth tomorrow (March 25) will be his only Scottish date.
The London and Buxton dates have sold out, so Perth Concert Hall is one of only three other UK venues where fans can catch their enigmatic hero, with tickets for the best seats selling for around £60 each.
The show, a celebration of Marc Almond’s 60th birthday, will feature him with full band performing ‘Tainted Love’ (which spent a record 43 consecutive weeks in the US singles charts for Soft Cell) and ‘Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart’, which Marc recorded with Gene Pitney, plus more of his biggest and best-loved hits with Soft Cell as well as his impressive solo career.
Tickets £58, £40, £30, £25; no concessions (inc £2.50 booking fee per ticket) from www.horsecross.co.uk or 01738 621031. Advance tickets for this year’s Perth Festival of the Arts have gone on sale this week, with tickets for festival regular Jools Holland already selling fast, writes Rachel Clark.
The packed programme for the 46th festival has been released, and it promises to be a stellar year of entertainment, covering everything from jazz to rock and from folk to classical.
Running from May 15-27, highlights include Nigel Kennedy, Nicola Benedetti and The View, alongside what festival organisers have dubbed their own “resident house band” Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra at Perth Concert Hall on Friday, May 19.
Music lovers will also be treated to a full-scale rendition of Pucinni’s Tosca opera and the mighty Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra.
And for a taste of something different, there will also be an audience participation performance of Gilbert
Marc Almond is marking his 60th birthday and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, including costume dress-up.
A new venue has been added to the mix this year, as Martin Taylor and Alison Burns take their tribute to Ella Fitzgerald to The Loft nightclub on Wednesday, May 17.
Everyone will be able to find something to suit their tastes in this year’s dynamic mix, from a night of Scottish folk music with The Treacherous Orchestra, Rachel Sermanni and Adam Holmes and the Embers, to the music of 1920s New York in Swinging at the Cotton Club by the world’s premier jazz dance ensemble, The Lindy Hop Dance Company.
There will be a number of free events at this year’s festival, including ArTay marquee on Perth Concert Hall Plaza, displaying over 300 works of art curated by Frames Gallery, and a popup opera featuring La Boheme and The Pirates of Penzance.
Among the free events will be daily lunchtime concerts at St John’s Kirk featuring performances from the Nigel Kennedy
region’s schools, as the Festival of the Arts continues to nurture Perth’s young musicians.
Tickets for the 46th Perth Festival of the Arts go on sale on Monday, March 27, at www.perthfestival.co.uk.
Friends of the festival can book advance tickets now.
The View are confirmed for the May event