Scotsman critics on the Edinburgh International Festival line-up
They are set to swap summer nights at the Hollywood Bowl for the bright lights of Gorgie.
The world-famous Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra is to open the Edinburgh International Festival with a curtainraiser at Tynecastle Park football stadium.
Heart of Midlothian will play away from home at the start of next season to accommodate a free Friday night concert celebraring a host of classic Hollywood movies before a 15,000-capacity crowd.
Instead of the usual Gorgie anthems, the stadium will resound to the much-loved themes created by Hollywood composer John Williams for classic movies like Star Wars, Jaws, Harry Potter and ET: The Extra Terrestrial.
The music of Bernard Herrman, best known for his work for Alfred Hitchcock, and Franz Waxman, whose films included Sunset Boulevard and The Philadelphia Story will also feature in the 90-minute event. Due to get under way at 7pm on 2 August, the family-friendly concert will see thousands of ticket-holders allowed onto the covered pitch at Tynecastle, which was chosen ahead of Holyrood Park.
Director Fergus Linehan, a regular at both Tynecastle and Easter Road, revealed that Hearts owner Ann Budge had already seen the orchestra in action at the Hollywood Bowl.
This year’s curtainraiser follows previous opening night spectaculars which brought thousands of people on to the streets to see the Usher Hall, buildings on St Andrew Square and Edinburgh Castle rock transformed by spectacular sound and light shows.
However, an earlier start time is aimed at making the new event more accessible to children, with the festival also pledging to ensure thousands of local people can get tickets after a ballot opens in July.
Mr Linehan said the advent of the new main stand at Tynecastle in 2017 had prompted the approach to the club over the concert, tobe conducted by the orchestra’s music director Gustavo Dudamel, the celebrated Venezuelan musician.
Mr Linehan said: “A big part of what the LA Philharmonic do is their Hollywood Bowl experience. As they’re doing a residency with us we should try to replicate that in some way. Tynecastle is a contained auditorium which is really tight up against the pitch. We thought it would be a really good place for a concert like this. We’ve never done anything in this part of the city.”
Mr Linehan said he was open to the possibility of future events at both Tynecastle and Easter Road, where he regular attends matches. He also highlighted that Leith Theatre would be hosting gigs for the second year in a row, with Jarvis Cocker, Neneh Cherry, Teenage Fanclub and Kate Tempest all in its 2019 line-up.
Mr Linehan added: “There are a lot of parallels between Edinburgh’s football clubs and its festivals. They’re very connected into local communities, they’re really important to the city and our businesses are very similar – we both have lots of tickets to sell and we also have passionate and opinionated supporters. Lots of people go to both sporting and cultural events in the city.
“I was a bit surprised that there weren’t more connections already. Tynecastle and Easter Road are incredible facilities that are just sitting there. How many times are they actually used throughout the year?”