Lammermuir Festival traces a ‘path of miracles’ with 2024 programme
Florence Lockheart
Monday, June 17, 2024
This year’s programme will run from 5 to 16 September focusing on the miraculous recovery made by the festival since its funding was cut last year
Scotland’s Lammermuir Festival is set to return later this year, with a programme centred around the theme of the ‘path of miracles’. With 37 concerts across 15 venues in East Lothian, the festival celebrates both its miraculous survival following a funding cut from Creative Scotland and the return of Joby Talbot’s choral work Path of Miracles after its festival debut in 2017.
Talbot’s choral work will be the centrepiece of this year’s festival, performed by Tenebrae – the choir for which it was written – in the Concorde Hangar at the National Museum of Flight near the village of East Fortune in East Lothian. The upcoming festival will also feature a Scottish debut from baroque orchestras Concerto Copenhagen (pictured above). In its role as ensemble in residence, the group will give four concerts exploring the 17th century composers who inspired Bach.
James Waters chief executive and co-artistic director 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. Their passion for what we do is incredibly humbling, exciting and motivating and we really would not be here without them. Thank you to each and every one who has supported.’
The festival confirmed it would not be receiving any funding from Creative Scotland’s Open Fund last September,, while the 2023 edition was underway, having received news of the withdrawal just 16 days before the festival opening. The festival’s chair and trustees said they were ‘appalled and saddened’ by the decision and pushed successfully for Creative Scotland to reconsider its decision.
With funding from Creative Scotland returned, this year’s festival will see Scottish Opera visit the market town of Haddington with Britten’s operatic comedy Albert Herring, plus the festival debut of French soprano Véronique Gens. Amsterdam’s Van Bearle Trio will play all of Beethoven’s piano trios across the festival’s weekday morning Coffee Concerts and the festival will celebrate its 15th edition by welcoming back favourites including the Maxwell Quartet, Dunedin Consort, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Gesualdo Six, Hebrides Ensemble.
Lammermuir Festival will also pioneer its new Front Row scheme during this year’s edition. The new two-year audience development and learning initiative gives 100 12 to 18-year-old students in East Lothian the opportunity to sit in on rehearsals and meet artists before attending a concert in the front row for free.
You can find full details of the 2024 programme here.
