St Mary's Music School is excited to announce its upcoming annual Spring Concert, which will feature the premiere of "Castle Rock," the seventh and final composition in the Seven Hills Project. The piece was composed by David Horne and is based on the poem ‘The Castle Rock’ by Alexander McCall Smith.
David Horne, widely regarded as one of the most talented Scottish musicians of his generation, established his name both as a pianist, making his BBC Proms concerto debut in 1990, and as a composer, with a prize-winning work at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival during his teenage years. After studying at St. Mary’s Music School his studies took him to the USA, first at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and then at Harvard University. He has since returned to the UK and is based in Manchester where he is Professor of Music and Head of the Graduate School at the Royal Northern College of Music.
The Spring Concert will take place on 29 March at 7:30 pm at the St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral. With performances from our chorister pupils singing as part of the Cathedral Choir, our School ensembles, Mozart from our Orchestra, a performance of Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini from Alexander Kwon, the winner of the Lord Clyde Concerto Competition and of course, the final instalment from our Seven Hills Project, Castle Rock by David Horne. This will be a date on your calendar that should not to be missed. The concert is open to the public and although tickets are free, it is advisable to book in advance.
Dr. Kenneth Taylor, our Headteacher says: "The premiere of 'Castle Rock' is a fitting finale to the Seven Hills Project and a testament to the skill and creativity of David Horne and Alexander McCall Smith."
We are so grateful to David Horne for taking time out his schedule to work with our pupils in preparation for the premiere.
The Seven Hills Project was commissioned by St. Mary's Music School in 2015 to celebrate Edinburgh's seven hills and its rich cultural heritage. Each composition has been written by seven composers, each with connections to the School and Scotland.
The Spring Concert also provides an opportunity to support St. Mary's Music School and its mission to provide exceptional music and academic education to talented pupils from all backgrounds.