Christopher Bell

I have been watching the recent proposals for the Royal High School site with interest. Such an iconic building would be a wonderful new home for St Mary’s Music School allowing the school to continue to deliver its top quality music education to not only the current roll of students but to expand the remit to more students and the wider community. This building restored and sensitively modified would provide an unparalleled resource for Scotland’s young musicians. 

Your letter to the Herald some weeks ago clearly drew a distinction between elite and elitist. We should be proud of educating a new elite (something that is never questioned when it comes to sport) and the open accessibility of the education at St Mary’s allows talented children across the wide spectrum of socio economic backgrounds to achieve their potential - distinctly not elitist. 

The proposal for the Royal High School site are at the same time exciting and contemporary whilst preserving the integrity of the Hamilton Building. I heartily support the proposal and urge Edinburgh Council to reject other applications and pave the way for an outstanding future for the building, the school and Scotland’s musicians.

Christopher Bell, Chorusmaster, Edinburgh Festival Chorus, Artistic Director, National Youth Choir of Scotland, Chorus Director, Grant Park Festival Chorus, Chicago