The Breathtaking Festival Finale
The annual spectacular finale to the Edinburgh International Festival, the Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert takes place in Princes Street Gardens on Sunday 6 September at 9.00pm. The event promises to be a rousing night with some of Handel's most popular works performed live by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and a stunning choreographed fireworks display launched against the unique backdrop of Edinburgh's world-famous castle.
Last year this hugely popular event drew an audience of around a quarter of a million people viewing from vantage points across the Scottish capital and remains the biggest annual concert of its kind in Europe.
For 2009, international fireworks artists Wilf Scott and Keith Webb from Pyrovision present a display including over 100,000 fireworks, four tonnes of explosives, and hundreds of firing sequences including the famous waterfall cascading from Edinburgh Castle.
Exciting young conductor Matthew Halls leads the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Chorus in an inspiring programme of music by Handel including the Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah, excerpts from Music for the Royal Fireworks and wedding favourite Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from Solomon.
Forth 1 and 2 broadcast the Concert live on the night, enabling members of the public to tune in and experience the full atmosphere of the event from wherever they choose to view it.
As the climax of the Edinburgh International Festival and three weeks of music, dance, drama and visual art by world leading artists, the Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert once again provides a fantastic evening for people across Edinburgh and visitors to the Scottish capital as they celebrate the 2009 summer Festival season coming to a close.
Bank of Scotland has sponsored the Fireworks Concert since 1995 and their support has developed the Bank of Scotland Free Family Viewing Area at Inverleith Park, which provides an ideal viewing area, particularly suited to families with younger children. Once again the facilities at Inverleith Park will feature a large screen with a live link to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in the Ross Bandstand. The concert is broadcast live through loudspeakers in Inverleith Park, and to listeners of Forth radio across the city.
Festival fans in Scotland and across the world can keep up to date on all the latest news about the Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert at www.eif.co.uk/bankofscotlandfireworksconcert
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Notes to Editors:
Edinburgh International Festival 2009
BANK OF SCOTLAND FIREWORKS CONCERT
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Matthew Halls Conductor
Scottish Chamber Orchestra Chorus
Handel
Zadok the Priest
Music for the Royal Fireworks (excerpts)
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, Solomon
Hallelujah Chorus, Messiah
Sunday 6 September 9pm
Princes Street Gardens
Sponsored by Bank of Scotland
For further information on the concert, members of the public should contact Hub Tickets on Tel: 0131 473 2000 or visit www.eif.co.uk/bankofscotlandfireworksconcert
For further media enquiries contact:
Brian Maycock or Charlotte Gosling in the Edinburgh International Festival Press Office on 0131 473 2020 or email press@eif.co.uk
For further information on Bank of Scotland please contact Jenny Mungall on 0141 204 7970
For further information on the Scottish Chamber Orchestra please contact Lauren Johnston Smith on 0131 478 8338
Featuring world class new and classic drama, opera, music, dance and visual arts, Edinburgh International Festival 2009 runs from Friday 14 August to Sunday 6 September across the city in theatres, concert halls and opera houses attracting audiences from around the world to Scotland's picturesque capital. Full details are available at http://www.eif.co.uk/.
Bank of Scotland invests in an award winning programme of sponsorship which includes Edinburgh International Festival, Scottish Ballet, Aye Write!, Bank of Scotland Book Festival and Bank of Scotland Total Art, a partnership with the National Galleries of Scotland.
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is one of Scotland's national performing arts companies. Formed in 1974 with a commitment to serve the Scottish community, the Orchestra is internationally recognised as one of the world's foremost chamber orchestras and is also performing in the Opening Concert at Festival 09, with the Royal Ballet of Flanders and Scottish Ballet, and in concert at The Usher Hall.
Matthew Halls has established himself as one of today's leading young conductors. A former Artistic Director of The King's Consort, he has conducted in prominent venues including Het Concertgebouw, Amsterdam; La Cité de la Musique, Paris; the Konzerthaus, Berlin; and at the Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels.
During the 2008/9 season, Halls will build on his successful artistic leadership of The King's Consort by establishing, on behalf of the directors and musicians of The King's Consort, an exciting new group, Retrospect Ensemble. The ensemble launched on 1 May 2009 and will perform under Matthew Hall's direction at Festival 09 as part of the Bach at Greyfriars series.
Matthew Halls was educated at Oxford University. Passionately committed to education and working with young musicians, the development of The King's Consort's Young Artist Programme has been a priority for him. Matthew is also a tutor for the European Union Baroque Orchestra .
