Remembering Festival Friends

Inspiring foresight.

We are extremely grateful to those that have the foresight to include a gift to the Festival in their will.

Ronald Mackenzie possessed this vision. A keen Festival-goer and classical music lover with a particular enjoyment of piano music. His gift to the Festival brought enjoyment to others with the performance of the Royal Scottish Orchestra under Stéphane Denève at Festival 2010.

Alasdair Andrews, a long-standing member of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, passed away in November 2011 after a short illness. Alasdair first joined the Festival Chorus in 1979, and has during that time taken part in a considerable number of chorus performances with local national and international orchestras and many of the world’s leading conductors. His presence and contribution to the Festival Chorus bass section will be missed by fellow members.  His dedication and love of performing was considerable, and gave him the energy to be a member of not just one, but two choruses as a member of Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s chorus too.  He somehow also found time for hill walking and mountaineering in between.  Alasdair had the foresight to make a difference to the Festival, and helped sustain its future by leaving a generous gift in his will to both the Festival Chorus, and to the general programming budget.  We were delighted to remember Alasdair at perhaps the Chorus’s most ambitious and arguably most rousing performance at the 2012 Festival, Belshazzar’s Feast, the Usher Hall closing concert.  

Constance Drysdale’s enjoyment and appreciation of music was developed in no small part through attendance each year at the Festival until ill health intervened in 2003. We hope she would have enjoyed this summer’s recital by the wonderful mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato that was made possible by her bequest.

Sir Thomas and Lady Risk
With the recent passing of Sir Tom and Lady Risk, the Festival team wished to pay respect by dedicating a performance to their memory.  They were enthusiastic Festival attendees and in particular were seen almost every night of the Festival at the Usher Hall.  Both were keen choral enthusiasts, and therefore the 2012 performance of Orchestre des Champs-Élysées with Collegium Vocale Gent was a natural choice to dedicate to them.

We were delighted that this decision was so warmly embraced by Sir Tom and Lady Risk’s family and friends.  With particular help from their sons Keith, Tim and Colin the word was spread on the decision to dedicate this particular performance to their memory. Family, friends and former colleagues of Tom and Suzanne attended the performance, and joined Festival staff in the interval.  The room was only just able to hold all the guests, and following moving speeches from Jonathan and Keith, we raised a glass in tribute to the memory and legacy of Tom and Suzanne.  

Léan Scully was a regular attendee of the Festival, coming every year from Dublin, and her generosity and foresight have ensured that her memory and spirit live on. Due to the scale of Léan’s gift the capital sum has been invested as a separate fund within the Edinburgh International Festival Endowment Fund. The income of the Léan Scully EIF Fund each year may be applied by the Festival to projects which will assist in the development of the careers of young and emerging artists, in keeping with the terms of the will. The Léan Scully EIF Fund supported Juilliard Dance performances as part of Festival 2012. 

Perhaps you too could consider leaving a gift in your will? Once you have remembered the people you care about, don’t forget the cause you believe in.

For a confidential chat please phone Zuleika Brett, Individual Giving Manager on her direct line +44 (0) 131 473 2064 or email zuleika.brett@eif.co.uk