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Leonard‘s Church. the Queen’s Hall is used for concerts. recordings. rehearsals. receptions etc. as well as playing host to numerous other organisations in the city. The same year. Scottish ()pera formed its own house orchestra. and the S(‘() was able to grow independently.
In 198] . the tie with the SPS was broken and the organisation became the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Ltd. International recognition came from tours ofSpain. France. Belgium. llong Kong. Austria. Italy. the USA and Canada. while at home the high standards of performance were continuing to enhance the orchestra‘s reputation. with soloists of international calibre making regular appearances. This pattern has gone on. so that the orchestra has reached the stage now when. says General Manager Ian Ritchie. ‘We have loads of opportunities. both at home and abroad. which the orchestra has fought for particularly over the last few years. It’s a time when we can consolidate and expand and perhaps stop being quite so hectic. Artistically. it’s very exciting with the Strathclyde Concerto project
Associate Composer/ Conductor in the unlikely setting of Leith Docks conducting Mozart's Prague Symphonylor Swiss TV in July 1988. Why? Well. the concert hall istoo conventional iordirector Adrian Marthaler. who believes in making films in unusual settings with the orchestra miming to a prerecorded soundtrack. LookoutlorChannel 4's screening.
Is 'cellist Neil Johnstone l being prepared fora transler to the percussion section or is it a new version
No. it's all part at the 800‘s exciting development
showing signs ofgetting better and better.‘
Looking both back and to the future Ritchie sees the orchestra as ‘first and foremost having a role in Scotland. but you cannot match a centre ofexcellence with a small area ofpopulation so it is absoluter right to set our sights abroad and in the major festivals down south. In recordings too. we have achieved what we have aimed for.‘ Not that he‘s at all complacent about the future. ‘Financially. there are problems facing all arts organisations and we have to spend more time becoming sophisticated in business skills. There are more and more hoops to jump through and more and more forms to fill in. There‘s a danger that creative arts administrators are having to shelve some oftheir creativity.‘ But with typical SCO enterprise. Ritchie has a solution. ‘I just spend more time thinking about programmes in the bath. rather than in the office.‘
The .S‘( '0 can be we): in lit/inlmrglt u! the ( 's/It'r Ila/Inn 511/35 tHldI/It' Queen’s Hal/(m Willis 2.
See .Ilusit‘ listings.
programme, taking musicto
l at Stranger on the Shore? 1 everyone— everywhere. I
15 years on and 800 General Manager Ian Ritchie presides overthe orchestra’s prestigious new offices at 4 Royal Terrace in Edinburgh. opened just last week by their Patron. HRH The Princess of Wales. Fortunately. the wood was cleared irom outside bythe time she arrived.
"Triumphant A supeme crafted and unsentimentalized study of age and survival"
Steve Grant - TIME OUT
"Hugely entertaining... Politically encisive, socially insightful.
a rich complex film" Alexander Walker-THE STANDARD "Marvellous
HIGH HOPES is unsentimental, very moving and extremely funny"
Victoria Mather-DAILY TELEGRAPH
"Brilliant Every shadow and syllable of it
utters 'masterwork' "
Chris Roberts-MELODY MAKER
H I G H
HOPES
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY MIKE LEIGH ‘
From the director of 'ABIGAIL'S PARTY“
Qnternational Critics Award — Venice Film Festival 1988)
mitten am: (wearer: ' ,/ Mike Leigh Prorzuceza .‘ ,« Simon Channing Williams Victor Glynn [rerun-452 Picrlucsér Tom Donald DirectorofP':r,n'(;.,'r.i;v>.' Roger Pratt '. y Andrew Dixon Star/Mtg; Philip Davis . Ruth Sheen ~ Edna Dore - Philip Jackson - Heather Tobias Lesley Manville - David Bamber
FRDM SUNDAY 26 FEBRUARY
FILMHDUSE EDINBURGH
The List 24 February — 9 March 9