60 SECOND INTERVIEW

make this event such a success and in particular to Historic Environment Scotland for enabling us to use Edinburgh Castle – a live army base as well as Scotland’s most popular visitor attraction – to set off live fireworks synchronised to the Orchestra performance. Thank you very much to the NOEA for recognising all that goes into making this event the successful annual milestone it is.”

The Virgin Money Fireworks Concert beat stiff competition from Glamis Proms (PDF Productions), the Royal Highland Show – Royal Highland Society and Glasgow Summer Sessions.There were a record-breaking number of entries for the awards this year and judges said the quality was superb so being shortlisted “was an achievement in itself”, according to NOEA chief executive Susan Tanner.

The Virgin Money Fireworks Concert (Scottish Chamber Orchestra) was also nominated for Best Practice, Event Innovation of the Year, and Event of the Year Awards.

The date for the 2017 Virgin Money Fireworks Concert will be announced in March 2017.

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SECOND INTERVIEW J DOUGLAS HOME

Do you have a pre-concert routine when attending a concert? I mostly come directly from home to the concert hall to get there from 7pm. I do quite a lot of homework for concerts too, listening to recordings I have of the pieces I am about to hear… I was a History graduate and it’s also the history of orchestras that I’m interested in. I have given a number of talks about various orchestras at the Edinburgh International Festival. Most recently I gave one on the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.

What is it you value about the SCO that made you want to support us? Over the years, it’s been the superlative quality of the playing and the conductors and soloists you have been able to attract. Another thing has been the way the Orchestra has been able to communicate with its audience and particularly, as a Patron, having the opportunity to talk to players, which I like. I look upon a concert evening as a package including all the people that I meet and the sociability of it all. I am also giving money to a number of arts organisations in my will, including the SCO, because you all have given me such great pleasure and I would like people to continue enjoying lovely concerts after I’m gone. Mainly, it’s just for the love of the thing and the hopes that people will enjoy it in the future.

What is your most memorable SCO moment? I suppose my most memorable SCO moment would be the Beethoven cycle Sir Charles Mackerras did at the Festival. It was in a chamber style, not big band Beethoven as I call it, and just gives you more clarity and an extra dimension. Sir Charles was using the latest critical edition of the Beethoven symphonies and conducted them considerably faster than how they used to be performed. The recording of those performances is something I would recommend. ––––––Douglas is a regular face at our Edinburgh concerts, having been coming since we started in 1974. He is a SCO Patron, a full season subscriber and a proud owner of a large collection of recordings.