Please note: There will be two performances: a one-hour afternoon concert starting at 16.30 and a longer evening concert beginning at 19.30.
A joyous festive concert which brings together professional musicians and community participants in an evening to warm the soul.
A celebration of Sufjan Stevens’ songs performed by Sufjan devotees from across the UK musical landscape and a specially-created Edinburgh community choir in a new alternative to the traditional carol concert.
Matchless independent artist Sufjan Stevens – renowned for aiming to write 50 albums each encapsulating a state of America - has written, arranged and released 10 EPs of Christmas Songs and made them available for others to play.
The songs feature many of his trademarks from other works – lush flurries of woodwind, asymmetric time signatures, trombones and heart-wrenching repetition, intimate truthful whispers. From the beautiful Christmas in the Room to the ridiculous Ding-a-ring-a-ling-a-ring, he has written a Christmas song for everyone.
An array of soloists, an instrumental ensemble and community choir come together in this epic evening of festive celebration, including instant song-writing, pass the parcel and an audience singalong.
Musical magician Hugh Nankivell (National Theatre of Scotland, Opera North, Natural Causes) brings together multi-instrumentalist friends Dean Brodrick (London Musicians Collective, Derek Jarman, Nick Mulvey and the GoBetweens), Ben McCabe (Paddy Garrigan and the Stroller Priests, Natural Causes, Kollega), choir leader Stephen Deazley (Edinburgh International Festival, BBC Proms, Love Music) for this festive treat, all given a touch of theatricality by local theatre maker Wils Wilson.
We don't want to exclude anyone from this event. Equally we rely on ticket income to pay all the costs associated with putting on this amazing concert - paying the expert community musicians involved, travel, rehearsal costs, technical costs, hiring equipment etc.
We have suggested prices, so please pay these if you can, and if you can’t then choose the price which feels right to you.
Please note the 16:30 concert will last 60mins and the 19:30 concert's duration is 135mins.