Berlioz Bus

Dr Michael Downes, Director of Music at the University of St Andrews shares the thoughts of some of the passengers aboard the SCO's Berlioz Bus to Edinburgh last week.

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra's five visits each year to St Andrews are always strongly supported, but the relatively modest size of the Younger Hall inevitably means that there are many attractive programmes that the Orchestra is unable to bring to Fife, particularly those involving the SCO Chorus or large numbers of soloists.

The SCO and the University of St Andrews recently teamed up to provide an innovative response to this, by offering St Andrews concert-goers the chance to pick up a bus from the Younger Hall to attend the Orchestra's Edinburgh performance of Berlioz's L'Enfance du Christ, conducted by Robin Ticciati with soloists Karen Cargill, Yann Beuron, Ronan Collett and Matthew Rose and the SCO Chorus prepared by its new Chorusmaster Gregory Batsleer. The initiative was warmly welcomed by regular members of SCO's St Andrews audience.

Kerry Tavakoli, who teaches English Language Teaching for the University, said that the Berlioz Bus was "a wonderful idea, because it made it so easy for St Andrews people to go to the Usher Hall to hear music they were keen to hear but may not have been able to without the bus. It is the perfect solution for those who love good music and appreciate the SCO."

Graeme Scott, a former member of the University's Court commented on how well organised the arrangements were: "We arrived in good time for a snack and David Cairns' fascinating pre-concert talk, and returned well before the coach turned into a pumpkin!"

The Orchestra's superb performance in the refurbished Usher Hall was warmly appreciated by everyone present: Judy Gillespie wrote to the SCO and said: "I wasn't the only one with a stray tear to be wiped at the end.  I hope all the  soloists, chorus and musicians, chorus master and conductor could feel the audience's concentration."

Everyone on the bus hoped that this was an experiment that would be repeated, allowing St Andrews music-lovers still more opportunity to benefit from the SCO's unique relationship with the University as its Orchestra in Residence.