Edinburgh International Festival - Healing Arts Opening Celebration 2024
Oi Musica, the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland, Scottish Ballet's participation groups and piping supergroup Tryst will create an exciting large-scale performance outside the Scottish Parliament on Monday 19th August (4pm), as part of Edinburgh International Festival's community programme.
The performance is free, accessible and family friendly.
The first-ever Healing Arts Scotland will launch as part of the Edinburgh International Festival 2024, a week-long celebration of arts and health events highlighting the joy that the arts brings to those who take part, and their importance to the nation’s physical, mental and social health.
The Celebration will open with an awe-inspiring 150-strong Massed Band from Oi Musica, featuring an intergenerational cast of brass, wind and street drummers. This epic, large-scale band will perofrm 'Vibes of a Hunderd Marchers' - an original piece co-composed for the event by members of our youth group Brass Blast. The band will include youth playes from Brass Blast and SambaYaBamba Youth Street Band, plus friends of Oi Musica from Shunpike Social Club and Brass, Aye? and even some international visitors.
Scottish Ballet will present a specially commissioned dance piece featuring an ensemble cast of community performers, including Scottish Ballet's Youth Exchange company, NHS staff, Dance Base's PRIME Elders Dance company and Dance for Parkinson's Scotland group. The work will be performed to the song Mackay’s Memoirs by the late Scottish Celtic fusion artist Martyn Bennett.
The performance will crescendo with music from Tryst and the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland, and a Finale played by all musicians together.
