The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra performances featured an Edinburgh alumnus and honorary degree holder. Image Holst's The Planets On 9 August, Donald Runnicles, an alumnus of the University, conducted the Orchestra’s performance of Holst’s The Planets. The concert also included a performance of Britten’s Sinfonia da Requieum and composer Colin Matthew’s Pluto, which complements Holst’s work. Information on International Festival website Below, Professor Raymond MacDonald introduces The Reid School of Music at the University. HTML Festival Concerts at St Cecilia's Hall This year’s Festival Concerts at St Cecilia’s Hall before it closes for redevelopment. More information on concerts Closing Concert On 30 August, the University sponsored the final instalment of the Festival’s concert series. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra performed under the direction of Principal Guest Conductor Ilan Volkov. They performed Sandakan Threnody, a piece by composer and Honorary Doctor of the University of Edinburgh Sir Jonathan Mills. The work honours the British and Australian prisoners of war who lost their lives in the North Borneo death marches during the Second World War. This was followed by Janacek’s Glagoltic Mass. The performance featured a cast of renowned singers, the Edinburgh Festival Chorus and organist Thomas Trotter. Information on International Festival website Related Links Reid School of Music Redevelopment of St Cecilia’s Hall This article was published on 2024-10-29