EIF: First Night at the Hub
The Hub, Edinburgh, 04/07/25
Nicola Bendetti (violin and host), Philip Higham (cello), Sofia Ros (accordion), Sasha Savaloni (guitar), Dougie MacLean (vocals, guitar, fiddle), the Monteverdi Singers, Roby Lakatos Quartet, NYO2 wind quintet, Barokksolistene, Greg Lawson (violin).
Since 2023, the Hub has been not just the headquarters of the Edinburgh International Festival, but a key component of the artistic and musical melting pot that violin virtuoso Nicola Benedetti has curated since she took over as EIF director.
Correspondingly, its opening night, running from 10pm towards the edge of the small hours, has now become a compelling part of the Festival’s tradition – offering a taste of both the opening weekend and riches to come.
For where else would you possibly expect legendary Scottish singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean, the Monteverdi Choir, Hungarian Romani jazz-folk violin supremo Roby Lakastos, wind players from the NYO2 in the United States, and the bar-room antics of Barokksolistene to synergise so effortlessly?
What held this delightful, varied and vital evening of communal music-making together was the virtuosity and MC’ing charm of Benedetti herself. Her unforced enthusiasm and reputation across the global musical firmament makes a night like this –confusing on paper, but captivating in realisation – work wonderfully.
A further alchemic blend was engineered by Geordie violinist, collaborator and composer Greg Lawson at the end of a memorable evening, as he brought everyone on stage for a hypnotic performance of a musical development from Dougie MacLean’s haunting fiddle tune, ‘The Osprey’, segueing into a new arrangement of John Tams’ ‘Lullee, Lullay’.
We were also treated to short, seamless sets from Nicola Benedetti’s scratch quartet, starting with Maria Teresa von Paradis’ ‘Sicilienne’, arranged by James Morgan and Juliette Pochin. This featured Scottish Chamber Orchestra principle cellist Philip Higham, accordionist Sofia Ros (BBC Scotland Young Classical Musician of the Year 2025) and Iranian-Scottish classical guitarist and Royal Conservatoire lecturer Sasha Savaloni. Their three variations on themes from Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ and a beautifully rendered Debussy ‘Beau Soir’, arranged by Simon Parkin, were especially affecting.
In between the audience enjoyed the violin versatility of Roby Lakastos, with piano, double bass and cimbalon (percussion) accompaniment. His music blends Roma and Eastern European folk and classical traditions with strong early jazz inflections. Having collaborated with diverse musical giants ranging from Martha Argerich and Stéphane Grappelli, he certainly brought out the gypsy troubadour in Benedetti, as she joined her childhood hero for a fast, furious, but also intricate workout on Vittorio Monti’s ‘Csárdás’.
Contrasting styles came in the form of two songs by Caledonian doyen Dougie MacLean, following two sensuous pieces from the Monteverdi Choir. MacLean began with an early number, ‘Scythe Song’, and then involved the audience in ‘This Love Will Carry Me’. Meanwhile, after 14 solid days of rehearsal and performance and the eight-hour marathon ‘The Veil of the Temple’ EIF opener, the Monteverdi Choir – conducted by Jonathan Sells – chose a shorter Tavener work, ‘Song for Athene’, and a gorgeous Bruckner motet, ‘Locus Iste’, for a Hub audience drawn from a predominantly older, Bohemian demographic.
Other highlights included the splendidly raucous but inventive ‘Alehouse Sessions and Mamelukk’ excerpt from Barokksolistene, featuring eight instrumentalists, two dancers and a concluding dose of vocal harmony. National Youth Orchestra (NYO2) wind players also impressed with two rhythmically tricky movements from Paquito d’Rivera’s ‘Aires Tropicales’. Altogether a varied and extremely satisfying musical feast.
