THE 15th edition of the Lammermuir Festival is about to get under way, as it runs from tomorrow (Thursday) to next Monday (September 16).

Here, the festival organisers highlight their top five things to check out at the 2024 Lammermuir Festival:

Scottish Opera Albert Herring (Image: Contributed)

1. Scottish Opera at the Corn Exchange, Haddington: The newly refurbished Corn Exchange has been added to the list of fascinating venues at this year’s festival. Living up to the motto of ‘Beautiful Music, Beautiful Places’, the Lammermuir Festival will welcome Scottish Opera to the stage with their production of Britten’s Albert Herring. The production offers festival-goers a truly immersive experience, with location remaining centrepiece to the comedy. As it takes place in the market town of Suffolk, the audience will take their seats in the glorious market town of Haddington and prepare to step into Herring’s world. Come down to the Corn Exchange and join in the joy of community, explore the comedy in the orchestra, the characterisation of the percussion and piano, and uncover the timely messages that director Daisy Evans effortlessly draws out from the story. Join on opening night, Thursday, September 5, for the first performance at 7.30pm, or on Friday, September 6, for their final performance at 7.30pm.

Concerto Copenhagen (Image: Mathias Løvgreen)

2. Concerto Copenhagen at St Mary’s Parish Church, Haddington: Marking the first time the Lammermuir Festival has brought in talent internationally as Ensemble in Residence, their performance is not to be missed as they make their first ever appearance in Scotland. One of the best baroque orchestras in the world, audiences will be taken on a musical journey through a festival project that highlights Concerto Copenhagen’s deep and everlasting love of 17th-century music. Come along to experience grand-scale music in a format as intimate as St Mary’s Parish Church and enjoy familiar Baroque music from Buxtehude, Biber and Schmelzer or discover lesser-known gems in George Muffat and Johan Helmich Roman. Concerto Copenhagen programme music with the goal to unite us and introduce the modern audience to the somewhat unfamiliar. Each of Concerto Copenhagen’s concerts will take place in St Mary’s Parish Church, where attendees can indulge in ice cream supplied by Musselburgh favourite Luca’s. Concerts run on Monday, September 9; Wednesday, September 11; Friday, September 13; and Sunday, September 15, all at 7.30pm.

Jeremy Denk (Image: Shervin Lainez)
3. Jeremy Denk: Enjoy Jeremy Denk’s quirky celebration of Charles Ives and soak in his staggering musical partnership with Maria Włoszczowska. This is the perfect opportunity for festival-goers who missed their chance back in 2021/22 or the perfect offering for those less familiar with classical music. The brand new Valo String Quartet also joins for two striking programmes exploring Gabriel Fauré’s music for piano and strings. Or find Denk at his final recital of the festival in a programme that highlights the works of female composers from the 19th century to the present day. Jeremy Denk and The Valo Quartet play twice at Prestonkirk Parish Church, East Linton, at 3pm, first on Monday, September 9, and finally on Wednesday, September 11. Denk plays twice at Dunbar Parish Church at 3pm, first with Maria Włoszczowska on Friday, September 6, at 3pm, and finally on Saturday, September 7, at 7.30pm.


4. Stimmung: Step away from the traditional concert format and step into Stimmung: a deeply eccentric performance with London Voices. Karlheinz Stockhausen’s groundbreaking vocal classic from the 1960s is a piece like no other, partly improvised and built entirely on vocal overtoning. London Voices director Ben Parry notes the piece as "the ultimate in chill out music". Sitting in a circle in a darkened room, six vocalists will build a trance-like meditation from a single chord and its overtones to create a deeply moving, unique experience among audiences. Audiences only have one chance to explore the talented London Voices at this year’s festival. Join them late-night at 10.15pm on Wednesday, September 11, at the Corn Exchange in Haddington.

Tenebrae perform at Concorde (Image: Contributed)

5. Tenebrae performing Path of Miracles at the National Museum of Flight’s Concorde Hangar: Promising to be a highlight this year is a comeback masterpiece at an iconic venue. Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles will be sung by one of the finest choral groups in the world, Tenebrae, for which it was written 20 years ago. The work is both ravishingly beautiful and hugely dramatic, and was last performed at Lammermuir back in 2017, which saw the sold-out audience standing cheering when it finished. With the comeback proving hugely popular with audiences, organisers have added a second performance at 10pm on Sunday, September 8. The first performance will be held earlier that evening at 8pm.

Check out the full line-up of events at the festival at lammermuirfestival.co.uk