Death of Edinburgh-based composer Edward Harper prompts change in programme

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Following the sad news of the death of Edinburgh-based composer Edward Harper in April, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra can now confirm that it will perform his Second Symphony in place of Symphony No 3, which was unfinished at the time of his death. Symphony No 3 ‘Homage to Robert Burns’ was scheduled to receive its world premiere as part of the Orchestra’s ‘Homecoming’ concert in Glasgow City Halls on 27 November, to be performed again the following evening in Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall.

Harper’s Symphony No 2 was premiered by the Orchestra in October 2006, recorded for Edinburgh’s independent classical music label, Delphian, in the summer of 2007 and released on CD in March 2008. The concerts in November will be the first live performances of the full symphony, as the first movement of Symphony No 2 was incomplete when the Orchestra premiered the work in October 2006. The full work was recorded once the first movement had been completed.

Symphony No 2 will be performed in a ‘Homecoming’-themed programme which also features works by composers with a Scottish connection - Kenneth Leighton’s Concerto for String Orchestra and James MacMillan’s Tryst.

As Harper had sketched out the first movement of the new symphony prior to his death, the Orchestra has asked composer Lyell Cresswell to complete the movement with a view to performing it in the 2010/11 Season.

Lyell Cresswell will pay tribute to the music of Edward Harper and Kenneth Leighton in pre-concert talks at 6:30pm in both venues, free to ticket-holders.

Single tickets for the SCO’s 2009/10 Season go on sale today.

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