Perth Concert Hall has assembled a stellar line-up of Scottish singers and musicians to celebrate the legendary songwriter and pianist Burt Bacharach in a brand-new show Scotland Sings Bacharach.
Stars including Emma Pollock, Karine Polwart, Horse, Blue Rose Code, Georgia Cécile, Justin Currie and Hamish Hawk will join a big band under the musical direction of Stuart Nisbet to pay respect to to Bacharach in a three-venue tour in March 2024. The tour will in Aberdeen Music Hall on Friday 1 March before touring to The Usher Hall, Edinburgh on Sunday 3 March, then Perth Concert Hall on Friday 8 March.
Commenting on the show, the latest in Perth Concert Hall’s series of specially created Scotland Sings concerts, the most recent of which was Scotland Sings Nanci Griffith in July 2022, Andy Shearer, Creative Director for Contemporary Music said:
‘Perth Concert Hall has built a strong reputation for producing major themed concerts over the years and we’re delighted to announce our latest, Scotland Sings Bacharach, which brings together a brilliant collection of songs, singers and musicians. It’s even more exciting that we’ve been able to organise additional shows with our friends at The Music Hall in Aberdeen and The Usher Hall in Edinburgh which will allow many more people to see the concert – and give the artists to have more opportunities to perform it, as it’s always a huge frustration when these special shows are just a one-off. As an organisation committed to working with local artists, it’s also really pleasing for us that the key players in the ensemble are Perth-based – musical director Stuart Nisbet and string arranger Patsy Reid.’
Award-winning jazz vocalist Georgia Cécile said: ‘Having grown up listening to some of the greatest voices of all time – Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick – singing Bacharach’s music, I have a deep love and reverence for his work. He was the true master at writing quality pop music that stood the rest of time – songs that are timeless and sophisticated. This concert series is a way for us to celebrate his great work and legacy and I’m so excited to be joining some of Scotland’s finest musicians on stage to perform Bacharach’s music!’
Recalling her experience sharing the stage with Burt Bacharach, Scottish singer/songwriter Horse McDonald said: ‘What an absolute delight to be part of such an illustrious group of my peers singing these iconic songs. I have opened for Burt Bacharach and it was one of the most joyful meetings of my life. As a songwriter I was in awe just to share the stage with one of the ultimate songwriters of all time. As a singer to have the opportunity to sing these glorious and timeless songs is the ultimate thrill!’
Burt Bacharach – who died in February 2023 – had his first chart success in the 1950’s; the songs he co-wrote with Hal David soundtracked the 60’s and 70’s; he continued writing worldwide hits into the 80’s; collaborated with Elvis Costello and others throughout the 90’s and was still performing his songs live right up until 2019.
Tickets for Scotland Sings Bacharach in Perth Concert Hall on Friday 8 March go on sale on Friday 24 November, online at perththeatreandconcerthall.com, or in person or by phone at the Perth Theatre Box Office (01738 621031 10:00 – 16:00 Monday to Saturday).
Tickets for Scotland Sings Bacharach in Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on Sunday 3 March go on sale on Friday 24 November with tickets for the Friday 1 March show in Aberdeen’s Music Hall on sale on Friday 1 December.