It was to be one of the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra’s biggest events of the decade, but the coronavirus pandemic has prevented its 40th anniversary concert from going ahead at Aberdeen’s Music Hall.
It may have been postponed – like all other major events – but, instead, a full anniversary concert will be broadcast online, bringing the orchestra into your home on Saturday 16 May (the date the live show was scheduled to take place).
The concert, which was filmed in Perth in February, will be broadcast on YouTube, view it from May 16 by clicking here.
Postponing its anniversary concert in Aberdeen wasn’t the only major blow for Bob Diament, chairman of the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra, the musicians and all the SFO’s loyal supporters – the coronavirus pandemic also lead to the postponement of their Edinburgh concert in June and the cancellation of their tour of North America (scheduled for March/April).
Bob said: “We are really disappointed we couldn’t go on tour as we had been working towards it for a year. But, as soon as the decision was made, we realised that what is going on in the world is more important than what we are doing on stage.
“That doesn’t mean we don’t miss it, but we understand, particularly because the Fiddle Orchestra’s audience contains many older members of the community, the valuable and vulnerable.”
The postponed live performance in Aberdeen was in aid of charity partners, Marie Curie.
Fortunately, the charity that provides care and support for people who are dying or living with a terminal illness, as well as their loved ones, will still benefit from the YouTube performance as the online audience is urged to donate what they can to the charity’s Emergency Appeal, by clicking here.
Bob added: “For every concert we play we have a charity partner. For the last few years, we have had Marie Curie volunteers shaking their donation buckets; they come wearing their daffodils creating a sea of yellow and really brightening up the place.
“We usually raise around £1,000 per concert, but the current lockdown restrictions have had a huge impact on Marie Curie’s fund raising activities, just at the time their hospices and community nursing services are needed more than ever as part of the national coronavirus response, their income has been decimated.
“We have rather ambitiously set the fundraising target at £1,500. To raise that for Marie Curie, who are one of the unseen casualties of the coronavirus pandemic, would be fantastic.”
Marie Curie’s services in Scotland have running costs of £250,000-a-week. So, on Saturday 16 May, sit back in the comfort and safety of your own home and join Blair Parham, Colette Ruddy, Dennis Haggerty, Robert Lovie and the SFO for a great night in and donate to the Marie Curie Emergency Appeal.
*To tune into the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra concert: CLICK HERE
**To donate to Marie Curie Emergency Appeal: CLICK HERE or text NURSE to 70633.
