Preview: Edinburgh Festival Fringe Music

Submitted by actionman on Sun, 14 Jun '09 4.50pm

The sheer breadth of Fringe Music on offer does take your breath away, and the extensive classical portion should satisfy most tastes.

Handel's "Alexander's Feast" at the Canongate Kirk on 11 August should be really special.  You could also try the Bach or Beethoven "for Breakfast" events at the Royal Overseas League - tea/coffee and pastries are even included.

There is a good sprinkling of excellent jazz events and a number of choirs in Edinburgh this August, of which the African Children's Choir at St Andrew's and St George's Church should capture many hearts.   They will be competing with firm Fringe favourites the 26-strong Soweto Gospel Choir who are captivating - so much so I saw them twice last year!

For something different, try Camille O'Sullivan, "The Dark Angel", who is appearing at the Assembly Hall on Mound Place.  Back in Edinburgh after a sell-out show last year, her performances are highly charged to say the least.

Comedy and music come together in many Fringe shows. Female double-act Shoo Shoo Baby's The Entire History of Cabaret, at Assembly Rooms, which is billed as "a wild ride from cabaret’s emergence during the Parisian Belle Époque
to its somewhat less lofty present-day incarnation as "Britain’s Got
Talent," sounds fun. If you can boil the complete works of Bill Shakespeare into an hour, why not cabaret?

The Scottish Homecoming is well represented by a mass of events ranging from fiddle, Scots songs and ballads, and piping. You simply have to see what takes your fancy - really you are spoiled for choice.

For a couple of special 'one-nighters' there is "The Poozies" having a worldwide record launch on 18 August at the Acoustic Music Centre and the unrelenting and really popular "The Really Terrible Orchestra" will be getting into the spirit of things at the Canongate Kirk on 30 August.