Musicians from across the globe came together yesterday as a special event at Craiglockhart campus marked the centenary of the end of the First World War.
Led by acclaimed fiddler Thoren Ferguson, musicians from across Scotland, the UK and further afield came together to play his specially commissioned score ‘Armistice’ at the Concert for Cooperation.
Joining each other through social media at 3PM, the performance brought a powerful and emotive concert to a conclusion. The musicians linked up through the hashtag #iPlay4Peace.
Advanced audio-visual streaming technology (LOLA) was also used to project additional performances by university students and Tynecastle pupils to the Craiglockhart audience from the Merchiston campus.
LOLA – LOw LAtency audio and video streaming - enables online interaction to happen in real time without the time delay associated with popular systems like Skype, which would make musical collaboration from different locations impossible. Its use within the Univeristy is led by Professor Paul Ferguson.
During the day, guests were also treated to performances from George Watson’s College Symphony Orchestra as well as war poetry recitals from pupils at Sighthill Primary and Tynecastle High. Edinburgh Napier’s War Poets Collection curator Catherine Walker and event organiser Neil McLennan also spoke at the event. Piper Louise Marshall also performed.
The whole event was streamed live on the University’s YouTube channel, with hundreds of others joining attendees at Craiglockhart to watch the concert and pay their respects to the fallen.
As night fell, all three of Edinburgh Napier’s campuses – Craiglockhart, Sighthill and Merchiston – were illuminated by a projection of cascading poppies. This was designed and delivered by Edinburgh Napier graduates Double Take Projections.
Professor Andrea Nolan, Principal of Edinburgh Napier University, said: “The concert was a powerful and emotive event where musicians from across the globe played in unison in the spirit of cooperation, commemoration and peace using modern technology.
“It is a great privilege for Edinburgh Napier University to host the central concert on November 11, which brought a rich repertoire of talent together for this very special event.”
War poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon met at the Craiglockhart military hospital, and the university campus now hosts the War Poets Collection, featuring more than 600 items relating to the history of the site.
As well as the Concert for Cooperation, the university is involved in a series of other events commemorating the centenary of the Armistice.
Next up, the University is proud to work in partnership with the University of Aberdeen, Wilfred Owen’s Edinburgh, Scottish Poetry Library, Dignity Funerals Ltd, National Library of Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council to install a permanent memorial to Scottish poets from World War One in recognition of their bravery and sacrifice. It will be unveiled in Makars’ Court, Edinburgh, at 10.15am on Friday 23 November.