A concert to celebrate Neil Butterworth's varied and successful life as a teacher, composer, author and conductor.
Neil was a hugely loved and respected man and musician. Along with his wife Anna, he taught and influenced hundreds of music students over the years as Head of the Music Department at Napier College (later to become Edinburgh Napier University).
With a gentle but passionate enthusiasm for so many genres of music, he was able to share his vast knowledge with everyone he met.
Presented by Scotland’s favourite weather reporter, Judith Ralston, we are opening with the exhilarating 'Spitfire Prelude' by William Walton; continuing with baritone Paul Keohone, singing some of the Old American songs by Aaron Copland. There will also be a favourite song by Gounod, and a couple of Neil’s own compositions. We are finishing the first half with a rendition of Monteverdi’s 'Beatus Vir' sung by a chorus of family, friends and former students.
The second half welcomes one of Neil’s favourite composers, Ralph Vaughan Williams with his beautiful 'Serenade to Music' with full orchestra and 16 soloists, and rounding off with the uplifting finale from Bernstein’s 'Candide', 'Make Our Garden Grow'.
There will be a collection and any profits, to the charity Help Musicians UK, which has been a lifeline to many musicians over these last couple of tumultuous years for the Arts.
We welcome anyone to come and enjoy the music-making, readings (and cake!) that sum up his life and show the talents of some of the many musicians whose lives he touched.
A Serenade to Music