Power of Music – James Naughtie & Bernard MacLaverty in conversation with Andrea Baker
The journalist and writer as music experts, and the singer as interviewer? This is a rare chance to see these well-known faces in less usual roles. James Naughtie is one of the most recognisable voices from radio, and Bernard MacLaverty is one of our best-known authors; they are in conversation with the British-American mezzo-soprano, Andrea Baker.
On Wednesday 8 August in St Andrew’s and St George’s West beautiful church in George Street, 2.30-3.30pm, James Naughtie will choose 5 pieces of music which have particular meaning for him. On Thursday 9 August, at the same time, Bernard MacLaverty will choose his five pieces.
Bernard MacLaverty was brought up in Northern Ireland and came to live in Scotland in 1975. His novels and short stories are classics of our time. His latest novel is “Midwinter Break”.
James Naughtie is one of the BBC’s best-known journalists and is currently special correspondent for BBC News. He has a great interest in music and has presented opera and Proms performances as well as contributing regularly to BBC Music magazine.
Andrea Baker started her operatic career in San Francisco and has sung in many of the world’s opera houses and concert halls. She celebrates her own personal history and that of African American female trailblazers in her current work at the Fringe, “Sing Sistah Sing”, which she discussed recently on Radio Scotland’s “Classics Unwrapped”. Thus she is uniquely placed to explore the power of music in this event in the capital of the country she now calls home.
Ian Gilmour, minister of the church, said
“Andrea is a wonderful artist and mesmerising performer who has been hugely supportive in collaborating with us in music and story. We are so privileged that she has agreed to lead in our Spoken Word Fringe shows.”
These are two unique events which combine two essential elements of the Fringe – music, and the spoken word.