Open Letter from supporters of Lammermuir Festival to Creative Scotland - Lammermuir Festival

Letter from supporters of Lammermuir Festival

To Iain Munro, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland and its Chair, Robert Wilson,

We the undersigned appeal to you to save what one audience member has described as a ‘precious jewel of originality and joy’.

According to the panels judging Open Fund applications at Creative Scotland, Lammermuir Festival does not sufficiently align to your priorities.

This is despite having the full support of the Music Officers at Creative Scotland who approved its application and strongly recommended funding without conditions.

This is one of the most acclaimed classical music festivals in the UK, recipient of an RPS award, the highest accolade in its field, and giving work to 350 musicians a year, many of them Scottish. It has a proven record of achievement, appeals to ever-growing audiences and supports performers at all stages in their careers.

It is also a festival which returns £750,000 in economic benefits for East Lothian, on top of its social and cultural benefits, bringing visitors to a region which is underserved for arts, offering audiences international quality music performances and participation opportunities.

If the festival were to not exist, neither would its work with McOpera which engaged 1,700 children, young people and adults as participants and audience through their outreach strand over the last two years. This proved a formative part of so many young musicians’ lives in East Lothian.

This strand of the festival’s work reached out to multiple and diverse local community groups, nurturing children and young people from across 31 different schools, supporting the growth of an Instrumental Music Service and creative organisations (such as Dunbar Voices), bringing to the region international conductors and Scottish creatives, composers, singers and instrumentalists. It has also regularly provided career placements to students from Edinburgh College, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier Universities, National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

This decision by Creative Scotland flies in the face of the expressions of support for culture in Scotland, and in particular for festivals, that the First Minister Humza Yousaf, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Neil Gray, and Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson have made in recent days.

The Open Fund process appears to have no strategic overview of provision, and no clear artistic, quality or geographic priorities.

Your process places huge pressure on organisations. Lammermuir Festival was invited to make multiple applications for the same activity with funding decisions taking their nerves to the wire – in this case Creative Scotland passed their verdict on a third application just 16 days before the festival started.

The system needs to change. As it stands it places Scotland’s cultural ecology on a downward trajectory.

Without Creative Scotland’s support the Lammermuir Festival’s future is under threat. Your decision not to fund the 2023 festival, destablises the organisation and undermines the festival’s ability to plan for or run a festival in 2024 and beyond. In order to secure the future of this festival beyond 2023, urgent support is needed.

As musicians, educators, audience members, supporters, participants, businesses in East Lothian, and community leaders we are utterly appalled at your decision and urgently appeal to Creative Scotland to reverse it in order to save this cultural gem.

This festival cannot be allowed to disappear.

Signatories (362):

Agnes Robson	Supporter, Edinburgh
Ailsa Royston	Audience member, Sherborne, Dorset
Akhtar Shamin	Deputy Leader, East Lothian Council
Alan Craig	Audience member & Festival Friend, Athelstaneford
Alan Dean	Audience member
Alan Osborn	Audience Member & Festival Friend, Surrey
Sir Alastair Muir Russell	Chair, Lammermuir Festival
Alfonso Leal del Ojo	Chief Executive, The English Concert
Ali Sneddon	General Medical Practitioner, Audience member, North Berwick
Aline Gow	Professional cellist and teacher, McOpera
Alison Brimelow	Retired/ festival volunteer
Alison New	Audience member, Musselburgh
Alistair Hogarth	Pianist
Allan Glen	Curriculum Team Manager, School of Media, Music and Sound Production at Edinburgh College
Allison Worth	Audience member & Festival Friend, Gullane
Andrea Baker	Singer
Andrew & Tara Wright	Business owner, Overhailes Holiday Cottages, East Lothian
Andrew Barker	Emeritus Professor, Edinburgh University, Attendee & supporter, Lasswade
Andrew Guest	Audience member & Festival Friend, North Berwick
Andrew Robinson	Audience member
Dr Andrew Watson	Arts Educator / Open University Assoc Lecturer
Angie Simpson	Audience member
Angus Jeffrey	Audience member
Angus McCallum	Audience member, Aberlady
Angus Tulloch	Supporter
Ann Buchanan	Audience member
Ann Dean	Audience member, Edinburgh
Anna Carson	Audience member & Festival Friend, Coupar Angus
Anna Ghazal	NYCOS Creative Learning Producer
Anna Hocknell	Audience member & supporter, East Lothian
Anne Browning	Audience member, Haddington
Anne Fingland	Audience member, Kelso
Anne Macdonald	Audience member, St Albans
Anne Runnalls	Audience member, Festival Friend, Edinburgh
Anselm Fraser	Audience member
Antonia Fraser	Festival Friend
Anwen and Elyn McInnes	Catriona and the Dragon (young musician – orchestra)
Arthur Bruce	Freelance baritone, Singer – cast member in ‘Catriona & the Dragon’
Audrey Copstick	Dewarton, Midlothian
Barbara Gill	Parent of child who participated in Catriona and the Dragon
Barbara Wallington	Festival Friend, North Berwick
Barry Ayre	Audience member, Dunbar
Becky Everett	Audience member & supporter, Haddington
Bill Alder	Audience member
Bob Young	Audience member & volunteer, Longniddry
Brian Ferguson	Musician’s parent , audience member, Musselburgh
Calum Kerr	Trumpet mentor for Catriona of the Dragon/representative of NYOS Alumni & student of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Carlie MacDougall	Audience member
Carol Millar	Audience member & supporter, Buxton, Derbyshire
Catherine Wilson	Festival Friend
Cathy Adamson	Supporter, Freuchie
Catriona Stuart	Supporter, Tillicoultry
Celia Coulson	Retired teacher/volunteer
Charlotte Evans	Audience member Catriona and the Dragon, parent musician in Anthem for East Lothian
Charlotte Kington	The Loft Cafe & Bakery, Haddington, East Lothian
Charlotte Souter	Audience member
Chiara Brand	Audience member
Christian Lindsay	Supporter, Dirleton
Christine Lessels	Supporter and Audience member
Christine Wiggins	Audience member & supporter, Edinburgh
Christopher Glynn	Director Ryedale Festival
Christopher Kelnar	Audience member, Edinburgh
Claire Blair	Audience member
Clare Anderson	Parent of Catriona Chorus Member, Volunteer Chaperone and Audience Member, East Linton
Colin Wilson	Audience member, Festival Friend, Haddington
Constanza Dessain	Audience member
Cornelis can Rein	Festival Friend, Kilchrenan
Craig Hoy MSP	MSP for South Scotland
Dan Tindall	Audience member, Midlothian
Daniel Lamont	Festival Friend, Edinburgh
Daniela Hardy	Audience member
Danny Driver	Pianist
David Bradley	Festival Friend, Haddington
David Caldwell	Audience member & supporter, Edinburgh
David Carson	Secondary School head teacher (retired).
David Kirkpatrick	Audience member & supporter, Dirleton
David McCord	Audience member & supporter, London
David Shaw Stewart	Festival Friend
David Simpson and Judy Riley	Supporterand audience members
David Snodgrass	Supporter, Dunbar
Dinis Sousa	Conductor
Donald Smith	Audience member, Haddington
Donna Brander	Festival Friend, East Linton
Dorothy and Mark McCann	Audience member & Festival Friend, Musselburgh
Dorothy Wright	Audience Member and Festival Friend, Edinburgh
Douglas Alexander	Scottish Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for East Lothian.
Douglas George	Audience member and father of Catriona cast members
Douglas MacDougall	Audience member
Dr Andrew Watson	Arts Educator, East Lothian
Duncan Menzies	Audience member
Edward Hocknell	Trustee, Lammermuir Festival
Eileen Finlayson	Audience member & Supporter, Edinburgh
Elaine McAdam	Audience member & Supporter, Edinburgh
Eileen Russell	Audience Member and supporter, East Lothian
Elana Eisen	Violinist
Eleanor Martino	Speech-language pathologist and voice therapist, Festival Friend, East Linton
Elena Urioste	Violinist
Elisabeth Davenport	Audience member & supporter, East Linton
Elisabeth Wilson	Audience member, Dunbar
Elizabeth Gemmell	Audience member & supporter, Haddington
Elizabeth Guest	Carer, Audience member, North Berwick
Elizabeth Mavor	Audience member
Ella George	Cast member An Cadal Trom and Catriona and the Dragon, member of Dunbar Voices
Ella Macleod	Catriona cast and member of Dunbar voices
Elspeth Davey	Festival volunteer/ supporter
Euan Fletcher	Catriona cast member; Let’s Make an Opera Primary School participant; and brass player in Anthem for East Lothian (age 10)
Eva Bryant	Aged 9. Participant in Catriona and the Dragon
Evelyn Thorgood	Audience member, Portobello
Ewing Lauder	Music Instructor, East Lothian Council
Falko Burkert	Konditormeister, Haddington
Federico Bruera	Musician, audience member, Haddington
Fidelity Dean	Audience member
Fiona Gaddes	Audience member, Duns
Fiona Grant	Audience member & supporter, London
Fiona Grayson	Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire
Fiona McGibbon	Open University Associate Lecturer/Festival volunteer/ Innerwick, East Lothian
Fiona Sweeney	Catriona and the Dragon Orchestra Flute and Tutor, NYoS Alumni scheme
Frank Bigwood	Audience member & supporter, North Berwick
Frank Church	Musician, Largs
Freya George	Cast member Catriona and member of Dunbar Voices
Gail Keating	Audience member & Festival Friend, Bonnyrigg
Gavin King-Smith	Audience member & supporter, Tynron
Gemma O’Keeffe	Violinist
Geoff Ball	Supporter and audience member
George Glen	Audience member, Temple, Midlothian
George Haddington	Audience member
Gill Stewart	Audience member & supporter, Edinburgh
Gillian Devlin	Parent of orchestra member, Catriona and the Dragon.
Graham Ross	Audience member & supporter, Glasgow
Helen and Edward Cais	Audience member, Glasgow
Helen Anthony	Audience member & Festival Friend, Glasgow
Helen Bennett	Teacher, Dunbar
Helen Kelly	Audience member, Aberlady
Helen Wyllie	Audience member, Haddington
Hew Dalrymple	Supporter, North Berwick
Hilary Menzies	Audience member
Iain Burnside	Pianist
Iain Torrance	Former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Supporter, Edinburgh
Ian Fingland	Audience member, Kelso
Ian Irvin	Company Director and Charity Trustee, Dunbar
Imogen Fletcher	Cast member Noye’s Fludde, An Cadal Trom; member of Dunbar Voices
Isabel Orr	Supporter, Musselburgh
Isabella Gold	Orchestra member, Catriona and the dragon
Isla Kennedy	Catriona and the Dragon cast; Dunbar Voices member
James & Annette Hunter	Audience member & supporter, Edinburgh
James Dobie	Audience member
James Findlay	Owner, The Waterside Bistro, Haddington,
James Ironside	Emeritus Professor, University of Edinburgh, Support & Audience member, Edinburgh
Sir James MacMillan	Composer
James McNeill	Supporter, Edinburgh
James Stretton	Trustee, Lammermuir Festival
James Tomlinson	Audience member, Edinburgh
James Williams	CEO Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Jamie Korner	Foyle Foundation Trustee, Supporter, Edinburgh
Jane Dickinson	Audience member, Edinburgh
Jane McCallum	Nurse, audience member, Aberlady
Jane Nicolson	Primary School Teacher, Ayrshire
Jane Rawlings	Audience member
Jane Steele	Audience member, London
Jane Watt	Audience member, Haddington
Janey Dalrymple	Supporter, North Berwick
Jean Church	Largs, Ayrshire
Jean-Luc Barbanneau	Audience member & Festival Friend, North Berwick
Jennifer Martin	Arts Administrator
Jennifer Trussler	Primary teacher of class who participated in ‘Let’s Make an Opera’; parent of a young person who participated in Catriona and the Dragon and the Anthem for East Lothian.
Jenny Harper	Supporter, Haddington
Jenny Hill	Musician and Youth Music Initiative Tutor working with children in East Lothian primary schools
Jeremy Denk	Pianist
Jessica Brown	Audience member & Festival Friend, Edinburgh
Jill Shepherd	Teacher, audience member, North Berwick
Jim & Gwynne Grayson	Thornborough, Buckinghamshire
Joanna Lowe	Parent to Ella, cast member in Catriona and the Dragon
John Butt	Conductor
John Campbell KC	Supporter, Duns
John Harris	Red Note Ensemble
John Kitchen	Harpsichordist
John Lally	Audience member, Musselburgh
John Lindsay	Audience member & supporter, Direlton
John McCabe	Audience member, Bo’ness
John Robinson	Professional violinist,Violin teacher, String Coach.
John Roden	Audience member, Felton, Northumberland
John Smart	Business Owner, Collaborative Creative, Haddington
John Stone	Audience member & Festival Friend, Coldstream
Jonathan Gawn	Team Manager – East Lothian Council Instrumental Music Service/Principal Tuba Scottish Ballet
Jonathan Goodbourn	Primary school teacher (Let’s Make an Opera programme), parent of performers (An Cadal Trom, Catriona, Anthem for East Lothian), and audience member
Joshua Ellicott	Tenor
Joy Dobie	Festival Friend, Duns
Joyce Withers	Supporter, Darnick, Melrose
Judy Thomson	Audience member
Julia Parker	Stevenston Trust trustee, supporter and audience member
June Marshall	Supporter, Haddington
Karin Haig	Retired civil servant, Supporter, East Linton
Kate Quartano Brown	Adviser for the Cockaigne Fund at Foundation Scotland, Audience member & supporter, Edinburgh
Kate Wake	Audience member
Katherine Campbell	Audience member, North Berwick
Kathryn Jourdan BEM	Music teacher
Katie Hull	McOpera violinist
Katrina Bateman	Professional violinist and coach for Catriona orchestra
Kelly and Neil McInnes	Audience member and parent (Catriona)
Kenneth Anderson	Musselburgh, Attender
Kenny MacAskill MP	MP for East Lothian
Kerry Rait	Parent of Catriona children’s chorus member
Kirsteen Davidson Kelly	Trustee, Lammermuir Festival
Kirstie Logan	Professional orchestral musician and teacher
Kirsty Macdonald	Music Teacher, East Lothian
Kit Adamson	Supporter, Haddington
Kyle McPherson	Catriona and the Dragon cast; member of Dunbar Voices
Lauren Reeve-Rawlings	Horn player, Glasgow
Lesley J Walker	Volunteer
Lilli and Summer McCullagh	Catriona orchestra and members of East Lothian IMS
Lin Macmillan	Audience member, Bo’ness
Linda Shaw Stewart	Trustee, Lammermuir Festival
Lisa George	Audience member and cast member (adult chorus) for An Cadal Trom and Catriona and the Dragon
Lorna Young	Audience member & supporter, Longniddry
Louise Hardy	Usher at Lammermuir festival
Lucy Vaughan	Creative Learning & Community Engagement Consultant, Scottish Borders
Luis Eisen	Professional bassoonist
Lynda Jeffrey BEM	Music teacher
Lyndsay Ross	Audience member & supporter, Glasgow
Magdalena Chojnacka	Audience member, Ormiston
Mahan Esfahani	Harpsichordist
Malcolm Martineau	Pianist
Malcolm Morrison	Festival Friend, Bowden, Melrose
Margaret Alder	Audience member
Margaret Evans	Audience member, Tyninghame
Maria Wloszczowska	Violinist
Mark Penty	Audience member, Leeds
Mark Simpson	Clarinettist and Composer
Martin Brabbins	Conductor
Martin Storey	Cellist, member of Scottish Opera and teacher at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Martin Whitfield MSP	MSP for South Scotland
Mary Macleod	Parent of Catriona and the Dragon cast member, staff member of Dunbar Voices
Matthew Brook	Baritone
Matthew Rooke	Composer (An Cadal Trom, Lammermuir Festival 2018)
Maureen Blackwood	Audience member, Lauder
Maureen Evans	Audience member, Dirleton
Max and Sarah Ward	Supporters and Audience members
Maxwell String Quartet	Artists in Residence, Lammermuir Festival
Melissa Bradley	Audience member
Michael Brander	Festival Friend, Whittingehame, Haddington
Michael Framer	Audience member, Festival Friend, Gullane
Michael Lloyd	Audience member, Dunbar
Michael Williams	Festival Friend, Haddington
Mils Souter	Audience member
Mireille Poots	Audience member & supporter, North Berwick
Miriam McHardy	Audience member, Musselburgh
Moira Macfarlane	Audience member, Haddington
Monica Wilkinson	Lecturer in Dalcroze Studies at RCS and freelance teacher of Musicianship/festival volunteer
Morag Austin	Supporter, Edinburgh
Morleymor Fisher	Commander Royal Navy, Audiene, Howgate
Nancy Bernklow	Newtongrange, Midlothian
Nancy Richardson	Audience member, Blairgowrie
Naomi Trussler	Catriona and the Dragon (cast member); participant in the Anthem for East Lothian; Member of Dunbar Voices Senior Choir
Nicholas Lewis	Audience member, Orkney
Nicholas Mulroy	Tenor
Nicky Pritchett-Brown	Supporter, fundraiser and audience member
Nicola Goodship	Festival volunteer 2022 & 2023
Nicola McPherson	Catriona and the Dragon parent chaperone
Nigel Short	Tenebrae
Noel O’Regan	Honorary Fellow, Music, University of Edinburgh and audience member
Olena Dorohanova	Catriona and the Dragon, Adult Chorus member
Olive Ayre	Audience member, Tyninghame
Olwyn Alexander	Supporter, Edinburgh
Owain Park	Gesualdo 6
Patricia L Miller	Audience member & Festival Friend, Alexandria, Virginia USA
Patrick Kenny	Performer/ Trombone Coach (Catriona)
Paul Garbett	Audience member, North Berwick
Paul Smart	Consultant – Post 16 Education, Scottish Borders
Peggy Wu	Assistant conductor on community opera and RCS MMus student
Penelope Barron	Festival Friend, Edinburgh
Penny Graham	Audience member
Peter Davey	Festival Supporter for 14 years
Peter France	Supporter, Edinburgh
Peter Fry	Professional Double Bass player and teacher.
Peter Wallington	Supporter, North Berwick
Philip Higham	Cellist
Philip Immirzi	Supporter/Friend, Dunbar
Philip White	Chair Garvald and Morham Community council
Philippa Marston	Audience member, North Berwick
Philippa Tomlinson	Audience member, North Berwick
Poppy Davidson-Kelly	Catriona cast (children’s chorus)
Priscilla Parry	Supporter, Dunbar
Prof Peter Ghazal OBE & Mrs Jackie Ghazal	Festival supporters, Cardiff
Rev. Suzie Fletcher	Minister, parent of cast members from all 3 Lammermuir Festival operas, Let’s Make an Opera primary programme, and local minister of host venues for Lammermuir Festival concerts
Rev’d Alison McDonald	St Mary’s Parish Church, Haddington
Rev’d Canon John	Audience member, Dunbar
Rex Worthington	Catriona cast (children’s chorus)
Richard Boothy	Fretwork
Richard Brand	Audience member
Richard Pont	Audience member, Pathhead
Richard Stewart	Audience member, North Berwick
Richie Harrison	Course Leader HNV Y1 Sound Production, Edinburgh College
Rob Martino	Software engineer, music and audio applications, Festival Friend, East Linton
Robert Duncan	Retired, audience member, Edinburgh
Robert Glen	Pathhead, Midlothian / Attender
Robert Linton	Haddington Business Owner
Robin Hardie	Supporter, Festival 2023
Robin Harding	Festival Friend, Edinburgh
Robin Mether	Festival Friend, Musselburgh
Roderick Thomson	Festival Friend, London
Roderick Williams	Baritone
Roger Bromley	Emeritus Professor, Festival supporter, Prestonpans
Roman Rabinovich	Pianist
Rory McCleery	Marian Consort
Rosalind Finlay	Stevenston Trust trustee, supporter and audience member
Rosamund Weaver	Audience member & supporter, Camptoun
Rosemary McDougall	Audience member, Fala village
Rosemary Morrison	Audience member, Bowden Melrose
Roxane Nash	Festival Friend, Dunbar
Ruari Donaldson	Professional musician and teacher
Ruth Alder	Audience member, volunteer & supporter, Dunbar
Ruth Ellis	Formerly sub-principal clarinet in the SCO 1987-2009, East Linton
Ruth Hall	Retired/Volunteer usher, Haddington
Ruth Hannah	Festival Friend, Edinburgh
Ryan Corbett	Accordion
S Anne Guthrie	Audience member
Sandra Anderson	Business Owner, Four Bags Full, Musselburgh
Sarah Donaldson	Audience member, Garvald
Sarah Gold	Audience member and parent
Sarah Harringon	Cellist with Scottish Opera, Glasgow
Scott Kennedy	Audience member
Sean Shibe	Guitarist
Senga Mackay	Audience member and grandmother of Catriona cast members
Sharon Gent	Audience member, Ormiston Tranent
Sharon Haslam	Professional Violinist and Teacher
Sheila Barker	Audience member & supporter, Lasswade
Sheila Glendinning	Festival Friend, Haddington
Sian Edwards	Conductor
Sian Reynolds	Translator, audience member, Edinburgh
Sir Derek Myers	Audience member
Sophie Tulloch	Audience member
Stehen Maddock	Principal Birmingham Conservatoire
Stephen Chicken	Audience member, Swinton
Stephen Metcalfe	Audience member, Edinburgh
Stephen Thomas	Audience member & supporter, Cambridge
Steven Osborne	Lammermuir Festival Patron and Pianist
Stewart Chalmers	Member and original Hon. Sec of the Lammermuir Trust, Haddington
Stuart MacRae	Composer
Stuart Stratford	Conductor
Sue Baxendale	McOpera / Lammermuir Festival Community Opera Creative Producer and Project Manager; Horn player
Sue Chicken	Audience member, Supporter, Swinton, Duns
Sue King-Smith	Festival Friend, Tynron, Dumfriesshire
Susan Moffat	Volunteer usher and ornithological consultant
Suzie Davidson-Kelly	Audience member, East Lothian
Terez Korondi	Violinist
Tom Bryant	Parent of child who participated in Catriona and the Dragon
Tom Gemmell	Festival Friend and audience member, Haddington
Tom Pate	Audience member & supporter, Edinburgh
Tom Poster	Pianist
Tracy and Simon McCullagh	Catriona audience member
Una Coombs	Audience member, Edinburgh
Vanessa Kennedy	Catriona and the Dragon adult chorus cast
Vicky Bryant	Audience member
Victor Poots	Audience member & Festival Friend, North Berwick
Will Conway	Hebrides Ensemble
William Cole	Conductor, Glasgow
William Gold	Piper in Catriona and the dragon (IMS)
William Lucas-Evans	East Lothian secondary school pupil and musician in Anthem for East Lothian and Catriona.
William Moyes	Member North Berwick Law, Edinburgh
William Thomson	Friend of Lammermuir
Xa Shaw Stewart	Audience member, East Lothian
Yolanda Plumey	Professor of Historical Musicology, University of Exeter

cc’d

First Minister Humza Yousaf

Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson

Minister of Culture Christina McKelvie

Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Neil Gray