Battle Pageant of The Arts in Concert : June 8th @ Prestongrange Church

Battle Arts Heritage Goes on Stage ...

In all the discussion about precisely what was significant about Victory for Prince Charles Edward at the Battle of Prestonpans in 1745, the present Campaign has been determined never to overlook the impact it had on literature, song and painted art. The challenge has been how to interpret and present that so that all in town can enjoy the occasion and visitors too. There's a quietly confident belief abroad that the answer is starting to emerge.

Andrew Dallmeyer is putting pen to paper ...

Enter Andrew Dallmeyer, true son of Aberlady putting his pen to paper to create a fascinating script working in concert with the Laverocks who specialise in singing Jacobite songs, Ian Green of Greentrax with some most helpful research, John Lindsay our Poet Laureate writing long overdue poesie and Malcolm Watson who leads the Arts Festival's own resident theatre group The Meanwhilers. Ask the Rev Robert Simpson and the Kirk Session of Prestongrange Church if their acoustically outstanding church can stage the premiere; invite Bonnie Prince Charlie himself to make a fleeting appearance.... and you have the intriguing event that will be first presented on the evening of June 8th during the Three Harbours Festival.

It's clearly a Pans event not to be missed and will be preceded during the afternoon by the now well recognised Battlefield Walk led by Peter MacKenzie at which Fellows from Edinburgh's Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts will form a significant part of the visiting throng. [It may be remembered that it was the RSA's Coffee House Challenge in Spring 2006 that got the Campaign rolling. Ed.]

If the art critics like the Pageant it will then go on tour

Andrew Dallmeyer's script has got all the actors and singers truly excited thus far and naturally we are all hopeful of good critical reviews at its premiere. And as and when that happens, the intention is to make the performance of Andrew's Pageant a key aspect of the promotional campaign advanced by the Battle Trustees.

Carlisle, Manchester, Derby, Falkirk - even the West End in London must also, like the Prince himself, surely be on that Campaign trail.

ADMISSION TICKET DETAILS WILL BE PUBLISHED SHORTLY