Friends of St Cecilia’s Hall and Museum

04/06/2026

Hallelujah!!!

Good news! After our temporary period of closure St Cecilia's Hall will re-open on Tuesday 9 June 2026. We look forward to welcoming you back to our beautiful museum and concert hall then! Make sure to check out our What's On Page for information on our upcoming events for 2026.

https://www.stcecilias.ed.ac.uk/whats-on/

04/06/2026

Big announcement later today!!!

03/06/2026

St C’s has instruments from all over the world in the collection!

This week’s Instrument of the Week is the kora. This instrument is played by traditional storytellers, known as griots, of the Gambian River valley. These storytellers recite stories and histories while accompanied by this type of harp.

Want to find out more? Head over to our digital guide on Bloomberg Connects and use the lookup number below!

Pictured: Kora, Serrif Mballow, 2002. MIMEd 6208.

02/06/2026

Here’s my preview of the Sounds of St Cecilia’s concert series at St C’s during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August - tickets now available:

‍ Preview: Sounds of St Cecilia’s 2026 ‍ St Cecilia’s Hall and Museum August 2026 ‍ This year’s excellent series of Fringe concerts in the beautiful 18th century surroundings of St Cecilia’s Hall on Niddry Street spans music and instruments from the 14th to the 19th centuries, and from...

28/05/2026

On Tuesday the Friends of St Cecilia’s Edinburgh Organ Crawl starring Dr John Kitchen MBE, Edinburgh City Organist and Friends committee member. First was the 1757 Snetzler organ in the oldest Masonic Lodge in the world just off the Canongate. Then came the 1978 Ahrend organ in the Reid Concert Hall, and finally the 1897 Hope-Jones organ in the McEwan Hall. Dr Kitchen spoke about and demonstrated each organ in his inimitable style. Then it was back to Dr Kitchen’s lovely house to see and hear his chamber organ, harpsichords and square piano, and to enjoy a buffet supper. It was a great afternoon and evening. This was an event for Friends members - to join and enjoy exclusive events and superb concerts from only £15 a year: https://friendsofstceciliashall.com/join2/

27/05/2026

This week’s Instrument of the Week is this bassoon by Buffet-Crampon from 1924. This bassoon is representative of one of the modern forms of the instrument, with its complex key system that was developed by Buffet.

Want to find out more? Head over to our digital guide on Bloomberg Connects and use the lookup number below!

Pictured: Bassoon, Buffet-Crampon, 1924. MIMEd 2281.

25/05/2026

Here’s my review of the London Serpent Trio’s 50th Anniversary Concert - which was sssplendid!

Carlops Village Hall, 22/5/26 Nicholas Perry, Andrew Kershaw, Philip Humphries (serpents) I don’t usually begin a review by describing the instrument played in the concert, but in this case I’ll make an exception. The serpent is utterly bewildering to look at, and a fiendishly difficult brass w

23/05/2026

This was meant to take place at St Cecilia’s Hall, but due to closure it happened in Carlops instead. I went last night- it was literally a hoot! They began with Handel and ended with Pirates of the Caribbean! Now to write my review for the Edinburgh Music Review 🖊️
https://www.edinburghmusicreview.com The London Serpent Trio St Cecilia's Hall: Concert Room & Music Museum

20/05/2026

Kicking some brass!

This week’s Instrument of the Week is the keyed trumpet by Louis Müller. The natural trumpet was notoriously difficult to play, particularly in regard to playing the notes in the upper register. In order to facilitate easier playing, keys were added to the trumpet in 1796 by Anton Weidinger!

Want to find out more? Head over to our digital guide on Bloomberg Connects and use the lookup number below!

Pictured: Keyed trumpet, Louis Müller, c.1835. MIMEd 3158.

18/05/2026

Saturday 13 June at 7:30pm: Silent Speech: Ganassi’s vision of the human voice. Anna Stegmann (recorder), Corina Marti (harpsichord).

Anna Stegmann (recorder) & Corina Marti (harpsichord) Music in the 16th century was closely connected to the human voice, even when played on instruments. The art of diminution, ornamenting a simple line, allowed performers to shape music with expression and individuality. In La Fontegara (1535), Si...