Hamilton Rock Choir hit high notes at Edinburgh festival
Songbirds from Hamilton Rock Choir joined the throng of performers taking part in this year's Edinburgh fesrival fringe – and even enjoyed an unexpected encore as they took to the stage on the same night as Oasis rocked nearby Murrayfield.
More than 70 members of the busy Hamilton group took to the stage at three different shows in the capital, including a sold-out performance at the Space Triplex venue, where they showcased their vocal talents by sharing a wide selection of their repertoire with appreciative audiences.
They also had the perfect song to serenade their bus driver en route home after a standout show, becoming rock 'n' roll stars as they celebrated their successful appearances with a rendition of Roll With It.
Members of the Hamilton group featured in popular performances entertaining crowds outside landmark Edinburgh restaurant The Dome, at the busy Brewhemia venue and on stage at Space Triplex, which is Rock Choir's main concert venue throughout the festival.
Led by choir conductor Jen Bonnar, they joined forces with members of her other groups based in Greenock, Helensburgh, Houston and Paisley to delight listeners with a 45-minute set featuring 10 of their favourite songs – Sweet Child of Mine, Unwritten, Learn to Fly, Two Hearts, Flashdance, I Don't Want to Miss a Thing, Haven't Met You Yet, Don't Stop Me Now, Roll With it and Call Me.
The local singers were among 40 Rock Choirs from across the UK who performed in turn across 23 nights at the festival, receiving an 'overwhelming reaction' from audiences.
Choir leader Jen praised her singers and told how they enjoyed their 'own little rock 'n' roll moment', saying: 'I couldn't be prouder of my choirs performing at three different venues at the Edinburgh fringe including a sold-out show, drawing huge crowds and soaking up the city's electric atmosphere.
'Our Fringe adventure ended with an unexpected encore! On the coach home, our driver casually mentioned he was a huge Oasis fan – so the whole choir burst into Roll With It just for him.
'He was grinning from ear to ear, filming the moment on his phone like it was his own private gig; it was the perfect end to an incredible day.'
Members 'returned home on a high' from their Edinburgh shows, with many taking part in their first major event and delivering 'confident, uplifting' performances of the Rock Choir repertoire of pop, rock and contemporary songs.
Free taster sessions are available for those interested in joining the choir, which is open to all with no audition or need to read music; see www.rockchoir.com for more details.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Noel Gallagher opens up about his brother Liam on Oasis reunion tour: ‘He's been amazing'
Noel Gallagher has opened up about his feelings towards his long-estranged brother Liam during Oasis' sold-out global reunion tour for the first time, saying: 'He's been amazing … it's great being back in the band with Liam.' Oasis announced they would be reuniting in August 2024, 15 years after their split in 2009 when Noel quit the band after a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris, saying he 'simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer'. The brothers continued to trade barbs for years and rejected any suggestion they would bury the hatchet, making their reunion a pleasant surprise for their fans. At their first show in Cardiff, the crowd responded with whistles and applause when the brothers briefly embraced at the end of the gig. Speaking to TalkSport's Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent on Tuesday, Noel Gallagher said he had been 'completely blown away' by the tour so far. 'Liam's smashing it. I'm proud of him,' he said. 'I couldn't do the stadium thing like he does it, it's not in my nature. But I've got to say, I kind of look and I think, 'Good for you mate.' He's been amazing. 'It's great just to be back with Bonehead [Paul Arthurs] and Liam and just be doing it again,' he continued. 'I guess when it's all said and done we will sit and reflect on it, but it's great being back in the band with Liam, I forgot how funny he was.' Noel said he was taken aback by the fan response at their first show in Cardiff in July. 'I can't speak for anyone else, but for me personally, I grossly underestimated what I was getting into. It was kind of after about five minutes, I was like, all right, can I just go back to the dressing room and start this again?' he said. 'I've done stadiums before and all that, but I don't mind telling you, my legs had turned to jelly after about halfway through the second song. It's been an amazing thing. Really is an amazing thing. It's difficult to put into words, actually. 'Every night is the crowd's first night, you know what I mean? So every night's got that kind of same energy to it, but it's been truly amazing. I'm not usually short for words, but I can't really articulate it.' Oasis has already played 17 dates across the UK and Ireland, and are continuing their away around the world with performances to come in the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and South America. The Oasis Live '25 tour is due to end in November in Brazil.
Rhyl Journal
39 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Irvine Welsh: Edinburgh Festival is great but I'm more excited about Hibs
The 66-year-old Trainspotting writer has returned to the Scottish capital for the premiere of his documentary, Reality Is Not Enough, which will close the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Directed by Paul Sng, the immersive documentary is said to be a thrilling and revealing exploration of Welsh, following his huge success with several film adaptations and six million books sold worldwide, and his awareness of mortality. In it, Welsh, who appears on screen, embarks on a wild journey into the boundaries of consciousness. He undergoes psychedelic-enhanced therapy and reflects on how intoxication can open up new perspectives. 'There's an upside to drug-taking, because there's a real exploratory, consciousness-raising aspect to it, as well as a sense of bonding with others in a festival-type environment,' Welsh told the PA news agency. 'But there's also a very negative side to it, a side that's about running away from things.' The film also explores how Welsh's creativity was shaped by his childhood in Edinburgh, the influences he absorbed from London's 1970s counterculture, and how ground breaking works such as Trainspotting and Filth helped pull him out of a self-destructive cycle. The autobiographical film combines intimate observational footage, rare archive film clips and readings from his novels narrated by stars Liam Neeson, Maxine Peake, Ruth Negga and Stephen Graham, and musician Nick Cave. BIG ANNOUNCEMENT 📢 #EIFF25 will close with the World Premiere of documentary 'Reality Is Not Enough.' Director Paul Sng follows one of the most controversial writers of our times, Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, as he explores the boundaries of consciousness. — Edinburgh International Film Festival (@edfilmfest) May 30, 2025 Reflecting on his success as a writer, Welsh said he does not dwell too much on a project as he's always looking towards the next thing. 'If it's a book, a film, a record or a TV show, once you've created it and put it out into the world, it's an act of giving it away,' said Welsh. 'By then, you're already immersed in the next one. I just move from one project to the next. 'I don't really take the time to reflect on them or figure out where they sit in the grand scheme of things. 'That's why it's interesting for me to watch myself on screen, being compelled to talk about them and think about them in that way.' Welsh is a constant fixture at the Edinburgh festivals, whether speaking at the book festival or through Trainspotting Live, the immersive adaptation of his novel that features at the Fringe each year. Although he features heavily in the festival programme, Welsh himself says he would prefer to be at the pub or watching his favourite football team, Hibs. 'I should be swathed in culture, but all I've been thinking about is Hibs are back in the Europa League,' he laughs. 'Oasis were here too. I got to go to the shows at Murrayfield, and they were absolutely fabulous, just mind blowing. 'Hibs and Oasis, basically, has been my festival.' Irvine Welsh: Reality Is Not Enough will premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival on Wednesday August 20.
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Noel Gallagher says he is ‘proud' of his brother Liam
Following their return to Ireland at the weekend with two sold-out shows at Dublin's Croke Park, the Britpop star opened up about their Oasis Live '25 reunion tour adding that he is 'completely blown away' by the response. Oasis announced their reunion tour in August last year, 15 years after their dramatic split in 2009, when Noel quit the band after a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris, saying he 'simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer'. Speaking to talkSport's Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent, he said: 'Liam's smashing it. I'm proud of him. 'I couldn't do the stadium thing like he does it, it's not in my nature. But I've got to say, I kind of look and I think, good for you mate. He's been amazing. 'It's great just to be back with Bonehead (Paul Arthurs) and Liam and just be doing it again. 'I guess when it's all said and done we will sit and reflect on it, but it's great being back in the band with Liam, I forgot how funny he was.' The group has already played in Cardiff, Manchester, London and Edinburgh with dates scheduled around the world including in major cities across the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia and Japan. Speaking about the tour so far and their opening night in Cardiff, Noel said he was 'completely blown away'. He added: 'I can't speak for anyone else, but for me personally, I grossly underestimated what I was getting into. 'It was kind of after about five minutes, I was like, all right, can I just go back to the dressing room and start this again? 'I've done stadiums before and all that, but I don't mind telling you, my legs had turned to jelly after about halfway through the second song. 'It's been an amazing thing. Really is an amazing thing. 'It's difficult to put into words actually. 'Every night is the crowd's first night, you know what I mean? So every night's got that kind of same energy to it, but it's been truly amazing. I'm not usually short for words, but I can't really articulate it. Oasis, best known for Wonderwall, Don't Look Back In Anger and Champagne Supernova, signed to independent record label Creation Records in 1993, rising to fame with the release of their debut chart-topping album Definitely Maybe on August 29 1994.
