We are offering a free opportunity for you to sample some of John’s own compositions that he scored for the SFO, as well as some of his evocative arrangements of compositions by others (and of some traditional melodies). This is in the form of an email series which will give you a weekly John Mason tune / arrangement direct to your inbox, with a link to a recording on YouTube and some information and background about the melody.
For decades, Robbie was the familiar, friendly voice welcoming audiences to our concerts across Scotland and beyond. From his early days as compere succeeding the late Rev. James Currie, to the countless shows he hosted before passing the torch to his colleague Jim McColl, Robbie’s warm spirit and professionalism as MC made him an integral part of our orchestra.
SFO member – and Edinburgh Concert Administrator – Catriona McLean, had the good fortune to undertake a trip to Orkney in 2021. She reports on an interesting, SFO-related encounter whilst there…
In August 1991, the SFO undertook its first ever trip to Ireland, playing concerts in Belfast and Dublin. In the words of the SFO’s John Mason at the time, he had “become enthralled with Ireland’s culture and its people”. He had already been a regular visitor to Ireland over many years…
My first memories of performing date back to when Dad would put on variety shows in Wigtown and Newton Stewart and I would be put on stage with my brothers, Rognvald and Peter to do a turn.
We would love to see you at any of the six concerts we play in the UK each year – taking in some of the best concert halls across the land. Our international tours have taken us to North America, Asia and Australia.
This podcast features snippets from the SFO's concert at Inverurie Town Hall in September 2019. Podcast 2 - The SFO at Inverurie - September 2019 The following music and song is featured: Willie Kidd's Welcome to Orkney (intro) - by John Mason March Strathspey and...
The SFO is set to tour the north eastern seaboard of the USA and Canada in March and April 2020. The tour will include a concert in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Tartan Day 2020, 06 April 2020. To quote Wikipedia: “Cape Breton fiddling is a regional violin style which...
If you come to an SFO concert, you can’t miss our merchandise stall in the foyer. You may have been in the audience at one of our live concert recordings before and, if you are coming to our Hogmanay Concert in the Usher Hall on 30 December 2018, we will be recording...
Scottish traditions and culture feature in various ways in the Guinness World Records: On 30 December 2000, in Edinburgh, 1,914 people danced the largest Strip the Willow, as part of Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations. The largest Burns supper ever was held in Glasgow...