Saint Oswald’s Church
Bruntsfield
13.11.25
The Cast
Sophie Ann West. Director.
Bedtime for Daria. Synths.
Adain Ferguson Percussion.
Timmy Knight Piano.
It had been a day of hibernation; Storm Betty had made landfall. Windy, Cold and Wet, I had the beginnings of a cold sore and was feeling a bit wabbit, so I conserved energy for most of the day so that I could attend a one-of-a-kind artistic experience Sophie Ann West, is one of Scotland’s leading authorities in performance Lazer Art and has presented her evolving craft at major UK festivals and Dance events. Indeed DJ Divine has had his work complimented by such creative majesty and it has never failed to stop me in my tracks with its amazingness and awesome eyecandy Lazer yummyness.
Saint Oswald’s is in one of Edinburgh’s des res neighbourhoods, a place where a small cappuccino and slice of chocolate cake is £12.50 kind of place, Bruntsfield is kind of different from Niddrie, more condensed and posher, it even has a record shop and some of the finest and most expensive food in Edinburgh. It is also home to one of Edinburgh’s finest examples of Scottish Gothic Architecture. Saint Oswald’s on Montpelier Street is home to one of Edinburgh’s great artistic institutions The Pianodrome, a charity that floods the city with old pianos for people to play, encouraging budding pianists everywhere to give the old Joanna a tinkling.
The last time I visited The Pianodrome, it was on Waterloo Place. I fell in love with it then. The flooding of Pianos has certainly improved my playing ability. So tonight was also my first time of visiting the Pianodrome at its new posh location.
Aye it was a mingin night, so properly layered up and water proofed, too windy for a brolly, I thought I might have had too many layers on, till I was stood at the bust stop waiting for a number 2 to Lothian Road, where I caught a 35 to Bruntsfield, which I made in Good Time, the connections were swift.
As I said earlier, I was excited to see the new Pianodrome headquaters and I couldnae have been more delighted with this wonderful ornate Gothic splendour of a Church. The Church had no heating so was really glad that I had too many layers on, coz I was roasty toasty, with a blankie and cushion for my bum. It was the 2nd performance of the evening.
Indeed its the challenge to convey such wonderful performance art with creative writing. It really was like stepping back into time and an alternative Steampunk reality. The Gothic Church filled with ancient well tuned pianos, I was fair chomping at the bit, wanting a tinkle and then entering the performance area, a set of Congos, Djembe and a Grand piano in the center, A synth and Two Mikes. With rather impresive speakers creating a complete surround sound experience.
And if that wasnae enough for one’s senses to take in, the laser show was just out of this world in a Pink Floyd Kind Of Way, filling Saint Oswald’s with beautiful Music, these four creative masters weaving folklore, Faery Tales of underworld creatures, and enchanting spoken word entertainment. While the Music and Lasers shifted the capacity audience into another dimension.
It was a lot to take in, but I knew that I was experiencing amazingly wonderful performance art Am Still processing it now.
Mark ‘Divine’ Calvert
themumble.uk 