01.07.2011
Friday 1 July – Fourth Session of the Scottish Parliament Programme outline:
Arrival of the Crown [09.00]
The Crown of Scotland will be processed down the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle to the Scottish Parliament carried by the Duke of Hamilton escorted by military escort and the Pipes and Drums of Fifth Scots. The Crown of Scotland will process into the Scottish Parliament via Queensberry House carried by the Duke of Hamilton escorted throughout by the Royal Company of Archers and Officers of Arms.
Address to Parliament
Address to Parliament by The Queen to mark the Fourth Session, speeches from the Presiding Officer and First Minister and a programme of music and Scots poetry.
Main Hall
Following the Chamber part of the ceremonies, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh accompanied by the Presiding Officers to the Main Hall where they will meet the 10 sitters of the Moving Stories Exhibition and also view Her Majesty The Queen’s Official Portrait for the first time. A pupil from Royal Mile Primary School will present The Queen with a posy as she departs.
Riding [10.40 - 11.30]
The Riding will make its way down from East Market Street, to be joined by MSPs and their guests at Queensberry House, before sweeping into Horse Wynd passing in front of the Scottish Parliament and into the Landscaped Gardens then the Scottish Parliament building.
Open Afternoon [13.00 - 17.00]
The Scottish Parliament building will be opened for all invited guests and members of the public for a programme of music with tour guides located around the building in prominent positions.
Detailed programme:
Arrival of the Crown and Guests
At around 09.00 the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon will receive the Crown of Scotland at Edinburgh Castle and proceed down the Royal Mile to the Scottish Parliament, led by police escort.
Archers (6), followed by the Lord Lyon of King of Arms, Officers of Arms (4) followed by the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon bearing the Crown of Scotland make their way to the Debating Chamber to await the arrival of Her Majesty The Queen with the Scottish Parliament’s Mace Bearer Philip Horwood bearing the Mace.
During this period, a programme of music performed by National Youth Choir of Scotland Falkirk Choir will perform for Guests in the Debating Chamber.
Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will arrive at the Queensberry House entrance to the Scottish Parliament. They will be met by The Rt Hon the Lord Provost, Councillor George Grubb, Lord-Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh and The Lady Provost.
Pipe Majors Derek Potter and Roy Pywell will play as Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh enter the courtyard of Queensberry House.
Lord-Lieutenant will present Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick MSP and Deputy Presiding Officers John Scott MSP and Elaine Smith MSP.
On arrival in Queensberry House, the Royal party moves into the Garden Lobby to meet:
- Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP, First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party;
- Iain Gray MSP, Leader of Scottish Labour
- Annabel Goldie MSP, Leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Willie Rennie MSP, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats
Address to Parliament
‘Blackbirds’ and ‘Ministry Steps’ Fanfare introductions played by the State Trumpeters as the Royal party arrives in the Chamber.
The Scottish Parliament’s Mace bearer bearing the Mace enters the Chamber and proceeds down the aisle towards the well of the Chamber
The Presiding Officer will open the meeting of Parliament and formally welcome The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.
Her Majesty The Queen will respond to the Presiding Officer’s remarks and address the Scottish Parliament.
Karine Polwart, with Kim Edgar and Kirsty Grace, will sing ‘Now Westlin Winds’ by Robert Burns.
Scots Makar Liz Lochhead will read the specially composed poem ‘Open the Doors Again!’
The First Minister of Scotland will speak.
Kirsty Grace, with Kim Edgar and Karine Polwart, will sing ‘Follow the Heron’, a song written by Karine Polwart.
‘Royale’ Fanfare to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s departure will be played by the State Trumpeters in the Chamber.
Members of the Scottish Parliament, their guests, Lord Provosts, Provosts, the Consular Corps, and others depart the Debating Chamber and make their way to Queensberry House where they will join the Riding.
Main Hall
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will meet guests in the Main Hall. The Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officers will introduce them to the sitters from the Scottish Parliament’s Travelling Exhibition Moving Stories. They will view Her Majesty The Queen’s Official Portrait where they will meet photographers Shaun Murawski and Harry Benson CBE.
On leaving the Scottish Parliament The Queen will be presented with a posy by Royal Mile Primary School Primary 1 child Aaron Ritchie.
10.40 – 11.30 The Riding
Riding will depart from East Market Street at 10.40am. It should arrive at Holyrood for around 11am. Presiding Officer, Deputies, First Minister, Party Leaders and Lord and Lady Provost will watch the Riding from a dais outside Holyrood.
The Riding will be led by the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, established in 2006 from the Lowland and Highland bands of the Scottish Division. Following the military band the following performers will be participating in the Riding:
- Zawadi Alba , 12 women of African, British and Caribbean heritage living in and near Edinburgh and Fife who have come together through their love of African music.
- SheBoom , a female samba band from Glasgow.
- Bo’ness and Carriden Brass Band , formed in 1858, they have had a long history of competing at the very highest level, from their win at the very first Scottish Championships in 1895, to their 4 th place at the same contest in 2004, the band has proved successful for over one hundred years.
- Counterpoint , a mixed group of drummers from across Edinburgh.
- Dollar Academy Juvenile Pipe Band , current Juvenile World Champions.
- The Scottish Rockettes , the UK’s top Pro-Sports Dance Team. They support Scotland’s only Pro-Basketball team the Glasgow Rocks and are also the Official Dance Squad of the Scottish National Football Team.
- Scottish Pipes and African Drums (aka Jimi McRae and Sami Okoo) will provide Scottish and Irish tunes as they process down the Royal Mile.
- Pulse of the Place , a youth led Samba band formed in August 2006 with around 8 drummers, they now have approximately 40 drummers aged from 7 to 19 years old, will provide a mardi gras atmosphere to the Riding.
- The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland , launched in 2002 is a non-competing cutting edge performance pipe band for 10 to 25 year olds from across Scotland.
As 2011 is International Year of Youth, the Riding includes many young people from across Scotland participating on behalf of their youth organisations - The Boys Brigade, The Army Cadets, The Sea Cadets, Girl Guiding Scotland, Scouts Scotland, Scottish Youth Parliament, YouthLink Scotland, The Duke of Edinburgh Award medallists and Young Scot 2011 Award winners.
We also have representatives from the Parliament’s innovative Community Partnerships Project - Volunteer Development Scotland; RNIB Scotland; Ownership Options in Scotland; Multi-Ethnic Aberdeen Ltd; Volunteer East Dunbartonshire; and Dumfries & Galloway Third Sector Forum.
The Riding also has representations from major sporting events, the International Children’s Games team from Lanarkshire are participating and the Commonwealth Games 2014 will create a large section consisting of gymnasts, a large 3D Commonweatlth Games Logo and 71 people bearing the flags of the Commonwealth nations participating in the Games, all being led by Michael Jamieson, Commonwealth Games Silver Medallist for Swimming.
In keeping with previous celebrations, the 1 July Children will again celebrate their joint 12 th birthdays by participating in the Riding. Also included within the Riding are some of previous community groups from each of the eight regions of Scotland who created banners for the 2004 Riding. They will once again showcase their banners as the process down the Royal Mile. In recognition of UN Year of Volunteering, the Riding will also host a selection of individuals and organisations from across Scotland working in the third sector.
13.00 – 17.00 Open Afternoon
The Scottish Parliament building will be opened to members of the public with tour guides located in prominent positions around the building from 13.00.
There will be a programme of musical performances throughout the afternoon:
Main Hall
13:00 – 13:30 Zawadi Alba
13:50 – 14:10 Scottish Pipes and African Drums
14:30 – 15:00 Phamie Gow
a Scottish composer and musician contributing a whole new repertoire for the lever harp and electric harp with revolutionary techniques demanding of the highest skills.
15:20 – 15:25 Taiko Therapy
started in 2001 from Beeslack Community High School, Penicuik has around 35 drummers performing a range of original compositions with influences from African, Rock and Traditional music.
Garden Lobby
12:45 – 13:15 NYCoS Falkirk
formed in September 2000 and annually recruits children in P3 from primary schools across the Falkirk Council area. The choir currently has over 180 members.
13:35 – 13:55 Good Question (National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music)
one of the bands from the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music in Plockton. The School offers top class tuition and an all-round, in-depth experience in traditional music, which includes individual tuition, groupwork, workshops and masterclasses, performing, recording, and the history and background of the music.
14:05 – 14:25 Luigi Corvi
owner of the oldest chip shop in Glasgow trained in Italy 20 years ago under world famous opera tutor Carlo Bergonzi. Just as he was offered an audition at Covent Garden, however, he was forced to give up his lifelong dream of becoming a top class operatic tenor and returned to Glasgow to take over the family business, due to his father’s failing health. He serenades his customers and performs at concerts.
14:40 – 15:10 NYOS Strings Project
consists of string players from a selection of NYOS's ensembles. This accomplished string ensemble consistently delivers critically acclaimed performances, collaborates with professional music organisations and often premières new commissions from Scotland's foremost composers.
15:25 – 15:45 InChorus: Lothian and Borders Police and Tayside Police Choirs (conducted by Andrew Russel)
was founded in 2008 in Peebles in the Scottish Borders. It is a 100-strong modern choir singing contemporary music.
16:05 – 16:20 Drumatik
a community drumming group based in the West of Fife, around for almost three years. They aim to challenge the perceptions and stereotypical ideas that society holds about people with a learning disability… and will show ALL people, regardless of disability that they have real gifts, skills and talents… and are eager to share these with the wider community.
16:30 – 16:50 Lothian Gaelic Choir
a group of around 40 members of all ages who sing in Gaelic and compete in many local Mods around Scotland.
Committee Room 2
13:30 – 13:55 Maydays
Caithness born and bred they rolled down to their current Edinburgh base and have evolved into purveyors of what critics hail as very fine, “beautiful sunshine pop music.”
14:10 – 14:35 Crayons
billed as proponents of “awkward pop,” the four Fife teens boast bags of charm and are carving out quite a reputation thanks to their post-punk guitar and synth sounds
14:50 – 15:15 French Wives
hailed as a band capable of producing, “fluttering heart strings and overflowing melodies,” this Glasgow-based quintet has already attracted comparisons with stadium giants Arcade Fire.
15:30 – 15:55 White Heath
a 6-piece Edinburgh-based band signed to the Electric Honey label, they combine an anything-goes attitude to music composition with a fusion of contemporary pop, space-rock and turbulent noise.
16:10 – 16:35 The Imagineers
having just finished touring the UK to promote their debut EP ‘See As I Say’, this 4-piece Glasgow-based band has attracted lots of positive media attention with their mix of infectious Spanish rhythms, surf guitar riffs and energetic live performances, often augmented by two violinists.
Members’ Restaurant
13:30 – 14:00 Phamie Gow