Evelyn Glennie boosts Aberdeen City of Culture bid

The Aberdeenshire-born musician pledged her support for the city’s campaign and urged the people of Aberdeen to back the bid because of the “incredible impact” the year of culture could have on the city’s arts scene.

Dame Evelyn said: “I feel that Aberdeen has a lot to give. We’ve such beautiful surroundings around the city. We’ve a city brimming with culture, history and interesting people.

“People here should feel a real ownership of the bid. Everyone here should get behind it and celebrate what we can offer.”

Dame Evelyn, who is a patron of Aberdeen’s International Youth Festival and the city’s Sound Festival, recently performed in front of 900 million television viewers across the globe when she took part in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics where she led 1,000 drummers in a performance of “And I Will Kiss” a piece of music she wrote with Underworld.

Rita Stephen, the bid manager of Aberdeen’s bid to be UK City of Culture, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Dame Evelyn Glennie is going to be one of our champions. To have someone of her stature backing the bid is very special. Dame Evelyn knows that Aberdeen being UK City of Culture has the potential to help this city get the recognition it deserves as a place of culture.”