Ryder Cup to tee-off with music, drama and dance

Nina Nesbitt is one of the singers scheduled to perform. Picture: Contributed

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Ballet, Scottish Opera and the National Theatre of Scotland will perform as part of the flagship tournament concert this September.

Celebrated names from popular music such as Jake Bugg, Eddi Reader, Midge Ure, Twin Atlantic and Texas will also take part in the event, described by officials as “a show that Scotland has never seen before” and “the Brits meets the Proms”.

Blending music, theatre, film, fashion and sport, the concert is being overseen by Kim Gavin, the creative director of the critically-acclaimed closing ceremony at the London Olympics.

The European and US teams, who will compete for the most esteemed prize in golf at Gleneagles, will also take to the stage at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro, when they will meet for the first time.

With a host of live events set to take place over the rest of the summer, not least the opening and closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games, those behind the Ryder Cup concert believe it will offer something unique and compelling.

Mr Gavin, who has also worked as the creative director for Take That’s Progress Live tour, said: “To have the opportunity to work on two of the biggest sporting events in the world – the Ryder Cup and the London 2012 closing ceremony – is a dream come true for me.

“What’s really exciting about working on this show is the fusion of live music and culture, plus I’m a huge sports fan too so this ticks all the boxes. It’s going to be a really special night.”

Geoff Ellis, the CEO of DF Concerts, the firm behind the T in the Park music festival, has been instrumental in booking music acts for the concert. With the evening’s headliners yet to be announced, he said it is already the “most exciting event” he has ever been involved in.

He said: “A stand out objective was to put on a show that Scotland had never seen before and was as unique as the Ryder Cup event itself.

“Working with Kim and one of the world’s leading production managers, Chris Vaughn, to turn the vision into reality has been a fantastic experience and I can’t wait to see it all come to life when September rolls around. Golf, music and arts fans alike are in for an incredible evening of entertainment.”

Although details of the 24 September show are being kept under wraps, Scottish Ballet will perform a duet sequence from Jealousy choreographed by James Cousins.

The NTS, meanwhile, will present an excerpt of its acclaimed Glasgow Girls show, charting the lives of a group of teenage girls who help a school friend and her asylum seeking family who are faced with deportation.

The RSNO will be playing a selection of works by renowned composer, Craig Armstrong, setting the soundtrack for a film created by Mr Gavin, while Scottish Opera’s emerging artist, Andrew McTaggart, will perform traditional Scottish song Dark Island.

The concert will also be filmed and broadcast to an international television audience at a later date.

Tickets for the show go on general sale on 19 July at 10am and will be available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk, www.ticketsoup.com and by calling 08444 999 990 or 0844 395 4000.