Why eight-hour Edinburgh International Festival performance is a worthwhile test of endurance

How many things could you do for eight hours straight? And no, sorry, sleeping does not count.

We ask because that will be the length of the Edinburgh International Festival’s opening performance – a piece of classical music called The Veil of the Temple by John Tavener, involving 250 singers from three different choirs. The composer called it the “supreme achievement of my life” and, understandably, it was last performed in its entirety at its world premiere in London 27 years ago.

This may sound daunting, but fear not. For there will be bean bags and “opportunities” for audience members to leave and return. Most importantly, it comes with the seal of approval of the festival’s marvellous director, Nicola Benedetti.

Nicola Benedetti, director of Edinburgh International Festival, at the launch of the programme for this year's event, which has the theme of "the truth we seek" (Picture: Lisa Ferguson) | Lisa Ferguson

“It will be something really quite poetic for people to engage in,” she said, stressing the importance of “patience and staying power” in a modern world where “everything happens so fast”.

Attention span fried by TikTok? Memory like a goldfish? Here’s your chance to prove all your critics wrong and experience something unique. We may not hear its like again for another 27 years.