Usher Hall opening out of this world

EDINBURGH'S Usher Hall is to reopen with an ambitious performance of Holst's The Planets Suite accompanied by pictures from space via the Hubble telescope.

• Major refurbishment has been completed and includes a new wing and spiral staircase. The opening will be marked by a performance of Holst's The Planets. Picture: Jane Barlow

News of the stellar opening gala – on 10 October – was revealed as the venue offered the first look at its extension following a 40 million refurbishment.

A giant screen will be hoisted above the hall's stage to show breathtaking Nasa footage, which will accompany an orchestral performance of The Planets.

And is hoped that at least one of the original Moon-landing astronauts will be in attendance after leaders of the council-run venue revealed that they would be on the invite list.

The glass-covered wing, which opens to the public today, features a new cafe/bar, box office area, hospitality and workshop spaces and office accommodation on the south side of the A-listed Usher Hall.

Gustav Holst's famous piece will be performed at the opening night by the Houston Symphony Orchestra. It has joined forces with Nasa to create a multimedia show, given its world premiere in the US last month, to celebrate the space agency and the orchestra's shared association with Houston.

The orchestra, which will be visiting Edinburgh as part of its first international tour in a decade, will perform beneath high-definition images of the planets.

The Usher Hall's general manager, Karl Chapman, said: "Gustav Holst performed here with his orchestra in the 1920s, so we think it's a nice way to celebrate the official opening of the venue.

"It's a brand new show, which was only performed in Houston and at New York's Carnegie Hall last month. It's something a bit different for us as we'll be installing a 24ft-wide screen, which shows this amazing footage captured by the likes of the Hubble and the Mars Rover. It'll be a great combination of two artforms."

A full-scale renovation of the venue was ordered in April 1996 after part of the auditorium ceiling fell in following a Tony Bennett concert. The main arena was refurbished from 1997-2000, but a second phase, involving an overhaul of backstage, catering and toilet facilities, as well as the building of the new wing, did not get underway until March 2007.

Edinburgh architect Colin Ross designed the extension to blend in with the A-listed building. It sees a huge expansion of the bar facilities, the creation of a cafe, which will be open throughout the day from this summer, a large hospitality area and space for workshops, lectures and classes.

The improvements at the venue have inspired the council to install more than 40 artworks from a collection normally held in storage at the City Art Centre. These include pieces by the likes of Sir William Gillies, John Maxwell, Leon Morrocco, Victoria Crowe and William Stewart MacGeorge.

As well as The Planets concert, other acts booked to appear over the next few months include Jamie Cullum, Rufus Wainwright, Crowded House, Scotland's Nicola Benedetti, Mark Watson, Michael Bolton and Ray Davies.

Deidre Brock, the City of Edinburgh Council's culture leader, said yesterday's unveiling of the new facilities at the Usher Hall was a "landmark" in the history of a venue that dates back to 1914.

COMING SOON

16 April: American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright.

26 April: Natalie Merchant.

5 May:Ray Davies.

7 May: Daniel O'Donnell.

8 May: Jamie Cullum.

21 May: Crowded House.

25 September: Scots violin virtuoso Nicola Benedetti.

17 November: American singer-songwriter Michael Bolton.

26 November: Funnyman Mark Watson.

16 December: Celebrated tribute act the Bootleg Beatles.