£700,000 boost

£700,000 boost

for city's Music Hall restoration

Plans to revitalise the Music Hall in Aberdeen, widely regarded as one of the finest auditoriums in Scotland, have received a further boost with the award of a grant of £700,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It brings to £4.5million the total of pledges towards the £7m project.

The A-listed building has been described as a "sleeping beauty" by architects Building Design Partnership, who have been appointed to oversee the restoration project.

Jane Spiers is chief executive of Aberdeen Performing Arts, which also operates His Majesty's Theatre and the Lemon Tree. She said: "It takes us a step nearer our goal to regenerate and breathe new life into the Music Hall, ensuring its place at the heart of civic and cultural life for generations to come.

"This is not just a building project. Heritage Lottery funding will help us to reveal and share the Music Hall's rich history down the ages and create an inspirational space for artists and audiences."

l aberdeenperformingarts.com

Campbell song aids cancer fight

Willie Campbell, the singer-songwriter from Astrid And The Reindeer Section who recently released solo album Dalma, is releasing a new charity single in association with the HebCelt Festival in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, the festival's nominated charity.

The digital download song, for which a minimum donation of £1 is requested, is available via SoundCloud and Bandcamp.

Welcome Home commemorates Campbell's return to his native Isle of Lewis after a decade in the fleshpots of Glasgow and will be performed live for the first time at the festival, which will run from July 16-19 in Stornoway.

This years's programme is the event's biggest and also features The Levellers, Big Country, Donnie Munro, Rachel Sermanni, Cara Dillon, and Duncan Chisholm.

l hebceltfest.com