International chamber music festival to open

International chamber music festival to open

MUSIC at Paxton, a summer festival of international chamber music, takes place in the Picture Gallery of Paxton House on the banks of the River Tweed in the Borders from July 18 to July 27.

To open the 2014 programme Scottish pianist Alasdair Beatson returns with two leading chamber music contemporaries, Adrian Brendel (cello) and Katharine Gowers (violin) to perform over the first two days.

Brendel and Beatson introduce the Russian thread in this year's festival with Rachmaninov's Cello Sonata. Katharine Gowers plays Janacek's Violin Sonata, and together they will perform Dvorak's Dumky Trio.

Oliver Cox and Owen Gunnell will lead a series of family workshops as O'Duo. These will take place at The Maltings in Berwick Upon Tweed on July 20.

l musicatpaxton.co.uk

Portrait by Gunn set for auction

AN informal portrait by the Glasgow-born Scottish society painter Sir James Gunn (1893-1964) is to be sold at Bonhams Annual Scottish Sale in Edinburgh today. The Green Necklace is estimated at between £7000 and £10,000.

Gunn was encouraged in his ambitions to become a painter by his father, who took him to London and arranged a meeting with the Royal Academy president. Gunn trained in Edinburgh before moving to Paris. He became one of the leading society portraitists of his day.

l bonhams.com.

One Last Dance at the ballroom

SWING dancers and jazz musicians are to transform Edinburgh University's St Cecilia's Hall into a 1940s ballroom as part of a three-day series of events from May 16 to May 18.

The building - Scotland's oldest purpose-built concert hall - will again become the Excelsior Ballroom for One Last Dance, an evening of dancing and live music from the university's Jazz Orchestra. Meanwhile, anyone who remembers dancing at the excelsior is invited to share memories at a drop-in session on April 17 from 10am to 2pm. Their accounts will be recorded.

The building is to close for redevelopment this summer.

l onelastdancefom.wordpress.com/