The 129th annual performance of Messiah by the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union, an historic event now incorporated into the capital's annexation of the national celebration of the New Year, takes place in the Usher Hall from noon on Saturday. Young baritone and BBC New Generation Artist Benjamin Appl apart, it is a real family affair with two married couples at the front of the stage. Tenor Nicholas Mulroy is the partner of mezzo Annie Gill and Swedish soprano Susanna Andersson is married to the concert's conductor, New Zealander Tecwyn Evans, pictured, himself a former cathedral chorister and previously a guest conductor with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland.

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Born in Yorkshire but a Skye dweller since his youth, Leighton Jones airs the songs of his immersive debut EP All the Way Home at the Blue Skye:Land stage at tomorrow’s Scot:Lands event in Edinburgh alongside such artists as Hanna Tuulikki and the duo of Jason Singh and Anne Martin. Showcasing a palette that spans melancholic piano balladry and traditional folk with a meticulous approach to sound design, All the Way Home can be bought from his website: www.leightonjones.org.uk.