ONE of Scotland's best-selling authors is to write an opera that will be performed to coincide with the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Alexander McCall Smith, famous for The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, is to pen the libretto to The Friendship Oratorio – a Scottish Opera project which will see 100 young people and emerging artists from seven Commonwealth countries develop their own stories about what friendship means.
The project has already been in development for more than 18 months and has involved operatic companies from New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, India and Australia.
McCall Smith's involvement in the project was announced by Scotland's Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop on a visit to a school in Delhi, India, where she met 50 young people from across the city who will be taking part.
He has already penned an opera based on Shakespeare's Macbeth – which premiered in 2009 in Botswana, the country that inspired his No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.
McCall Smith founded the The No.1 Ladies' Opera House in the southern African nation, with the aim of providing a venue to encourage, train and promote young musicians in Botswana.
Members of the company have been involved with The Friendship Oratorio from the outset.
It is hoped the opera will be one of the cultural events that will surround the Glasgow Games and will mirror London's programme, which included everything from pop and classical concerts through to major public art shows.
The festival of arts and creativity during the London Olympics drew more than 19.5 million attendances at events, with 16.5 million participating in free events.
The programme included events as diverse as Martin Creed's All the Bells on the opening day of the Olympics, the light-in-the-darkness art installation on the slopes of Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Simon Bolivar Orchestra in front of a crowd of 8000 in Stirling's Raploch estate and the Hyde Park concert in London featuring Duran Duran, Snow Patrol, Stereophonics and Paolo Nutini.
Ms Hyslop said: "I am delighted that at the heart of the Scottish team that will deliver The Friendship Oratorio in 2014 is master storyteller Alexander McCall Smith.
"Drawing on the rich and diverse cultural responses collated by teaching artists across all the partner organisations, his libretto will provide the framework for a musical exploration of the unique aspect of human nature: The ability to bond with one another across social, economic, geographical, cultural, sexual, religious and generational divides.
"I am in no doubt this project will help to form new friendships across the Commonwealth nations."
Scottish Opera's director of education, Jane Davidson, who is currently in Delhi, said: "The whole team is looking forward to continuing this hugely exciting project in India. In 2014, a group of young people from Delhi will be invited to Scotland to join the youth chorus that will perform the final piece alongside professional artists representing all the partner countries."
British Council Scotland's director Lloyd Anderson said: "The Friendship Oratorio is an inspiring example of the deeper cultural relations between Scotland and India that British Council Scotland is helping to promote."
A spokesman for Glasgow 2014 said: "This project gives a real flavour of the innovative and exciting nature of the cultural activity which will help Scotland mark and celebrate the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games."
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