A Burns Night Hootenanny – ‘Tam O’ Shanter’

Sat Jan 24 2026 at 07:00 pm to 09:30 pm UTC+00:00

St Vincent's Chapel: Scottish Episcopal Church | Edinburgh

Matthew Shiel
Publisher/HostMatthew Shiel
A Burns Night Hootenanny \u2013 \u2018Tam O\u2019 Shanter\u2019
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Celebrate Burns Night in style with a dramatic reciting of Tam O'Shanter alongside the best Scottish folk music
About this Event

Please note: Band A+, A and B ticket holders enjoy the best seats in the house and receive a complimentary glass of Sparkling Rosé Nosecco Special Edition and Belgian chocolates to create a truly unforgettable concert experience.


Please note: Due to a SOLD OUT evening last January, there are now repeat showings this year at 7pm and 8.30pm.

Early birds recieve 10% discount when booked at least one week before showtime!


Following their ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and sold-out shows in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe,

"a most enchanting concert" (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Edinburgh Guide)

"A ripping good yarn. Sim and Shiel both are masters of their crafts." (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Binge Fringe Magazine)

"profound" (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Corr Blimey)

"crowd-pleasing tunes and showmanship" (⭐⭐⭐⭐Three Weeks)

"exhilarating hour of music - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!" (Fringe Review)


Moonlight Concerts return to Edinburgh with a musical show inspired by Scotland.

A dram of whisky, kilts, sporrans and a dramatic reciting of Rabbie Burns’ great Tam O'Shanter meet Scottish folk music, masterpieces inspired by the beauty of Scotland and a sing-along performance of his world-famous Auld Lang Syne. Tonight’s musical programme includes the most haunting Scottish melodies ever composed: Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Farewell to Stromness, Burns’ Lea Rigg and Mendelssohn’s Overture to the Hebrides – by intimate candlelight. Award-winning concert pianist Matthew Shiel and renowned author Alastair Sim meet alongside a digital art exhibition and lightshow designed by acclaimed Chinese artist and Disney illustrator Emma Yitong Shen – to create an immersive musical experience which the press are calling “a ripping good yarn. 5 stars!”


“The absolute highlight of the night was when Sim declaimed Burns’ epic poem “Tam o’ Shanter”: all about witches, demons, and a haunted, hectic horse ride. Sim would read several stanzas and then pause while Shiel punctuated the performance from selections from a “Tam o’ Shanter” musical arrangement, making for a ripping good yarn.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Binge Fringe


Event Photos

PROGRAMME

Ae Fond Kiss - Robert Burns

Scotland the Brave and Loch Lomond - Traditional

Ye Banks and Bonnie Braes - Robert Burns

Farewell to Stromness – Sir Peter Maxwell Davies

Sechs Ecossaisen (‘Six Scottish Dances’) – Ludwig van Beethoven

Locheil’s March – Traditional

Lea Rigg – Robert Burns (arranged for piano by Alexander Reinagle)

Mol’s Plate – Traditional

Overture to the Hebrides (‘Fingal’s Cave’) – Felix Mendelssohn (arranged for piano duet)

Tam O’ Shanter – Robert Burns (with piano accompaniment by George Warren)

Auld Lang Syne – Robert Burns


Event Photos

Matthew Shiel

'Matthew Shiel shone' (Three Weeks) and 'Matthew Shiel 'composed' a most enchanting concert. 5 stars!' (Edinburgh Guide) - reviewers are applauding Matthew for his unique, creative and fresh approach to music performance which push the boundaries of what a piano recital can be. Matthew Shiel is an award-winning concert pianist, Usher Hall and Live Music Now Scotland emerging artist who has performed at Usher Hall, The National Portrait Gallery of Scotland, St Gile's Cathedral (Edinburgh), The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (Newcastle) and Glasgow City Halls. Matthew is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and has collaborated with festivals including the Åben Festival (Copenhagen), Music at Paxton (Berwick) and a sold-out show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.


Event Photos

Tonight's Storyteller: Alastair Sim

Alastair Sim is an author, performer and history/ ghost tour guide. Along with short stories and play scripts he has had two novels published. Rosslyn Blood is a comedy thriller set around the mysteries of Rosslyn Chapel. The Unbelievers is a Victorian detective novel-of-ideas set in Edinburgh and the Highlands. Alastair also leads tours of Edinburgh’s underground vaults and Greyfriars Kirkyard, during which guests frequently report paranormal experiences.


Event Photos

Moonlight

Moonlight is a performing arts company that creates immersive classical music experiences, concerts, shows and exhibitions. It celebrates interdisciplinary collaboration with writers and storytellers, visual artists, dancers and filmmakers (and beyond) to push the boundaries of what a classical concert can be and create the 'performance of the future.'

Our aim is to make classical music appealing to the demands and expectations of a 21st Century audience and make classical music accessible for all.

moonlightconcerts.co.uk

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

St Vincent's Chapel: Scottish Episcopal Church, St Vincent Street, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Tickets

GBP 5.58 to GBP 43.51

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