Lucy Ribchester: M**der Ballad

You are invited to the event of the opera season, as it is with high levels of anticipation we look forward to presenting a tale of fresh deceit and grisly serenade,, by Lucy Ribchester.

Join Lucy for the exclusive launch of her gloriously dark tale of friendship, betrayal and deadly secrets, on Wednesday 26th June, 6.30pm at St Cecilia's Hall, Scotland's oldest purpose-built concert hall.

There will be a harpsichord recital by Ciaran Walker, playing the music of , some of which has not been performed for 200 years. And a performance of the M**der ballad Binnorie O by Ailsa Dixon.

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Edinburgh, 1791. Isobel Duguid and her friend Clessidro are the stars of the Edinburgh Musical Society. Clessidro sings opera and Isobel, despite the objections of the society’s committee, sings dark Scottish ballads. They roam the streets of Edinburgh, enjoying an opulent lifestyle.

One night a note arrives from the mysterious Mrs Abercorn, asking if Isobel's most notorious song, The Fiddler's Wrath, might be included in a book. It's the tale of a prima donna who died of heartbreak after her husband committed M**der and was sent to the gallows. Isobel is intrigued. But Mrs. Abercorn's curiosity about the ballad is far more than a fickle interest. When Clessidro goes missing, Isobel is forced to confront her past and the truth about The Fiddler's Wrath begins to emerge.
Using the geography of Edinburgh to guide us through the story, this dark tale becomes more complicated than anyone could have imagined and awakens the chilling retribution of a once buried secret.

Lucy Ribchester was born in Edinburgh. She has a first-class degree in English from the University of St Andrews and a Masters in Shakespeare Studies from Kings College London & Shakespeare's Globe.
In 2013 she received a New Writers Award from The Scottish Book Trust. She has since won a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship, and been shortlisted for the COSTA Short Story Award and Manchester Fiction Prize. Her first novel, The Hourglass Factory was longlisted for the Historical Writers Association Debut Crown, picked by Val McDermid for her New Blood panel at Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, and selected by Waterstones' Edinburgh branches as their Book of the Year.

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Doors: 6.30pm, event starts: 7pm, please arrive early to secure a good seat.

Tickets are £3.00 and there is a Ticket & Book option which includes a signed copy of M**der Balad by Lucy Ribchester.

St Cecila's has level access, events are seated and speakers use microphones. If you have any concerns about accessibility, please do get in touch and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

For more information or if you would like a signed copy because you can't make it to the event, please contact the Blackwell's events team on 0131 622 8222 or [email protected]

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

St Cecilia’s Hall: Concert Room & Music Museum, The University of Edinburgh, 50 Niddry Street, Edinburgh, United Kingdom