Those wanting a music future for the old Royal High School launched a new initiative this morning in the battle for hearts and minds and ears.
St Mary’s Music School and The Royal High School Preservation Trust say the two ‘national treasures’ should be together in perfect harmony, and are urging supporters to spread the message by writing to councillors, MSPs and MPs.
They’re also encouraging people to keep informed and get involved via the Twitter and Facebook pages, and to submit photos of themselves in harmonious or unharmonious poses wearing the campaign T-shirts.
‘Making the old Royal High the new home for Scotland’s national music school is the only viable scheme that sits in perfect harmony with the aspiration and original purpose of the Thomas Hamilton building,’ says William Gray Muir, chair of the RHSPT.
‘Our project will preserve and restore the building without compromising its classical beauty, while enhancing public access through the provision of a splendid concert hall and public garden.’
Bankrolled by the charitable Dunard Fund, but currently blocked by alternative applications for a hotel (Issue 262), the move to the new site would allow St Mary’s to expand from 80 to 120 pupils and extend its outreach programmes to more than 300 others from across the country.
RHSPT cites figures produced by BOP Consulting. These suggest the venue could contribute around £110 million to Edinburgh’s economy over the next 30 years. ‘The capital project is estimated to generate at least £22.6 million for Edinburgh with the ongoing contribution to the city’s economy at around £1.6 million per year. Spurtle does not understand these figures. We've asked for clarification and will report back at the foot of this page when we have it. [See Update below.)
Dr Kenneth Taylor, St Mary’s Head Teacher, says, ‘The opportunity to move to the old Royal High is too good to miss. It provides us with the rehearsal space we need coupled with an exciting performance space, which both in turn will allow us to develop our musical partnerships …
‘It also provides the perfect stage for further international recognition for the performing arts in Scotland, and enhances our credentials as a destination for cultural education and tourism.’
UPDATE
Those economic figures are explained as follows:
- The £110m is the total economic impact over 30 years when supplier, visitor and wage spend are taken into consideration.
- The £22.6m is the estimated economic contribution to the city for the capital phase of the project.
- The £1.6m is the estimated net annual wage spend as a result of the school moving into Old Royal High.
The full report is contained in the pdf below.