Last month it was my pleasure to be part of the event team working on the inaugural Scots in London Gala evening. Featuring Scottish music, poetry, song and dance, the gala brought London’s Scottish diaspora together on Wednesday 11 October, with the official launch of Scots in London by HRH Princess Anne, The Princess Royal.
Photo credit: Scots in London http://www.scotsinlondon.org
The Gala evening combined a showcase for Scottish culture with networking opportunities for Scottish societies, clubs, churches and charities, supported by the Scottish government and London’s Scottish business community. This was the first time I had worked on an event attended by a senior royal and it was a great learning experience to work with an expert team from St Columba’s Church, ScotsCare and The Caledonian Club.
The event took place at St Columba’s Church in Knightsbridge, a beautiful venue and part of the Church of Scotland. The concert programme was expertly curated by professional musician Mary Jannet-Leith www.mary-jannetleith.com.
Highlights from the concert programme for me included the Pipes and Drums of the London Scottish Regiment – you cannot beat pipes and drums for rousing music, the charity ScotsCare Choir singing ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’, a song I love anyway and which then remained stuck in my head all through the weekend, the Tartan Thistle Dancers performing their special piece choregraphed for the late Queen’s platinum Jubilee, and as an avid #DowntonAbbey fan, seeing David Robb expertly compere the evening. The concert itself was also the point in the evening where I could sit back somewhat and just enjoy the performances as the bulk of my set-up and box office work had been done! I love live music and performances.
After the concert, guests enjoyed a reception with Scottish refreshments and music and the opportunity to meet staff from all the member organisations that make up Scots in London. The evening was filled with a feeling of warmth, conviviality and community, demonstrated by the breaking out of impromptu Scottish country dancing.
The evening finished with a rousing chorus of Auld Lang Syne. I’m looking forward to being part of the team of the team for the next Scots in London event – a Ceilidh evening on 9 March 2024.
Jennifer Rowland 