Sun 13 Aug 2006

Travel Problems Leave Orchestra in America

It is with great regret that the Orchestra of St. Luke's has been forced to cancel its long anticipated performances at the Edinburgh International Festival and BBC Proms this week due to the changes and limitations on international travel in recent days.

Despite the best efforts of all involved, it has proved impossible to surmount the obstacles in the very short time available. The orchestra and its conductor Donald Runnicles are deeply disappointed that these concerts cannot take place and hope to return to Europe in the near future.

However the Festival is determined that Festival goers will still have their night out and is offering anyone with a ticket for the cancelled Orchestra of St Luke’s concert a seat the same night for the Opéra National de Lyon production of a Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht double bill The Lindbergh Flight/The Flight Over the Ocean and The Seven Deadly Sins. The BBC Proms hopes to make an announcement about a replacement concert soon.

Alternatively the Festival will refund ticket holders in full.

All other Festival events are going ahead as planned, with no other orchestras, performers or events currently threatened.

Customers should contact Hub Tickets on 0131 473 2000 if they wish to swap their tickets for another performance. For a full refund, tickets should be posted to Hub Tickets, The Hub, Castlehill, Edinburgh, EH1 2NE. Tickets will be refunded by the method they originally used to pay,

The Edinburgh International Festival opens tonight with a sold out concert performance of Strauss’ Elektra and bursts into vibrant life tomorrow as shows open across town.