James MacMillan at the Edinburgh International Book Festival

As he reaches the landmark age of 60, internationally renowned composer and conductor James MacMillan reflects on a classical life well lived in A Scots Song. Ayrshire-born MacMillan's recent achievements have included the formation of The Cumnock Tryst Music Festival and a private performance in the Sistine Chapel. Today he shares thoughts on music, faith, community and society in this event filmed live at the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Book Festival News

Celebrating the 2024 Book Festival Celebrating the 2024 Book Festival
Monday 26 August

Enjoying this event? You can help us produce more like it.

Donate

Share

Watch more

Murray Pittock: Old Scotia's Grandeur Springs Murray Pittock: Old Scotia's Grandeur Springs Who better to chronicle Scotland’s role in international affairs than Murray Pittock, one of Scotland’s leading historians? He has authored a series of key texts on Scottish history and identity and brought his huge expertise to bear on a roster of… James Acaster at the Edinburgh International Book Festival James Acaster at the Edinburgh International Book Festival He’s been described as ‘a beige corduroy patchwork of eccentric inflections and odd obsessions that manages to be both supremely anorakish and strangely swaggering.’ Thanks to this singular style, James Acaster has become one of Britain’s funniest and… Jennifer Robinson & Keina Yoshida: Beyond Reasonable Doubt Jennifer Robinson & Keina Yoshida: Beyond Reasonable Doubt How Many More Women? exposes a rising threat to survivors of gender-based violence who want to speak out against abuse: the legal teams of powerful men who suppress allegations and prevent newspapers from running stories. Join renowned human rights… Diana Gabaldon (2014 event) Diana Gabaldon (2014 event) The Outlander books by Arizona-based author Diana Gabaldon have achieved sales figures that would make your eyes water. Little wonder that Doune Castle was recently besieged by fans keen to see the TV version being filmed. The latest instalment, Written… Mara Menzies: A Story of Identity Mara Menzies: A Story of Identity Perhaps because it is such a natural human impulse, storytelling has sometimes been overlooked as an art form. Yet we are content to take it for granted as a building block for films, plays and the written word. Mara Menzies is a performance storyteller… Ambrose Parry (Chris Brookmye & Marisa Haetzman) at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Ambrose Parry (Chris Brookmye & Marisa Haetzman) at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Crime-writing duo Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman introduced the shadowy streets of 1840s Edinburgh in The Way of All Flesh last year. In this event filmed live at the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival they launch the sequel, The Art of Dying… Torrey Peters: Modern Families, Baby Torrey Peters: Modern Families, Baby Detransition, Baby is the fizzing debut novel from American author Torrey Peters, a modern story about motherhood, sex, relationships and chosen family. Reese is a trans woman in her 30s who desperately yearns for motherhood when Ames, her former lover… Salman Rushdie talks to James Naughtie at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Salman Rushdie talks to James Naughtie at the Edinburgh International Book Festival One of the most significant writers of our age, Salman Rushdie joined the 2019 Edinburgh International Book Festival for the worldwide launch of his epic novel Quichotte. The book has since been hailed as the author 'at his best' by countless critics; it… Outriders Africa: Meet Amanda Thomson and Sabrina Mahfouz| Edinburgh International Book Festival Outriders Africa: Meet Amanda Thomson and Sabrina Mahfouz| Edinburgh International Book Festival In 2017 the Edinburgh International Book Festival supported ten writers to travel on journeys across the Americas. This was Outriders – an ambitious exploration of the idea that in shifting, disorienting times, a writer can make a unique contribution to… Anthony Horowitz: Shaken, Not Stirred Anthony Horowitz: Shaken, Not Stirred Hugely loved author Anthony Horowitz brings us his third James Bond thriller, With a Mind to Kill. This high-octane tale presents 007 as we have never known him: accused of M’s murder, in custody and smeared as a traitor. His rescue depends on a group of…