Sir James MacMillan 60th Birthday Concert with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Colin Currie
Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh/City Halls, Glasgow

It’s less of a shock to learn that Sir James MacMillan is 60 – or will be in July – than to realise that Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, his magnificent percussion concerto from 1992, is now more than a quarter of a century old. It shouldn’t be so surprising, given the number of stirring performances it has received (said to be approaching 500): first from Evelyn Glennie, then others, and now from Colin Currie, who was the main soloist at MacMillan’s 60th birthday concerts. They were held at the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh and then at the City Halls in Glasgow, a nice pairing given his west coast upbringing and home, and his close association with the capital and its festival.