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Brit nominee to headline The Edinburgh Lectures |
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13
January 2005
Alex Kapranos - lead singer of Scottish band Franz Ferdinand – will join the University of Edinburgh's School of Music as one of the guest speakers in the 12th series of The Edinburgh Lectures. It has been an incredible 12 - months for Franz Ferdinand. Since storming the charts last year with the effervescent floor filler Take Me Out, the four-piece band have gone from strength to strength achieving mainstream popularity and the respect of their peers. Franz Ferdinand’s place in the British music scene was cemented this week when they received five Brit nominations including the prestigious Best British Group. Appropriately, Kapranos will discuss Scotland’s role in making music in the 21st century during the debate on Wednesday 2 February at the University of Edinburgh’s Reid Hall. He will be joined by Dr James McMillan, composer and conductor with the BBC Philharmonic, Nigel Osborne, Reid Professor of Music, the University of Edinburgh and Professor of Sociology at Exeter University, Tia DeNora. The panel will be chaired by Peter Nelson, Head of Music, the University of Edinburgh. Peter Nelson, Head of Music at the University of Edinburgh said: "This is an important event for us. Alex Kapranos and Franz Ferdinand have achieved a formidable mix of the intellectual with popular culture in their music. Franz Ferdinand's success is proof of Scotland's talent of using music to engage diverse audiences across the globe. We hope the same will be achieved with the launch of a new research centre at the School of Music, which will provide staff and students with a focus for outreach and educational activities making use of music both in our own community and in its vital role in response to global disasters." Lesley Hinds, the Lord Provost for Edinburgh said: "I am delighted that Alex Kapranos is taking part in this year’s lecture series. The programme is built around the theme ‘Scotland Now’ and Alex’s participation in the diverse and distinguished panel could not be more appropriate, given the impact that Franz Ferdinand are having on the national and international music scene. "I hope that the input from Alex who is at the cutting edge of popular culture will capture the imagination of Edinburgh’s young people and introduce a new generation to The Edinburgh Lectures." The Edinburgh Lectures are led by the City of Edinburgh Council and presented in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, Napier University, the Open University in Scotland, National Museums of Scotland, the Scottish Arts Council, the Scottish Executive and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This series will focus on examining Scotland Now from a national and international perspective. With input from some of the most influential people in art, business, media and academia, The Edinburgh Lectures series continues to provide something for everyone. -ends- Media Contact: Notes to Editor: |