Perfect Harmony Campaign Leaflet

PERFECT HARMONY The campaign to create a world-class home for Scotland’s national music school in the Old Royal High School building on Calton Hill.

If, like us, you believe in the importance of investing in Scotland’s musical future and share our ethos of access to excellence, please lend your voice – and your support – to our Perfect Harmony campaign.

A VISION OF PERFECT HARMONY It is our vision to bring St Mary’s Music School and the Old Royal High School on Calton Hill together, uniting two of our greatest cultural assets under one roof and in Perfect Harmony.

In 2015, following the release of provisional plans to convert one of Edinburgh’s most significant and iconic buildings into a large, luxury hotel, the Royal High School Preservation Trust (RHSPT) was established to find an alternative solution. It is our stated ambition to: • conserve the building and protect its setting in the heart of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site; • find an economically sustainable and culturally suitable use for the whole site; and • establish a public use, accessible to the city of Edinburgh, our residents and visitors.

Within days, the idea of relocating St Mary’s Music School to Calton Hill was raised. It offered, quite simply, a perfect solution.

PROPOSING A PERFECT SOLUTION Today, Edinburgh has a sublime and iconic building in urgent need of a new purpose and a national music school in urgent need of expanded, purpose-built premises. We have a perfect solution.

Working in partnership with an exceptional team of architects, conservation experts and professionals, we have developed an inspiring scheme that combines imaginative space planning and world-class facilities with architectural integrity and conservation excellence.

We have the opportunity to revitalise Thomas Hamilton’s building in a way that is both true to the vision of its creator and yet eminently appropriate as a sustainable place of culture, heritage and learning in 21st century Edinburgh.

Our solution will: • preserve, promote and sustain the architectural integrity of this Edinburgh World Heritage Site; • return the building to its original use as an open, accessible and democratic place for all to enjoy; • align with the City of Edinburgh’s planning aspirations now and into the future; • provide Scotland’s national music school with a home befitting its talent and ambitions; and • put culture and music at the heart of Edinburgh’s offering to our citizens and visitors.

“Let’s have one of our greatest buildings being used as it was intended to be used – as a place of the highest standards of education. And let’s allow one of our greatest buildings to be repopulated by the people of Edinburgh, used and enjoyed by both citizens and visitors to the city, part of a living, vibrant, forward-looking community.”

William Gray Muir, Chair, Royal High School Preservation Trust

PERFECTLY POISED AND READY TO BEGIN We not only have the vision, ambition and partners to bring our plans to fruition, we have in place a transformational gift to support our plans from Dunard Fund.

In 2015, we submitted our plans to the City of Edinburgh Council and were unanimously granted planning and listed building consent the following year.

As we await the outcome of the planning inquiry into rival schemes proposed by the hotel, we are poised and ready to begin should the Scottish Government confirm the City of Edinburgh Council’s rejection of the hotel plans. Our project team estimates that the cost to repurpose the Old Royal High School site would be approximately £36.4m. Dunard Fund has confirmed its support to at least that level. Dunard Fund also intends to commit the significant sum of £10m to St Mary’s Music School to form part of its Endowment Fund and secure its long-term future on Calton Hill.

“The vision of Edinburgh’s future, which ties into Scotland’s future, should have culture and music at its heart. There’s more we can do all year round and there’s more we can do that is intergenerational and this means new locations being front and centre of our vision.”

Nicola Benedetti CBE, Violinist

LEND YOUR VOICE AND YOUR SUPPORT The priorities of the Perfect Harmony campaign are to deliver the Old Royal High School building as the new home for St Mary’s Music School, and to fit out the re-imagined building as a world-class centre for music education and public performance in the heart of Edinburgh.

In this new building, St Mary’s Music School – as Scotland’s national music school – will be able to: • attract more outstanding young musicians and enrich their lives by growing pupil numbers from 80 to 120; • engage more young people from Edinburgh and right across Scotland through substantially extended outreach programmes, masterclasses and workshops; • share the joy of music from the earliest age by enabling more primary school children to take part in Saturday Music Classes and Singing Classes, with fee assistance offered when required; • ensure that access is open to as many talented young musicians as possible by increasing the number of pupils who receive bursary funding of up to 100% of fees; and • engage fully with local and wider communities by welcoming up to 20,000 people to over 100 performances each year, in a new purpose-built concert hall.

If you believe in the importance of investing in Scotland’s musical future, and share our ethos of access to excellence, please lend your voice – and your support – to our Perfect Harmony campaign.

“We will be able to educate more people. We will open our doors to Edinburgh, to Scotland and internationally, and a whole range of musical activities will happen. It will allow us to become much more of a community asset than we can be at present.”

Kenneth Taylor, Headteacher, St Mary’s Music School

“These plans and designs will further enhance Edinburgh’s already world-class architectural splendour and cultural stature, and in a way that everyone can enjoy. The new school on Calton Hill will bridge heritage and modernity, augmenting the legacy to the city’s citizens and visitors.”

Sheena McDonald, Journalist and Broadcaster

1829 1880 1968 2009 2015 2017 2019

Opening of the Royal High School, designed by Thomas Hamilton, at Calton Hill Founding of the Choir School of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral The Royal High School closes its doors at Calton Hill, handing the keys over to the Lord Provost The City of Edinburgh Council launches a competition for a new use for the building RHSPT is established with a mission to return the building to civic purpose The Perfect Harmony campaign is launched by RHSPT and St Mary’s Music School The Scottish Government is due to release the results of its inquiry into the rejected hotel plans

To lend your voice and support to our Perfect Harmony campaign, please contact Peter Thierfeldt at St Mary’s Music School.

T: 0131 538 7766 E: advancement@st-marys-music-school.co.uk W: www.stmarysmusicschool.co.uk

RHSPT ROYAL HIGH SCHOOL PRESERVATION TRUST (RHSPT) is a Scottish Guarantee Company, number SC504433. Registered as a Scottish Charity, number SC045779 www.rshpt.org ST MARY’S MUSIC SCHOOL TRUST LIMITED is a charity, number SC014611. Registered in Scotland, number 54504. Registered Office: Coates Hall, 25 Grosvenor Crescent, Edinburgh EH12 5EL www.stmarysmusicschool.co.uk