Festival in Edinburgh - Produced by Associated British Pathe with the co-operation of The Films of Scotland Committee.
Featuring Dennis Brain playing at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh - Sari Barabas in Le Comte Ory Presented by The Glyndebourne Opera. Ann Todd and Paul Rogers in Macbeth Presented by the Old Vic Trust ltd. The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. The Choir of Les Petits Chanteurs De La Croix De Bois. Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes in L'Oiseay De Feu (By Kind permission of the Administrators of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Ltd.)
Commentary spoken by Alastair Sim, Musical Direction by Muir Mathieson.

Aerial shot of the Forth Bridge. Aerial view of Edinburgh, showing the Castle and Arthur's Seat. Various African and Asian young people look out from the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle. They are obviously dressed to show their varied origins. Various high angle shots of Edinburgh. Young people take photographs.

The Lord Provost and various other town dignitaries in their gowns in procession to St. Giles' Cathedral. This is the service to start the Festival. The men take of their odd hats as they walk into the Cathedral. More men in gowns walking in procession. The one o'clock gun is fired from the Castle ramparts. A soldier in highland outfit checks his watch. He is wearing a kilt, a sporran and snazzy tartan socks. He is standing outside a shop selling tartan. View over Edinburgh. People walking along major street. Pan to floral display in park. Woman taking photograph of display - "Golden Jubilee". Union Jack flag, Scottish Lion flag and Stars and Stripes flag hang outside shop. Pan across to 'The Tartan Gift Shop". Young woman and man in kilt come out of shop. The man shows the woman a piece of tartan cloth. Reception area at the Festival Club. People walking about (lots of Scottish army uniforms in evidence). People sitting around table having a drink and a smoke.

Exterior of cinema. C/U sign "Eighth International Edinburgh Film Festival". Joan Bennett, Walter Wanger and Sir Alexander King stand outside talking. C/U film posters rolled out. "Trio-Ballet", "Gate of Hell", "Little Fugitive", "Windfall In Athens". Exterior "Empire" (not sure if this is theatre or cinema). Poster advertises "The Old Vic Company - A Midsummer Night's Dream". Exterior King's Theatre. L/S someone giving autograph. Mattiwilda Dobbs giving autograph. Richard Burton and Claire Bloom walk together past camera. (Burton looks particularly cool). Young school children come up and ask for autographs which the actors kindly give. Exterior round building (May be Usher Hall). Dennis Brain playing French Horn. Two Gurkha-type soldiers and woman look at poster for Cezanne exhibition. Policeman directing traffic in front of poster for Diaghilev / Diaghileff Ballet Exhibition poster. Pan up poster to show a statue of a golden cockerel. Different poster for Diaghilev exhibition. Shots of various posters and exhibits in the (Daighilev) exhibition. C/U pictures of musicians and actors and choirs - all taken from a painting in the exhibition. (Quickly cut to music).

C/U page in programme for opera "Le Comte Ory" by Rossini. Opera singer Sari Barabas in costume rehearsing in her dressing room. C/U conductors hands turn page in musical score and pick up baton to begin conducting. Man at side of stage checking score as the music is played (he appears to be counting out bars). Man in lighting box waiting to operate lights. Lots of knobs and switches on lighting desk. Pan across to high angle shot of Sari Barabas making her entrance onto stage. The stage is set so that she is walking out of the door of a castle.

C/U page of programme for The Old Vic Company performance of Macbeth - staring are Ann Todd and Paul Rogers. We see them on stage as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth performing part of the play.

High angle shot of orchestra playing. This is the National Youth Orchestra. C/U conductor Sir Adrian Boult. (Looking at the paperwork they appear to be playing Gaudeamus Igitus by Brahms (?)) Shots of various parts of the orchestra - percussion, woodwind, strings. Boult brings the piece to an end and the audience applaud.

C/U golden cross on top of church. Interior of church. Choir of young boys in white gowns sing. They are the Little Singers of the Wooden Cross from Paris (Choir of Les Petits Chanteurs De La Croix De Bois).

C/U Hand opening Edinburgh International Festival brochure. Inside is a picture of (Dame) Margot Fonteyn. The next page says "Margot Fonteyn with Michael Somes and the Sadler's Wells Ballet in L'Oisea De Feu". Fonteyn and Somes dance the Firebird ballet by Stravinsky.

C/U hand turns over page in brochure to show pages about "The Edinburgh Tattoo". Troops on horseback ride onto the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle to join marching band. (The Tattoo is normally at night but the voice-over says "But for us in bright sunshine"). Large crowds are watching. The bands strike up . C/U flag showing Scottish red lion rampant flies. Flags of many nation fly, in the background is Arthur's Seat and the Castle. C/U Coat of arms (Is this Edinburgh's?). The End. End Credits - Director - Douglas Clarke, Cameraman - Jo Jago, Editor - Eily Boland, Sound - W. S. Bland, George Newberry, Nolan Roberts, Produced by - Howard Thomas.

Music Cue Note:

Seq. - Title - Composer - Publisher
Title - Pipe Music - Sir Alexander Kennedy - EMI
1 - Royal Mile - Cedric Thorpe-Davis - EMI
2 - 5th Symphony - Beethoven - EMI
3 - Fanfare - Muir Mathieson - EMI
4 - Midsummer Night's Dream - Mendelssohn - EMI
5 - Horn solo (Siegfried) - Wagner - EMI
6 - Coq d'Or - Korsakov - EMI
7 - Le Comte Orq - Rossini - EMI
8 - Specially composed - Muir Mathieson - EMI
9 - Gaudeamus Igitus - arr. Brahms - EMI
10 - Regina Coeli - EMI
11 - Firebird Ballet - Stravinsky - EMI
12 - Les Haguenots - Mayerbeer - H & H
13 - We Ye No Come Back Again

Note: Lovely film about the Edinburgh Festival. The colour is quite faded on this print. There are two copies of this print - one (copy 2) is the one to use. Please check copyright on any of the performance sections. Paperwork includes script and music cue sheet.