A TALENTED classical singer from Longniddry is excited to experience “the magic of performing live” this summer after questioning the future of her music career during lockdown.
Ciara Harvie, from the village’s Kings Avenue, will take to the stage for her second Edinburgh Fringe Festival concert, titled Cinema Paradiso: Songs from the Silver Screen, on Saturday, August 7, at 3pm in St Cuthbert’s Church.
The solo concert will last 45 minutes and feature modern songs with a classical twist, such as Writing’s on the Wall from the James Bond film Spectre and Parla Piu Piano from The Godfather.
The 23-year-old said: “I am still finalising the songs but I always like to do songs people recognise.
“I like to perform repertoire that will be enjoyed by everyone, young and old.”
The theme of the concert, Cinema Paradiso, is based on Ciara’s favourite film, of the same name.
She said: “It is a beautiful Italian story about a young boy and his love for film.
“The soundtrack was composed by Ennio Morricone, who is an icon in the world of music and many of his songs are my favourite to sing.”
The former Preston Lodge High School pupil performed Cinema Paradiso’s theme song Se at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow in June 2017.
She added: “I could never have imagined myself at only 18 years old representing the UK at a classical concert on the other side of the world.”
For the past year, Ciara has been working part time at her local sandwich shop, The Filling Station.
The musician continued to sing during lockdown but admitted “it was the first time that I began to question my future in performing and how possible it was going to be to continue with it as a career after the pandemic”.
Ciara, who lives with mum Val, dad Mark and brother Ben, added: “I think it’s going to take a long time for events to go back to the way they were before and hire performers like myself.
“I have an incredibly supportive family and can’t imagine doing anything else.
“I know I would regret it if I was to give up a career as a singer.”
Social media platforms, such as Facebook and TikTok, helped Ciara continue performing during Covid-19.
She said: “I ended up doing three concerts on Facebook over the first lockdown, although it never quite felt the same as performing live to an audience, which I can’t wait to be doing again.
“I have always been grateful for social media for marketing and promoting myself but even more so during the pandemic.”
Ciara, who featured on an episode of The Voice UK in 2017, has struggled with the disappointment of missing events and wedding performances over the last year and a half – many rescheduled numerous times.
READ MORE: Longniddry teenager Ciara Harvie thrills millions on hit TV show The Voice
She said: “I had all my events cancelled, which was so disappointing as I have been performing full-time since I left school in 2015.”
The classical singer, an ambassador for the Smith-Magenis Syndrome Foundation, used her powerful voice for good to raise £226 for the charity at an online concert last May.
She said: “The charity was greatly affected by the pandemic with not being able to raise funds through events as they would usually do, so it was great to be able to help out through my singing.”
The singer is upbeat with positivity and has taken her post-Covid future into her own hands.
She is looking forward to performing in front of a live audience for the first time since last March at her highly anticipated concert in August.
She said: “I do not think there is anything quite the same as live music and I hope people are looking forward to coming along as much as I am looking forward to performing again.
“I am more nervous for this concert due to the uncertainty of how many people will turn up after being in lockdown for so long.”
In a review from her 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Concert, Scottish Field Magazine brandished the singer’s voice as “powerful, beautiful and controlled”.
The review said: “My advice, go see her now, right now, as one day she will be a star and tickets to see her will be like hen’s teeth – impossible to find.”
On the future, Ciara concluded: “I hope the future involves lots of performing.
“I can’t wait to be able to travel again and to sing in different countries around the world. No matter what, I will definitely be doing everything I can to continue with a successful career in singing.”
Tickets for Ciara Harvie’s Cinema Paradiso: Songs from the Silver Screen are now on sale at the Edinburgh Fringe box office and the Edinburgh Fringe website.
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