St Cecilia's Hall: Concert Room & Music Museum

07/10/2026

This week’s Instrument of the Week is the timpani. This particular set is from the time of Mozart, having been created between 1700 and 1750. They are small compared to modern examples and would have been placed on a table when played.

Want to find out more? Head over to our digital guide on Bloomberg Connects and use the lookup number below!

Pictured: Timpani, early or mid 18th century. MIMEd 3327.

03/10/2026

Happy Scottish Museums Day!

This year's theme is , and we're representing the letter H with this banana-shaped harmonica! Find out more by visiting the link below or by popping into the museum! You'll find this funky little instrument in the Wolfson Gallery's discovery drawers🍌

https://collections.ed.ac.uk/mimed/record/17742?highlight=banana

Pictured: Harmonica, mid or late-20th century. MIMEd 3819.

30/09/2026

Join us for tours, concerts and family fun this October!

🎃Halloween Family Trail | 1-31 October 2026 | Free with optional donation

🎃Volunteer-led Tour | 6, 24, 30 October 2026, 2-3pm | Free with optional donation

🎃Piano recital: Natalie Synhaivsky | 8 October 2026, 3-4pm | Free

🎃“The Great Italian Music and the Tuba virtuoso style” with Gianmario Strappati, 6:30-8:15pm | 17 October 2026 | Free

To find out more, go to: https://www.stcecilias.ed.ac.uk/whats-on/

30/09/2026

This week’s Instrument of the Week is this clarinet dating to around 1790. This is a B-flat clarinet with corps-de-rechange in A. This instrument was made by one of the most famous and skilled woodwind instrument makers – August Grenser of Dresden.

Want to find out more? Head over to our digital guide on Bloomberg Connects and use the lookup number below!

Pictured: Clarinet, Augustin Grenser, c.1790. MIMEd 5732.

29/09/2026

29/09/2026

The museum will be closed on Saturday 3 October due to circumstances beyond our control. We will reopen on Tuesday 6 October as usual.

25/09/2026

Join us tomorrow, 26 September, for our Doors Open Day! We have plenty of tours, performances, and fabulous historic instruments for you to see 🙂 See the programme below:

Short tours:
10:40 – Classy clavichords
11:40 – Triumphant trumpets
12:40 – Vibrant virginals
13:40 – Bold bagpipes
14:40 – Funky fiddles
15:40 – Great guitars

Performances and Demonstrations:
12:00 – Musical instrument demonstrations from the Edinburgh Renaissance Band
13:00 – Elspeth McVeigh sings a selection of Thomas Campion and Philip Rosetter songs and Elizabethan Broadside Ballads
14:00 – John Kitchen and the keyboards of St Cecilia’s Hall
15:00 – Edinburgh Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra
16:00 – Mezzo soprano Olivia Makenzie Smith sings a selection of early songs

No booking necessary!

25/09/2026

Swipe to redevelop the Sypert Concert Hall!

These photos were taken during our period of redevelopment and show the process of installing our iconic pink seating and historic organ in the concert hall. Have you attended a concert here since our redevelopment?

23/09/2026

This week’s Instrument of the Week is our triple-manual harpsichord by Stefano Bolcioni. This instrument is an example of the work of the notorious instrument dealer Leopoldo Franciolini and its current state is by no means original. In the late 19th century Franciolini made a number of changes to the original instrument including adding in three keyboards!

Want to find out more? Head over to our digital guide on Bloomberg Connects and use the lookup number below!

Pictured: Triple-manual harpsichord, Stefano Bolcioni, 1627. MIMEd 4304.

16/09/2026

This week’s Instrument(s) of the Week are this set of saxophones by Adolphe Sax. This is an early set of saxophones made by the inventor of the instrument. Sax was a noted inventor and player. There is a great deal of literature surrounding his life, with much of it contradictory, as he made many enemies throughout his life!

Want to find out more? Head over to our digital guide on Bloomberg Connects and use the lookup number below!

Pictured: Soprano Saxophone, Adolphe Sax, 1860. MIMEd 4421. Alto Saxophone, Adolphe Sax, 1856. MIMEd 4422. Tenor Saxophone, Adolphe Sax, 1858. MIMEd 4423. Baritone Saxophone, Adolphe Sax, 1861. MIMEd 4424.