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Royal Reception
The Society was privileged and honoured to be the guests of HRH The Duke of
Edinburgh KG, KT, GCVO, Royal Patron of the Society at the Palace of
Holyroodhouse on Friday, 4 July 2025 for a Reception hosted by The Duke of
Edinburgh to promote the Outreach Programme of the Society to support and
encourage the performance of live classical music.
The Society was represented by a cross section of Council Members with Volunteers
and Support Staff in attendance.
Honoured Guests included Richard de Marco OBE, a long serving Patron of the Society, and
the Lord Provost of Edinburgh & his Consort, together with representatives from the Tunnell
Trust for Young Musicians, the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland, the University of
Glasgow, the Edinburgh Music Competition Festival, Edinburgh College and St Mary’s
Music School along with several regular performers who have graced the salon with their
musical talents over the years.
Music was provided by Dr John Willmett, a former President of the Society, and Yicheng
Pan of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
The event was a resounding success and the Society was able to reinforce established links
and forge new ones.
David Wilson, the Society’s Acting President, on behalf of the Society expressed the warmest
thanks of all present for the generosity of His Royal Highness in hosting this event. The
Society greatly appreciated the support of The Duke of Edinburgh in promoting the charitable
activities of the Society and wanted His Royal Highness to be assured that the Society was
greatly honoured by the accolade of Royal Patronage. The Society would use its every
endeavour to justify that honour by continuing to support the performance of live classical
music and reaching out to like-minded charities to work together so as to encourage
musicians young, and perhaps not so young, to develop their talents to the full.
Mr Wilson also took the opportunity to pay tribute to the Society’s late President, Elaine
Gould; it was her drive and commitment which had allowed the Society to secure the honour
of Royal Patronage and her vision which had secured the position of respect which the
Society now holds in the world of music.
A commemorative portfolio of photographs taken at the event will be placed within the
Societies premises as a record of a most wonderful experience.
The President
Council has received, with deep regret, the news that our President, Elaine Gould, died on
Friday 2 May after a short but severe illness, bravely borne.
Elaine’s Presidency, which began in 2017, has seen the Society grow and thrive with remarkable
vigour, in a number of ways: in membership, in its programmes of recitals, in its reputation
among young musicians as an important showcase for their talents, and in its service to music
teachers and musical societies using its facilities. The crowning achievement of her term of
office has perhaps been the accolade of royal patronage, bestowed through acceptance by the
Duke of Edinburgh of the role of Patron of the Society.
Elaine brought enormous energy and commitment to the discharge of her Presidential tasks, to
which she applied her unusual combination of talents developed in a double career as both a
senior business executive and an accomplished piano recitalist and teacher. With her husband
Peter Scott, also a member of Council who for several years took on the heavy burden of
combining the Treasurership and the Secretaryship of the Society, she travelled through to
Edinburgh from their home west of Glasgow every Saturday in our recital season to introduce
our performers and lead our brief post-recital conversations. Her leadership also brought the
Society, unharmed, through the major interruption of all its activities occasioned by the Covid-19
pandemic.
Elaine had planned to step down from the Presidency this coming October, and the onset of her
illness led to her withdrawal from Presidential duties in March. Arrangements then made for the
distribution of those duties among members of Council are reflected in the ‘Contact’ page of this
website (under the ‘More’ tab), and will operate pending the election of a new President at the
Annual General Meeting in October.
A Special Announcement
The Edinburgh Society of Musicians is delighted to announce that His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has become its Royal Patron. This is a great honour for the Society, recognising its longevity, its unique character, and its potential to make a positive contribution to the musical life in Edinburgh.
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
Founded in 1887, the ESM promotes practical music-making in Edinburgh, offering a variety of music each Saturday evening with concerts from October to June presenting professional, semi-professional and amateur players along with advanced students from various institutions in the UK and Europe. The Royal patronage marks an exciting new chapter in the charity’s history, as we begin to collaborate with Scottish universities, colleges, specialist schools and teachers inviting them each to provide students to fill one or two programmes per season. We look forward to giving students performance opportunities, and allowing our members and visitors to hear potential stars of the future at the very start of their careers. ​
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The Society is well recognised in the local musical community and it is an honour to have the patronage of The Duke of Edinburgh, who is passionate about supporting music and the arts. His Royal Highness’s support and encouragement will greatly enhance the work of the Society in the wider world of musical performance.
In August 2023 The Duke visited the Society, met with its Council, and enjoyed some music by Bach (Performed by Kevin O’Hare) plus a performance by Worbey and Farrell
Elaine Gould, ESM President said:
“I am thrilled that His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has become our Patron and excited for this next phase in the Society’s rich history with our new initiative to reach out more proactively to engage particularly with students. Various family members and good friends have, over my lifetime, devoted much of their time to the Society both in its management and as performers and I have also performed on numerous occasions. Sadly, many of those relatives and friends are no longer with us, and I feel I owe it to them to ensure the continued prosperity of the Society and so I am enormously proud to see us receive Royal patronage.”