Phil Cunningham - Phil Cunningham's Christmas Songbook

Phil says – I always wanted to do a Christmas gig. In 2005, I got the chance. Musician friend and oft times promoter Stuart Nisbet came to me and asked if i’d be interested in doing a show for Edinburgh City Council’s Christmas programming. I was delighted. I called my pals to see if they would like to do it with me, we contacted some good brass players and then moved forward to create the event. I asked Stuart what we should call it, he pondered briefly and pronounced,”Phil Cunningham’s Christmas songbook”. And so the concept was born.

The gig was a great success, and when the council declined to have it the following year, I went to Adrian Harris of the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh and asked if he’d be interested in us doing it again. He couldn’t have been more enthusiastic and supportive, so, off we went again. This time it sold out so fast we had to do two nights. That was 10 years ago. It has grown to 5 nights a year at venues across Scotland.

The concept, for us, has now become a tradition. Every year, in December, we get together as pals and spend a few days, eating and drinking our favourite Christmas fayre, playing and singing our favourite Christmas songs and tunes, trying to put our own Scottish slant on them…. and we take the result to the road.

This gig is all about friends and Christmas, it’s our chance to spend time with each other at the end of a busy year and our chance to share that fun with you. Its very simple. It’s our staff dance.. our office party….. and you’re ALL invited!!

Merry Christmas! x