Behind the Scenes… with Calum MacLeod
While the spotlight often falls on the talented musicians and their breathtaking performances at the EIHF, there’s a whole lot going on behind the scenes that brings the magic to life.
This month we’ve “pulled back the curtain” to have a chat with Calum Macleod, the festival’s sound engineer and technical manage.
How did you become involved with the Edinburgh International Harp Festival?
I began playing harp aged 5 and one of earliest harp memories was attending an EIHF course taught by Catriona McKay and Corrina Hewat. My family have always been involved, volunteering at the festival and I became the first official “junior” steward, helping out by putting up posters. I grew curious about the technical side of things and began shadowing (or rather pestering!) the EIHF sound engineer Moray, during sound checks, asking endless questions. After a while, I graduated to being able to assist Moray – I learnt so much from him. The skills I learned through doing this have been a huge part of shaping my career and I’m now a freelance musician and sound engineer.
What exactly is your role at the harp festival now?
I’m the technical manager, handling anything electronic or digital. Throughout the year, I work with our staff to maintain systems like the website and ticketing platform, preparing the updates for each years launch. During the festival, I ensure the box office, payment systems, and merchandise run smoothly and that volunteers are trained and understand our systems..
I also manage the tech crew for concerts, coordinating sound, lighting, and any AV needs – like syncing videos with live performances, scheduling crew and rehearsals for this – making sure everything runs seamlessly.
Why do we need to amplify harps? We have a great audience that listens quietly!
We want everyone at EIHF to hear the harps as they naturally sound, but also clearly. My speciality when it comes to sound engineering is called acoustic reinforcement. I make sure acoustic instruments (like a harp) are amplified them in such a manner that you might not be aware that they have been amplified. It means they keep their natural sounding but are simply a little bit louder. In large spaces like the assembly hall, the front rows may hear every detail, but amplification ensures those at the back can hear just as clearly. It also allows musicians to play with full dynamic range without losing quieter notes.
In smaller venues like the music school auditorium, we use minimal amplification to ensure spoken introductions and any electronic elements are heard by everyone.
Who else helps you at the festival
We have an incredible crew at the festival. On sound, it’s Murray, Joe or myself. Jamie handles lighting – he has a fantastic eye for creating a beautiful atmosphere that enhances the music without being distracting. Our stage manager, Mary Macmaster, plays a vital role in making sure artists have everything they need, are comfortable backstage and are ready on time. Having Mary focus on the performers allows the technical team to concentrate on sound, lighting, and other logistics, ensuring the festival runs smoothly from both the technical and performance sides.
Are there any different, unusual or particularly challenging concerts for you this year?
We have a concert with the Willow Trio, who will play harp simultaneously along with a film of ballet dancers, projected onto a big screen. This requires extra coordination, including a dedicated crew member to trigger video clips in sync with the music and careful rehearsals to ensure perfect timing.
Another big challenge is the “Host of Harps” concert, featuring over 100 harps. We’ll reconfigure the assembly hall, removing floor seats and clearing the stage to fit everyone and their harps in. For that concert, we’ll mainly amplify spoken introductions and vocals – all a unique but rewarding and worthwhile challenge.