The Proclaimers Set to Perform at Alex Salmond’s Memorial Service

The musical duo The Proclaimers is scheduled to perform at the memorial service for former First Minister Alex Salmond. Brothers Craig and Charlie Reid will sing their pro-independence anthem “Cap In Hand” during the ceremony, which will be held at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh and streamed live from 11:00 on Saturday. The service is expected to be attended by Salmond’s family, friends, and former political allies. Salmond passed away on 12 October at the age of 69, following a heart attack. The former leader of the SNP and Alba parties, who governed the country between 2007 and 2014, had fallen ill while participating in an international conference in North Macedonia. A private family funeral was conducted near Salmond’s home in Strichen, Aberdeenshire, on 29 October. The memorial’s order of service indicates that singers Dougie MacLean and Sheena Wellington will also perform, in addition to The Proclaimers. Tributes are slated to be delivered by Kenny MacAskill, a long-standing ally of Salmond who joined him in the Alba Party, as well as the former first minister’s lawyer Duncan Hamilton KC, and Salmond’s niece Christina Hendry. SNP MSP Fergus Ewing will read an excerpt from “The Wild Geese” by Violet Jacob. Conservative MP Sir David Davis, who maintained a long friendship with Salmond despite their political differences, will provide a reading from John: 14. A statement issued by Salmond’s family earlier this month said: “The family are overwhelmed by the level of public interest in attending Alex’s memorial service.” The statement further noted, “Sadly, we cannot accommodate everyone who would like to attend but are pleased to say that the event will be live-streamed from St Giles’ Cathedral, with the service scheduled to begin at 11am on Saturday November 30.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.