“Now give three cheers, and one cheer more” – EDGAS duo on song after receiving honours in the King’s Birthday List!

EDGAS are delighted to announce that our long-time Musical Director David Lyle, and former Artistic Director Alan Borthwick, have each been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to music in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours. This follows our successful centenary year in 2024, when Alan and David’s production of “The Gondoliers” was awarded first place at the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival.

Alan and David are a well-known partnership across Edinburgh and the UK, having worked together with EDGAS for 35 years until Alan’s retirement in 2024. They have also directed and musically directed a range of productions, together and separately, including for the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival, the Prince Consort, and Tayside Opera.

Says David: “Being Musical Director of the Edinburgh Gilbert and Sullivan Society for the past 48 years has been a great privilege, and an equally great pleasure. The award of the British Empire Medal for services to music has come as a complete surprise to me, and I am hugely honoured to receive it.”

Says Alan: “I am surprised, delighted and truly humbled to receive this honour, and I want to thank everyone who has considered me worthy of such a prestigious award. Singing and directing over these many years have brought me a great deal of satisfaction, and I hope I’ve been able to bring some joy and happiness to the many people who have experienced my work. This honour will be cherished.”

Despite stepping back from directing responsibilities last year, Alan is still closely involved with EDGAS in an advisory capacity, including compering a number of our concerts and singalong events. David remains our Musical Director, most recently conducting our popular production of “The Sorcerer”; he will take up the baton again for our production of Iolanthe in 2026, when EDGAS plan to return to our home venue, the newly-refurbished Kings Theatre.

Congratulations Alan Borthwick and David Lyle on your “regular royal” achievement!