Initiated by the Scottish Traditional Music Trust
to encourage musicians based in the tradition to think “outside the box”, the project’s latest instalment offered 10 composers the opportunity to write for a first-class chamber group, Mr McFalls Chamber, and optional solo instrument of their choice.
A wealth of ideas ensued and the resulting programme, allowing for one or two slight wobbles, produced consistently imaginative and stimulating new music, performed with terrific appetite, poise and classy expression. Border piper Matt Seattle’s meeting of Robert Burns and Jimi Hendrix tickled but didn’t entirely convince in a slightly nervous-sounding opening and accordionist Karen Tweed’s closing piece, although proficient, betrayed its work-in-progress nature.
Elsewhere, there was much mature, thoroughly developed writing and no little wit. Some pieces were reworked from previous commissions, notably Aidan O’Rourke’s restlessly attractive Bridge and Corrina Hewat’s elegantly textured Conversations and Connections. Hewat’s fellow harpers, Karen Marshalsay and Fiona Rutherford, produced, respectively, a skilfully realised depiction of the Forth Bridge’s construction, in premiering the first-ever composition for bray harp and chamber group, and three fine miniatures that were variously enigmatic, rhythmically taut and richly purposeful.
The abiding impression, however, apart from the potential for taking this concert round the country, was of the very individual approaches involved, a factor illustrated perfectly by Innes Watson’s brilliant exploration of chamber group dynamics and shifting accents, his sister Lori’s beguiling use of rhythmical phrases, spoken lines and subtle sound-effects, and Marie Fielding’s wacky yet sophisticated marriage of slapstick humour and dialogue for concertina and double-bass.
Star rating: ****
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