McOpera take centre stage for concert

McOpera take centre stage for concert

Music Co-OPERAtive Scotland, the band formed by the players of the Orchestra of Scottish Opera when they were forced to go part-time, becomes the McOpera Strings on Sunday March 16 at Glasgow's St Andrew's in the Square.

McOpera's Baroque Classics concert begins at 3pm and features bass-baritone Dominic Barbieri, who is studying for his masters at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Soloist trumpeter Huw Morgan will also feature in the first half of the programme, while the second half is given over to Vivaldi's Four Seasons, where the soloist will be Katie Hull, who is also directing the ensemble.

l mcopera.com

A step Bach in time for choirs

The Dunedin Consort is joining forces with the young men of the National Boys Choir of the National Youth Choir of Scotland for two performances of Bach's St Matthew Passion, presented as they may have been in the composer's own day, as director John Butt usually strives to achieve.

The boys choir will sing the ripieno parts in the opening and closing choruses of part one of the vast work, while the piece features eight solo voices: pairs of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses. The concerts are in Glasgow City Halls on the evening of April 12 and Edinburgh's Queen's Hall the following afternoon.

l dunedin-consort.org.uk

Hooked up for Caravan tour

Prog rock veterans Caravan tour in April following the release of their new album, Paradise Filter. Fronted by founder, singer, guitarist and chief songwriter Pye Hastings, the band recorded the album in their spiritual home of Canterbury after a successful fundraising drive through Pledge Music and, in what's likely to be a prog rock first, with sponsorship from Tomintoul's Whisky Castle. They play Glasgow 02 ABC on Tuesday, April 15.

l officialcaravan.co.uk