Last week Gordon McPherson told The Herald that although he was not engaged by Steve Reich's recent work, he was happy to have the world premiere of his Stunt Doubles share the bill with the Scottish premiere of Reich's Double Sextet for its pulling power.
Against the might of Celtic Connections, that proved not to be the case – it was a select gathering in the Stevenson Hall.
In a sense, McPherson was wrong about the music too. I was unconvinced by the Psappha sextet's rendition of the Reich, which was less rigorous than eighth blackbird's debut recording of the piece, with a marked difference of colour between the recorded and live band. The way the six instruments interact was still fascinating though.
The three-movement Stunt Doubles, however, is a more approachable work, with an appreciable portrait of the admirable Yak Canutt, followed by a frank celebration of the charm of Burt Reynolds and the re-purposing of a military beat to recall Steve McQueen's doppelganger in The Great Escape. The way the music reflects its inspiration invites popularity and recording companies as well as performers should be beating a path to McPherson's door. The fact Psappha looked to be having fun with its intricacies is significant.
Of the other new works, the craftsmanship of Sean Friar's Scale 9 was undeniable, but its acoustic syncopation has been better realised by groups working in other musics. Blind Men And An Elephant, by the very young Francesca Le Lohe, had gorgeous narrative. She's one to watch.
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