Mr McFall's Chamber returned to the Queen's Hall with a vibrant new commission Four Corners, celebrating the rich and diverse beauty of Scotland's landscape.
Contemporary Scottish composers James Ross, Corrina Hewat, Fraser Fifield and Aidan O'Rourke pay homage to their roots by writing a movement of this piece, each illustrating which 'corner' of Scotland they call home.
Linked by variations on Burns' The Highland Widow's Lament, each excerpt conjures up scenes from around the country, from mountains and forests, peat bogs and lochs to the sound of the ships' horns in Oban bay.
Exhibiting tremendous musical dexterity, the music is seasoned with harp, piano, pipes and, more unusually, a soprano saxophone played in the style of a tin whistle. The ensemble seem bound together by the music, and driven by a steady rhythmic force throughout, bringing a vast array of tones and colours to this musical depiction of Scotland.
Opening the concert with a selection of previous works by the writers of Four Corners, Mr McFall's Chamber, joined on stage by the composers themselves, demonstrated a fantastic showcase of the best that Scotland's contemporary music scene has to offer, from poignant, haunting melodies, to quirky rhythmic patterns and jazz-steeped harmonies.
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