Scotland Unwrapped

A weave of words and music

Programme 2024

The Parabola Foundation was established to further charitable and cultural projects that will bring benefit to the public. The Parabola Foundation is proud to support Scotland Unwrapped 2024.

This summer I found myself at music night in a tiny community centre on the Isle of Colonsay. Someone stood up to sing ‘To be a pilgrim’; an expert father and daughter combined fiddle and guitar. A couple got everyone up and singing a Kris Drever song. As the colour leached out of the long-light sky, the chapel windows glowed in a gathering dark.

Whether it’s been an audiovisual feast at Sonica festival in Glasgow’s Tramway, a recital by Steven Osborne in a church in Dunbar, a jazz gig in a grimy Perth pub or massed voices in Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium, my musical experiences in Scotland are burnt into the memory like no others.

Is it the unique atmosphere and traditions, the deep connection between audiences and artists, the sense of shared endeavour, the soaring ambition, the pioneering energy or the proximity to wilderness? As Kate Molleson writes in her article (see pp. 2-4), Scotland has never been a gentle place – or a place where things are done by halves. Designated a City of Music by UNESCO in 2008, Glasgow boasts more than 130 music events a week.

Welcome to Scotland Unwrapped, the 16th edition of our year-long, award-winning

series. We wanted to pay tribute to those performers, composers and writers who have contributed so much to Kings Place’s own programme over the last 15 years, as well as introducing London audiences to exciting new and emerging talent. We also wanted to recognise the work of Scotland’s fantastic array of festivals, from St Magnus Festival and Orkney Folk Festival to the Cumnock Tryst in Ayrshire and HebCelt on the Isle of Lewis.

We’re delighted to welcome the legendary Karine Polwart as our Artist in Residence. Karine is using the opportunity to ask deep questions about community, hospitality and shared grief.

Fiddler and composer Aidan O’Rourke also joins us as a Guest Curator, for long a key figure on the folk scene, always pushing at the boundaries, bringing in new collaborators and going back to the source to make things new. Jackie Kay, poet, writer and former Makar (poet laureate for Scotland), will introduce a feast of contemporary literary talent. We are joined by a bevy of great Scottish artists, bands and ensembles while our Resident Orchestra Aurora and Artistic Associates will perform a sumptuous array of music by Scottish composers from 1600 to the present day.

And there will be dancing...

Helen Wallace

parabola.com

info@parabola.com

Helen Wallace Executive & Artistic Director

Rosie Chapman Head of Artistic Planning

Aurora Orchestra Far Far Away © Nick White

Ceilidh culture

Saturday night in the village of Walls (pron: Waaz) on the west coast of Shetland. The tiny bar at the Regatta Club does a stiff trade in Tennent’s Lager and Haribo – all ages are here. It’s daylight forever, and nobody’s sleeping much. Plus, there’s nowhere else to go. Kids dart in from a football match downstairs to listen to a few tunes between turns in goal. Two very blond brothers, maybe nine and eleven, take to the stage with fiddle, guitar and enviable knitwear. They play a waltz like it’s the most ordinary thing to do. It’s a local waltz,

written by a fiddler from these islands, and they play it with such lack of pretension or self-consciousness they could just as easily be chatting to their pals who are chomping packets of crisps at the bar. The last phrase comes round and the lads are gone: back to the football.

All is not quiet in the far corners of Scotland. The nights in Orkney are a crossfire of curlews and kitchen fiddle sessions. On the isle of Lismore, a shepherd called Arthur carries a dog whistle around his neck and a penny whistle in his back pocket; he calls by his neighbours for a dram and a tune after a day on the hills. At

‘the concerns that fuel our old songs – love, loss, migration, the crassness of the ruling classes – will never be remotely out of date’

the notorious Hogmanay ceilidh in Dervaig, north-west Mull, teenagers drink themselves into a Buckfast frenzy until the band kicks off, no earlier than midnight. By 4 a.m., the party’s going bananas for two accordions, a snare drum and a power of Gaelic love songs. At Dunbar High School, the endof-term assembly culminates in a massed round of the Gay Gordons.

A ceilidh can happen anywhere. Kitchen table, tenement back green, under disco lights at the school gym hall. It might involve dancing, but mainly it’s about everyone being there – your granny and your mates –and it’s about sharing. At school in Scotland we’re taught the songs and poems of Robert Burns – verses made for speaking

Kate Molleson reflects on the unique and irrepressible role of music-making in Scottish contemporary life.

‘Scotland is not a gentle place, by and large’

and singing aloud, designed for rousing a tear and a crowd. Land, language and local history feel present tense at a ceilidh, because the concerns that fuel our old songs – love, loss, migration, war, tyranny, the crassness of the ruling classes – will never be remotely out of date.

Maybe that’s where the utility of our music comes from. There’s a sturdiness, a closeness to life that matches the way Nan Shepherd wrote about the rugged reality of the hills. Scotland is not a gentle place, by and large. As Shepherd described summer on the Cairngorm plateau, it ‘can be delectable as honey; it can also be a roaring scourge. To those who love the place, both are good, since both are part of its essential nature.’

There’s no place for sentimentality. Romanticism on the hills will get you dangerously lost (I speak from experience). Romanticism in music will set the heritage in aspic. What’s keeping our culture alive and real is precisely what those lads in Shetland understand innately. That the old tunes speak everyday wisdom about how to live on our craggy patch in the North Sea. That playing them is as unfussy and functional as keeping a pair of walking boots in the cupboard.

Kate Molleson is an basedEdinburghwriter and broadcaster, author of Sound within Sound.

Thu 11 Jan Hall Two | 8pm

Sebastian Rochford & Kit Downes

Jazz | Contemporary

A Short Diary was released on ECM Records earlier this year. It was Sebastian Rochford’s exquisitely poignant response to his father’s death in 2019. All the tracks, except one, were composed by Rochford on his grandfather’s piano in his childhood home in Aberdeen. He then recorded them with his friend Kit Downes on piano, adding his own drums as a kind of discreet conversational partner. Experience the beauty of A Short Diary up close as Seb and Kit open our year-long season.

£20 plus under 30s and concessions

Fergus McCreadie | 12 Jan

Fri 12 Jan | Hall Two | 7.45pm

Fergus McCreadie Trio + Azamiah

Forest Floor

Jazz Contemporary

Fri 12 Jan | Hall One 7.30pm

Karine Polwart, Dave Milligan and Courtney Stoddart

Come Away In Folk Contemporary

Five-time BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner and Artist in Residence, Karine Polwart is a leading voice in the Scottish folk movement whose songs evoke a richness of place, hidden histories and folklore. She brings her elegant duo partnership with pianist Dave Milligan to London for the first time, joined by acclaimed young Scottish-Caribbean poet and performer Courtney Stoddart. The evening will intertwine the social and political, the historical and the magical, in an exploration of welcome and exile, power and place. £19.50-£49.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Karine Polwart | 12-13 Jan

With a unique blend of jazz and folk inspired by his country’s sublime landscapes, Scottish pianist Fergus McCreadie’s music captures the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide. Fresh from a string of sell-out shows at the Edinburgh International Jazz Festival, Fergus and his trio will kick off the yearlong focus on Scotland at Kings Place with the earthy tones of his album Forest Floor, shortlisted for a Mercury Music Prize and winner of the 2022 Scottish Album of the Year Award. Support comes from genre-fluid Glasgow-based collective Azamiah, led by vocalist India Blue.

£22.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Sat 13 Jan Hall Two | 11.30am

Karine Polwart

A Wee Bird Was Watching

Folk | Family

A young girl and her mother settle in the woods for a night’s sleep after a long and tiring journey. But who will keep them safe from harm? A wee bird is watching from the trees. And he knows just what to do. A vividly illustrated telling of a folk tale that speaks to themes of displacement, migration and protection. Join award-winning singer-songwriter Karine Polwart for some magical storytelling and songs to find out how the robin got its red breast.

Recommended for ages 4–8, and their families and friends.

£9.50 children under 16, £14.50 adults

Sat 13 Jan Hall One | 7.30pm

Scottish Ensemble with Jasdeep Singh Degun

Contemporary | Classical

Sat 13 Jan | Hall Two | 2pm

Karine Polwart

Workshop

Come Away In

Folk | Learning

Sing in a spirit of solidarity and hospitality, togetherness and welcome, at this accessible, participative event. No musical or reading experience required. Everything will be taught by ear. Suitable for ages 10+.

£20 plus concessions

Sat 13 Jan | St Pancras | 4.30pm

Scottish Song

Workshop with Mairi Campbell

Folk Learning

Scottish folk singer and musician

Mairi Campbell will lead you through a selection of well-known Scottish songs to celebrate Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. Vocal warm-ups and easy song arrangements make this workshop fun and informative. No experience required and sheet music will be provided.

£15

Join Scottish Ensemble, acclaimed for their creative projects, and Leeds-born sitarist Jasdeep Singh Degun as they spin a musical tale featuring music from Jasdeep’s Anomaly album, a selection of classical European string repertoire, and the London premiere of a new work by Jasdeep.

£19.50-£49.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Sun 14 Jan | Hall One 2pm

Scottish Ensemble In Sync

Classical | Family

Join Scottish Ensemble and MishMash Productions for an energetic and interactive afternoon of string music for young people and the young at heart! In Sync is a theatrical concert – suitable for audiences looking for a high-energy introduction to classical music. Through music, movement and storytelling, you’ll be whisked between centuries and continents, experiencing exhilarating works of classical and folk music from across the globe. Recommended for ages 8+ £15 children under 16, £20 adults

Sun 14 Jan Hall Two | 7pm

Mairi Campbell

Auld Lang Syne

Folk

Blending storytelling, animation and movement with new music composed with David Gray and Mairi Campbell, this five-star show brings Scotland’s most famous song, Auld Lang Syne, to life.

£18 plus under 30s and concessions

Thu 25 Jan and Sat 27 Jan | Hall One, Two and Rotunda Restaurant

Burns Night

Thu 25 Jan | Hall Two | 7pm

Cut a Shine Ceilidh

Folk Contemporary Burns Night

Celebrate Burns Night with a ceilidh dance! Cut A Shine is a collective of musicians, dancers and callers who’ve been spreading their brand of ceilidh shows across the UK for over ten years. Conceived in the squat and warehouse parties of London, the band host square dances and ceilidh dances at venues across the capital, whilst spending the summer months darting from festival to festival, raising a dust bowl of dance wherever they go. The show will be augmented with flatfoot dancers, eccentric and energetic dance callers, and singers, for an all-round ceilidh experience.

£40

Thu 25 Jan I Hall Two 9pm | 6.30pm supper in Rotunda

Burns Night Supper

and Cut a Shine Ceilidh

Food | Folk | Contemporary Burns Night

Celebrate Burns Night with a special Burns supper in the Rotunda Bar and Restaurant at 6.30pm, followed by a ceilidh with live band and caller at 9pm. Enjoy a three-course meal of classic Scottish dishes, complete with the traditional ‘Address to a Haggis’ and a Scottish bagpiper, plus one whisky cocktail and a whisky tasting led by a specialist. Round off the evening with a ceilidh dance with Cut a Shine live band and caller.

£95 (includes supper and ticket to ceilidh)

Sat 27 Jan Hall One | 7.30pm

Band of Burns

Folk | Contemporary Burns Night

Part of our Burns Night celebrations, we welcome Band of Burns, a unique collaboration of folk artists conceived by Alastair Caplin and Dila Vardar, who come together to perform a distinct show which celebrates the life, works and philosophies of Scottish poet Robert Burns. The band share the values he championed – equality, social justice and the power of love – highlighting their pressing relevance amid today’s troubled times.

£27 plus under 30s and concessions

Jasdeep

Fri 26 Jan | Hall One | 7.30pm

The Sixteen Carver Choir Book

Classical

Plainchant Dum sacrum

mysterium

Carver Credo from Mass

Dum sacrum mysterium

James MacMillan O bone Jesu

Fayrfax Eternae laudis lilium

Cornysh Salve regina

Ramsey In Monte Oliveti

O vos omnes

How are the mighty fallen

Carver O bone Jesu a19

Kings Place Artistic Associates

The Sixteen celebrate Robert Carver, considered to be the greatest Scottish composer of the 16th century. Carver created highly intricate masses and motets in a High Renaissance polyphonic style. The massive, granite-like choral writing of his magnificent 19-part motet O bone Jesu, written for James IV King of Scotland, proved an inspiration to James MacMillan, who chose to clothe the same text in his own musical language of reflective beauty.

£19.50-£52.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Thu 1 Feb | Hall Two | 7:45pm

Scottish Poetry: The Next Generation with Hannah Lavery, Michael Pedersen & William Letford

Spoken Word

Curated by Jackie Kay

Scotland has poetry running through its veins. The country is enjoying a literary renaissance with a younger generation of poets interested in multiples, in complexity, in identity. Come and enjoy the witty, wonderful worlds of Michael Pedersen (prize-winning author of Boy Friends), Hannah Lavery (poet, playwright and Edinburgh Makar, writer of The Drift and Blood Salt Spring) and William (Billy) Letford (author of Dirt and From Our Own Fire). Their unforgettable poetry will linger like the finish of a good malt…

£17.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Sat 3 Feb | Hall One | 7.30pm

Aurora Orchestra

Scottish Symphony

Classical

Sally Beamish Fanfare for solo trumpet

Maxwell Davies An Orkney Wedding with Sunrise

R. Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1 Mendelssohn Scottish Symphony

Aaron Azunda Akugbo trumpet Annemarie Federle horn

Roaming across Scotland in the summer of 1829, the 20-year old composer Felix Mendelssohn was inspired to write what was to become his third symphony, paying homage to the history, people and beauty of Scotland. In this programme, Aurora pairs the symphony with Maxwell Davies’ evocation of riotous wedding celebrations on his home island of Orkney (complete with its famous bagpipe solo) and Richard Strauss’ First Horn Concerto, a work in which the influence of Mendelssohn’s music can be clearly heard. £19.50-£69.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Fri 9 Feb | Hall One | 7.30pm

BBC Singers

Sing Judith Weir

Classical

Victoria O quam gloriosum

James MacMillan Miserere

Guerrero Regina caeli

Electra Perivolaris Weaving Song II: If This Island...

Pérotin Viderunt omnes V. Notum fecit

Alleluia, Posui adiutorium

Judith Weir The Song Sung True, Missa del Cid

BBC Singers

Owain Park director

Fri 2 Feb | Hall One 7.30pm

Duncan Chisholm

Black Cuillin

Folk

Drawing inspiration from the mountain wilderness on the Isle of Skye, Chisholm’s new album Black Cuillin brings statuesque landscapes of sound together with pieces of exquisite and delicate beauty. The music of Black Cuillin is richly evocative and is truly the music of the high mountains, the music of the skies and the stars.

£22.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Sat 3 Feb | Hall Two | 8pm

LVRA

Contemporary Luminate | d&b Soundscape

Born in Edinburgh to Chinese parents, LVRA is the burgeoning project of 23-year-old alt-pop singer and producer Rachel Lu. LVRA’s music combines elements of pop and experimental electronic music to make heavy, dark hyperpop for people to dance to in sweaty basement clubs. For Scotland Unwrapped, Lu presents a special immersive live show, performing in-the-round and utilising 360° d&b Soundscape system.

£16.50 plus concessions

In her seventieth birthday year, Judith Weir’s colourful Missa del Cid is the crowning work of this BBC Singers’ sequence – a piece that brings to life the dramatic world of the legendary warlord Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, re-named by Hollywood as ‘El Cid’. Díaz de Vivar’s context is reflected in the jewel-like music of Pérotin, alongside choral works by Renaissance Spanish giants Victoria and Guerrero. Plus gems by Weir’s compatriots

James MacMillan and Electra Perivolaris. £20-£30 plus under 30s and concessions

Sat 10 Feb | Hall Two | 8pm corto.alto

Contemporary | Jazz d&b Soundscape corto.alto is the brainchild of award-winning multiinstrumentalist, composer and producer Liam Shortall. Hailing from Glasgow, this genre-defying producer brings together influences from hip-hop, broken beat, electronica, dub and punk with an informed jazz sensibility. For this special show, Liam and his band will perform in the round utilising 360° d&b Soundscape system.

£16.50 plus concessions

Hannah Lavery | 1 Feb

Duncan Chisholm |

Aaron Azunda Akugbo

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Fri 16 Feb – Sat 17 Feb Hall One, Hall Two & St Pancras

Orkney Folk Festival Spotlight

Amongst Scotland’s longest-established folk festivals, the Orkney Folk Festival has been a world-renowned stage for over four decades, proudly showcasing the islands’ famed home-grown talent and local folk scene alongside leading artists from around the globe. Based in the West Mainland town of Stromness, the festival, though initially established to boost both tourism and folk music in the isles, is now one of the county’s busiest weekends, with a record-breaking 8,500 concert tickets sold over the four-day weekend in 2023. As well as a wealth of concerts, ceilidhs, sessions, workshops and more bursting out of every nook and cranny in Stromness, the festival takes shows on the road to a number of other island parishes, including the islands’ capital, Kirkwall.

orkneyfolkfestival.com

Fri 16 Feb | St Pancras | 6.30pm

Orkney Tunes with Douglas

Montgomery and Brian Cromarty

Folk Orkney Folk Festival Spotlight

Join Douglas and Brian – aka Saltfishforty – ahead of their Saturday afternoon concert (and later appearances with both the Orkney Gathering, and The Chair!), for an introduction to some Orkney tunes for all instruments. Being key figures in the currently flourishing revival of Orkney’s traditional music and folk scene, the duo’s focus on Orkney music takes in traditional, contemporary and original materia l.

£14.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Orkney Folk Festival Pub session

Fri 16 Feb | Hall Two | 8pm

Kris Drever

Folk Orkney Folk Festival Spotlight

Scottish folk singer-songwriter Kris Drever has won multiple awards, including an incredible seven BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, two shortlist nominations for Scottish Album of the Year (with his trio Lau), as well as much acclaim for his solo recordings and concerts. His voice and guitar form a part of the backbone of today’s contemporary roots and folk scene.

£19.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Multibuy discount available

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Sat 17 Feb St Pancras | 11.30am

Orkney Accordion

Workshop with Colin Nicholson

Folk | Learning Orkney Folk Festival Spotlight

Kris Drever | 16 Feb

The accordion is synonymous with traditional Orcadian music and has experienced a resurgence in popularity over the last few decades, thanks in no small part to the work of the Orkney Traditional Music Project. One of its first students, Colin Nicholson, is now one of Orkney’s finest accordion players and a graduate of Newcastle University’s Folk degree. He hails from Stromness, the home of the Orkney Folk Festival. Expect to learn some tunes and techniques from the northern isles.

£14.50 plus concessions

Photo: Frozen Light Theatre: Fire Songs, Kings Place 2023

Sat 17 Feb | Hall Two | 12pm

Saltfishforty

Folk Orkney Folk Festival Spotlight

Saltfishforty are a fresh and dynamic duo hailing from the Orkney Islands. Douglas Montgomery (fiddle/viola) and Brian Cromarty (songs/guitar/ mandola) combine the rich traditional music of Orkney with traditional, contemporary and original material, boldly cross-fertilised with influences from Americana to Eastern European folk, plus a highoctane whiff of heavy metal. If ever a duo was more than the sum of its parts, this is it!

£16.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Multibuy discount available

Sat 17 Feb | St Pancras | 1pm

Orkney Fiddle Workshop with Eric Linklater

Folk | Learning Orkney Folk Festival Spotlight

From Kirkwall, Eric Linklater is an Orcadian fiddle player and composer whose suite for Glasgow’s Celtic Connections ‘New Voices’ strand premiered in 2023 to wide acclaim. In this workshop, discover some wellknown Orkney tunes, and learn about the characteristics of and influences on Orkney’s unique fiddling style.

£14.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Sat 17 Feb | Hall Two | 2pm

Fara

Folk Orkney Folk Festival Spotlight

Fusing the talents of three fine Orcadian fiddlers and vocalists – Jeana Leslie, Catriona Price and Kristan Harvey – alongside stand-out Highland pianist and newest member Rory Matheson, FARA have firmly secured their foothold at the forefront of the Scottish folk scene since taking 2014’s Orkney Folk Festival by storm.

£16.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Multibuy discount available

Sat 17 Feb | St Pancras | 2.30pm

Orkney Choir Workshop with Aimée Leonard

Folk Orkney Folk Festival Spotlight

Roll up and join the Orkney Folk Festival choira popular workshop amongst recent festivals in Stromness, and now in London for one afternoon only! This group singing masterclass will feature Orcadian songs and be led by Aimée Leonard, an Estill Master Trainer who works with all voice users and teaches voice and singing at London Southbank and Newcastle Universities.

£14.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Sat 17 Feb | Hall Two | 4pm

Gnoss

Folk Orkney Folk Festival Spotlight

Triple BBC Scots Trad Music Awards nominees, Gnoss have built an invested following through their forward-thinking take on traditional music and the unique warmth to their live shows – as shown through three consecutive sell-out appearances at Glasgow’s world-famous Celtic Connections festival. Their signature sound is a rich tapestry of acoustic layers; outstanding musicianship, deep traditional roots and contemporary compositional flair combine to create songs and tunes brimming with character.

£16.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Multibuy discount available

Sat 17 Feb | Hall One | 6.30pm

Orkney Folk The Gathering

Folk Orkney Folk Festival Spotlight

Originally conceived as a means of creating a main stage show with an all-Orcadian cast, The Gathering has now been a cornerstone of every Orkney Folk Festival programme since 2011. This special show for Scotland

Unwrapped has The Gathering return to its roots, with an all-Orcadian house band welcoming star turns from surprise special guests from rising talent to veterans and tradition bearers from Orkney’s rich cultural vein.

£25 plus under 30s and concessions | Multibuy discount available

Feb

The Chair | 17

Sat 17 Feb | Hall Two | 9.15pm

The Chair

Folk Orkney Folk Festival Spotlight

Having formed to fill a programme gap at the Orkney Folk Festival back in 2004, Orcadian eight-piece The Chair have been bringing their unique ‘stomp’ frenzy to festival tents and concert halls throughout the UK and Europe for the last twenty years and are now a firm fixture and hot ticket at their home festival. The Chair deliver a turbocharged mash-up of folk, blues, rock, dub, klezmer and more.

£17.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Multibuy discount available

Saltfishforty | 17 Feb

Orkney coast near Birsay

Come Away In

Karine Polwart is contemplating her core creative traits. ‘A slipperiness across form, a willingness to collaborate with other people – and I just love a big idea! I love learning things. Curiosity around what it is to collaborate across different art forms is really interesting for me.’

She might equally well be talking about the prevailing currents of contemporary Scottish creative culture: its restless tussles with legacy, landscape, people and place, tradition and modernity, collaboration and community.

All of which helps explain why Karine was a natural choice as Artist in Residence for the expansive Scotland Unwrapped programme. She swims naturally in these waters.

‘I’ve got a lot of questions! I connect what seem to be disparate elements and carve them into some kind of journey or thread’

Since her solo debut Faultlines appeared in 2004, Karine has made eight more eclectic albums and won multiple BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. A rover by nature, she has reimagined songs by key Scottish artists from Robert Burns to The Blue Nile without breaking stride, and has composed original music which engages with contemporary urban society, our place in the landscape, the politics of self-realisation as well as nationhood, and urgent inquiries into science and nature.

Rooted in Scotland’s folk community, in recent years an innate curiosity and collaborative spirit has taken her work into new realms. In 2016, with composer and sound designer Pippa Murphy, she wrote an acclaimed one-woman theatre piece, A Pocket of Wind Resistance, staged at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh. More recently, she collaborated again with Murphy and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra on a suite of songs called Seek the Light. For the Spell Songs series of albums and shows, she worked with the writer Robert Macfarlane, visual artist Jackie Morris and a number of fellow musicians. A former Artist in Residence at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, she recently completed a three-part documentary series for Radio 4, ‘a poetic, folkloric explanation of science with the theme of light at its heart’.

If these projects have changed the way she sees herself, they have also changed how we view Scotland. ‘Storyteller is the key identity now’, she says. ‘I’m also really interested in inquiry – I’ve got a lot of questions! In a lay capacity, I connect what seem to be disparate elements and carve them into some kind of journey or thread. There are elements of scientific curiosity, ethical questioning, an interest in place, history and tradition and what relevance it has now.’

Graeme Thomson meets the shape-shifting, story-weaving creative power house that is Karine Polwart, Artist in Residence for Scotland Unwrapped.

All these strands feature in Scotland Unwrapped. Marking the turning of the year following the traditional celebration of Hogmanay, the opening weekend of events in January is titled Come Away In, ‘exploring welcome, refuge and exile –what it is to be at home or not at home.’

Karine will perform with improvisational jazz pianist Dave Milligan, with whom she made her last album, Still As Your Sleeping, and the ScottishCaribbean poet Courtney Stoddart. In common with much of the programming, the acoustic possibilities presented by the space fed into her ideas. ‘I love resonant venues that allow you to do things you couldn’t do in other spaces’, she says. ‘Kings Place has that pristine quality of sound that allows you to manipulate things in a really interesting way.’

She first encountered Stoddart at Glasgow’s roots showcase Celtic Connections. ‘Courtney has a great spirit about her – in Glasgow she ended up singing The Parting Glass at the end of the night. I instantly thought it would be great to collaborate with her.’

As part of Come Away In, the award-winning Mairi Campbell presents Auld Lang Syne, blending storytelling, animation, movement and original music. There will also be workshops and a strong participatory element to the weekend.

The second thematic strand, titled Sing to the Dark, takes place in November as the year begins to pivot. ‘I’ve become interested in the old ways

‘This will be anjourneyincantatory into darkness and out again.’

Come

Away In

Welcome into the house

where we have bread to eat and room at the table

Welcome into the house

where we sit down to meet with stranger and neighbour

Graeme Thomson is a writer and biographer based in Scotland. His latest book is Small Hours

of marking those transition points, the gateway into winter and darkness and then light’, says Karine. The weekend will feature Heal & Harrow, a powerful project by Rachel Newton and Lauren MacColl exploring the history of Scottish witchcraft, the subject of much political debate and cultural inquiry in recent years. Gaelic musician and songwriter Kim Carnie will also play. ‘So many of these Scottish traditions and rites have come from Gaelic culture’, says Karine. Scotland Unwrapped culminates in an extraordinary participative event featuring Karine, Pippa Murphy and a number of guest musicians. This will be ‘an incantatory journey into darkness and out again. We’re hoping to have 120 singers upstairs in Hall One, to work with them over a period of time and have them be part of an event that has a ritualistic, ceremonial quality to it, with a combination of live music, live voices and pre-recorded sound design. The idea is to create an immersive sound experience, playing around with what is live and what is pre-recorded and blurring the lines between those things.’

Nobody blurs lines quite like Karine Polwart. Scotland Unwrapped promises to make revealing and exhilarating connections about contemporary Scottish culture across time, place, form and theme.

12 – 13 Jan

Come Away In

2 – 3 Nov

Sing to the Dark

Welcome into the house

Come away, come away in Come away, come away in the storm it is rising but we’ll hold back the wind

Come away, come away in

Welcome into the house

where there’s an open door and the fire is burning

Welcome into the house

where you can rest a while from the world and its turning

Welcome into the house

Come away …

all you sisters and mothers (come away in) all you fathers and brothers (come away in) all the widows lamenting (...) all the exiles dissenting (...) all the lost and forgotten (...) and the battered and broken (...) all the motherless children (...) we welcome you all (into the house)

Come away …

Come Away In by Karine Polwart was commissioned by Scotland Sings. It was written to celebrate ‘civic hospitality and welcome’, and was dedicated to new Glaswegians, including the refugees and asylum seekers who have made the city their home.

Thu 22 Feb | Hall One | 8pm

Maxwell Quartet Worksongs

Classical

Haydn String Quartet in E flat Op. 20 No. 1

Maxwell Quartet Worksongs

Beethoven Quartet in C sharp minor Op. 131

The Maxwell Quartet combine performances of classics of the quartet canon with an exploration of traditional music from their homeland of Scotland. Travelling from the East of Scotland’s fishing and sea trades to the jute mills of Dundee, and the Hebridean traditions of tweed and wool making, the programme is a historic tour of Scotland’s hard-working societies, woven together in the Maxwell Quartet’s own sensitive reworkings of traditional songs.

£22.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Sun 25 Feb | Hall Two | 6pm

Ryan Young

Scotland’s Oldest Violin

Folk

In a special concert for Kings Place’s Scotland Unwrapped series, acclaimed Scottish fiddle player Ryan Young will be playing a violin made in Edinburgh by John Grice. What makes this instrument so special? It was built in 1731, making it the oldest known Scottish violin in existence.

£15 plus under 30s and concessions

Fri 15 Mar I Hall One I 7.30pm

ORA Singers

1603 The Union

Classical

Weelkes O Lord, grant the king a long life

Gabriel Jackson To Morning

Peebles Psalm 19 (Wode Psalter)

‘The heavens and the firmaments’

Sally Beamish Gaudent in coelis

Ramsey When David heard Gibbons What is our life?

Bob Chilcott Even such is time

Byrd Rorate coeli

Thea Musgrave Rorate coeli

Ninfea Cruttwell-Reade new work (world premiere)

Judith Weir Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis

Peebles Psalm 150 (Wode Psalter)

‘Yield unto God the mighty Lord’

James MacMillan O Radiant

Dawn

Tomkins O Lord, grant the king a long life

ORA Singers

The award-winning ORA Singers make their Kings Place debut with a programme celebrating the union between Scotland and England in 1603. The concert begins with Thomas Weelkes’s O Lord grant the King a long life, which is believed to have been performed at King James’s coronation, ending with Tomkins’s setting of the same text.

Thea Musgrave’s monumental Rorate Coeli forms a centrepiece, twinned with Byrd’s own anthem and psalms from the Wode Psalter harmonised by 16th-century Scottish composer David Peebles.

Sat 16 Mar and Sat 23 Nov

Cryptic

Established in 1994, Cryptic is Scotland’s internationally renowned home of audiovisual art and experimentation. Founded by Cathie Boyd and based in Glasgow, but with a global reach, Cryptic presents and promotes the most dynamic talents of today and tomorrow as they explore new dimensions in live music, visual and sonic arts and performance, and the weird and wild areas where these disciplines intersect and cross over. Cryptic artists and projects transform existing spaces, from theatres to defunct factories, as well as immersing audiences in virtual environments. They make use of traditional musical instrumentation and projection techniques as much as state-ofthe-art new technologies that point to the sonic art of the future. cryptic.org.uk

Sat 16 Mar | Hall Two | 8pm

Ela Orleans | 16 Mar

Ela Orleans: Night Voyager

Lucy Duncombe & Feronia Wennborg

Mon 4 Mar | Hall One 8pm Blazin’ Fiddles

Folk

One of the world’s most prolific fiddle groups, Blazin’ Fiddles formed for a oneoff tour of the Scottish Highlands in 1999 and are still raising roofs far and wide well over two decades later. Multiple winners of Scotland’s Folk Band of the Year – most recently in 2019 – the six-piece have long been one of country’s foremost folk groups, touring far beyond their deep northern roots.

£23 plus under 30s and concessions

£19.50-£49.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Bain & Phil Cunningham | 21 Mar

Aly

Contemporary Cryptic at 30 presents An Artistic Associate of Kings Place since 2018, Glasgow’s internationally-renowned Cryptic celebrates its thirtieth birthday with a spectacular selection of audiovisual delights. Night Voyager by electronic sound and visual artist Ela Orleans recalls classic science-fiction movie soundtracks and sees her perform live on synthesiser, theremin and violin accompanied by visuals of the 1969 Apollo moon mission. assembling.air by artist-composers Lucy Duncombe and Feronia Wennborg manipulates and resculpts the voice to create alien patterns of snipped phonemes, caught breaths, coos, sighs and sung tones.

£16.50 plus concessions

Thu 21 Mar | Hall One | 8pm

Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham Folk

Having toured together since 1986 to packed concert halls all over the world, legendary Scottish folk duo Aly and Phil continue to charm audiences with their stunning music, and on-stage charisma that defies description. Witty and humorous banter sits alongside tunes that tug at the heartstrings and joyous reels and melodies that have feet tapping along at their ever-popular concerts.

£23.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Maxwell Quartet

Ryan Young

Blazin’

RESTAURANT AND BAR IN KINGS PLACE

Rotunda is the destination for gate to plate dining in Kings Cross.

Seasonally-inspired, modern British menu that features mouth-watering beef and lamb cuts from our own farm in Northumberland.

Enjoy our unique waterside location year-round, with floor to ceiling windows and covered and uncovered seating on the spacious terrace.

PRE CONCERT MENU AVAILABLE

For those who’d like to dine before the concert, you can now book a Pre-Concert Meal in Rotunda at the point of booking your concert tickets. The Pre-Concert Meal will offer a discounted price exclusively to Kings Place concert-goers.

Fri 5 Apr | Hall Two | 8pm

Hannah Rarity

Folk

Award-winning Scottish singer Hannah Rarity has made a lasting impression since being warmly embraced by the folk world, winning BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year and touring with top acts Blazin’ Fiddles, RURA, Niteworks and Cherish the Ladies. Performing a carefully chosen mix of traditional, contemporary and self-penned material, she earns comparisons to the likes of Eva Cassidy and Cara Dillon, whilst standing confidently in her own right.

£16.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Fri 12 Apr Hall One | 7.30pm

Ímar

Folk

BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winners Irish/Manx/ Scottish quintet Ímar –Glasgow’s hottest folk property – return to Kings Place. With a wide-reaching fan base throughout the UK, Europe, the USA and Canada, the quintet has fast become one of the trad scene’s most talked-about groups – thanks in no small part to their debut video, L’Air Mignonne, becoming a viral smash in 2016.

£20 plus under 30s and concessions

Sun 21 Apr | Hall Two | 4pm

Alasdair Roberts

Folk

Acclaimed Scottish musician Alasdair Roberts marks the publication of his book Library of Aethers: Selected Lyrics 1994-2023 Alasdair is familiar as an interpreter of traditional songs and ballads, but is also highly regarded as a songwriter. Weaving diverse influences, his lyrics represent an addition to – as well as, at times, a radical extension of – the folk song canon which has nourished him creatively throughout his musical career. For this event, Alasdair will be in conversation, as well as giving a musical performance of some of the songs featured in Library of Aethers.

£16 plus under 30s and concessions

Wed 24 Apr | Hall One | 8pm

The Larky Lad

A Journey through Scottish Song

Classical Master Series

Britten Who are these children?

Robert Burns settings by Beach, Coleridge-Taylor, Kennedy-Fraser, James MacMillan, Felix Mendelssohn, B Orr, Ravel, Schumann, Shostakovich, Judith Weir & Helen Grime (world premiere)

Britten A Birthday Hansel

Traditional airs

Nicky Spence tenor

Eleanor Dennis soprano

Dylan Perez piano

Battled, bereaved, a nation rising with clarty weans and a red, red rose: Scotland is truly the land of song. From Mendelssohn to Ravel, turning left at Shostakovich, Coleridge-Taylor and Judith Weir, has ever a poet inspired composers so universally as Robert Burns? This special survey takes in the finest settings alongside Britten’s exquisite response to William Soutar in Who are these children?

An evening of heart-stopping lament and high comedy devised by Scotland’s proudest offspring, tenor Nicky Spence. He is joined by soprano Eleanor Dennis and collaborative pianist Dylan Perez. £12.50-£45 plus under 30s and concessions

Sat

Aurora Orchestra

Outlanders

Classical Programme to include:

Folk ballad arrangements, including The Only Tune, The Brown Girl, Saro

James MacMillan Untold

Oswald Polwart on the Green

Anna Meredith Blackfriars

Paul Simon arr. Nico Muhly Hearts and Bones

Sam Amidon vocalist

Karine Polwart vocalist

Aurora journeys in the footsteps of the mass of Scottish emigrants, charting a course from Scottish folk ballads to contemporary American music in the company of folk singers from opposite sides of the Atlantic, Sam Amidon and Artist in Residence Karine Polwart. We follow the evolution of a folk song from its Scottish roots via Scandinavia to 21st-century America, with contrasting arrangements of the macabre Two Sisters murder ballad including Nico Muhly’s setting

The Only Tune

£19.50-£69.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Wed 1 May | Hall Two 7:30pm

Jackie Kay May Day launch event with Suzanne Bonnar

Spoken Word curated by Jackie Kay

May Day is the long-awaited new collection from Jackie Kay, former Makar (Scottish Poet Laureate) and Guest Curator for Scotland Unwrapped. As the title suggests, these poems cast an eye over several decades of political activism, from the international solidarity of the Glasgow of Kay’s childhood and accompanying her parents’ Socialist campaigns, through the feminist, LGBTQ+ and anti-racist movements of the Eighties and Nineties, up to a global pandemic intersecting with the urgency of Black Lives Matter. Jackie is joined by singer Suzanne Bonnar.

£16.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Thu 9 May | Hall One | 8pm

Chris Stout & Catriona McKay

Glenshee

Folk

BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards’ Best Duo 2018, violinist Chris Stout and harpist Catriona McKay, return to Kings Place, taking these most traditional of Scottish instruments and catapulting them into the contemporary world of music making. The intense and rugged coastal scenery and the dramatic seas that surround their respective childhood homes in Fair Isle and Dundee are ever-present in this treasured duo sound. Virtuosic and cinematic, Chris and Catriona’s music charts a rhythmic and harmonic terrain that is all their own.

£24.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Sat 11 May | Hall Two | 8pm

Megan Henderson Trio

Folk

Multi-instrumentalist and singer Megan Henderson (Breabach) hails from the West Highland town of Fort William. 2022 MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards Musician of the Year, Henderson’s profile continues to flourish with the release of her debut solo album Pilgrim Souls an instrumental and vocal suite inspired by the artwork of fellow Fort William native Christine Clark.

£16 plus under 30s and concessions

Thu 23 May | Hall Two 8pm

Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas

Folk

Kings Place welcomes back Fraser and Haas, a fiddle and cello duo who blend a profound understanding of the Scottish folk tradition with cutting-edge string explorations. Over the last 23 years of creating a buzz at festivals and concert halls across the world, they have truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music.

£19.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Nicky Spence

Sam

Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas

Chris Stout & Catriona McKay

Megan Henderson

The bard of Bishopbriggs

Jackie Kay CBE is one of Scotland’s foremost poets and novelists, and a guest curator for Scotland Unwrapped. Here she introduces herself and her events.

I was Scotland’s Makar – our equivalent of the Poet Laureate – from 2016 to 2021. I love how democratic the word Makar is, how it literally means ‘maker.’ I like the idea that our bards make things, that poetry is as practical as it is philosophical, as essential as it is elegiac. One of the highlights of my time as Makar was writing to the Scottish Government to ask them if they would consider a poem an ‘essential’ thing for the planned baby box full of essentials – a lovely idea inspired by Finland. To my surprise, they wrote back saying ‘Yes’. I wrote a poem called ‘Welcome Wee One’; every baby born in Scotland receives a copy.

Over the course of my long life in writing, I’ve been passionate about the public role that poetry can play – to move the goal posts, to shift the parameters of poetry’s pitch. I’m fascinated by the many stories poetry tells, and by the way that poems mirror our times. Poetry reflects the past and illuminates the present. Scotland, a relatively small country, is a country rich in writers. Literature is in Scotland’s DNA, shot right through the soil. I’m excited to introduce you to a wonderful range of writers who have all luckily landed on earth at the same time.

The writers and creatives I’ve chosen for my strand on the Scotland Unwrapped series are fascinated by the complex issue of identity, by what makes us who we are. What even makes us Scottish? What are the things that unite us, rather than divide us? What are we made of? Scottish writers are at the coalface, asking the questions. Every so often the country unwraps a new batch of brilliance, so that we are constantly on the verge of asking if we are living through yet another renaissance.

My first event opens with three spectacular poets. Michael Pedersen’s open-hearted, gut-wrenching poems display a huge vocabulary for love; Hannah Lavery has an acute ability to interrogate Scotland’s past, her work is a powerful meditation on race, nationhood and belonging; and William Letford, formerly a roofer, teaches us that ‘memory is alive inside us’ and that we need to discover what is truly essential to our lives.

‘I like the idea that our bards make things, that poetry is as practical as it is philosophical, as essential as it is elegiac.’

I’m looking forward to celebrating the launch of my new book May Day with the sublime Suzanne Bonnar, whose voice links the blues of the 1920s to the Scottish jazz of now. My new poems cast an eye over several decades of political activism, from the international solidarity of the Glasgow of my childhood, through the feminist, LGBTQ+ and anti-racist movements of the ’80s and ’90s, up to the present day and Black Lives Matter. Woven through the collection is a suite of lyric poems concerning the recent death of my parents: poems of grief and profound change.

Later, I’ll enjoy uncovering the soundtracks to our lives with author Ali Smith, who lights a way through these times we live in, offering us companionship in all forms. She weaves the past into the present, so that when we read her, we feel we hold all of time in our hands.

Scotland Unwrapped is a treasure trove of writers and musicians who will help us to find purpose and meaning in these surreal and disjointed times.

1 Feb

Scottish Poetry: The Next Generation with Hannah Lavery, Michael Pedersen & William Letford

1 May

Jackie Kay May Day launch event with Suzanne Bonnar

2 Oct

Ali Smith & Jackie Kay Life Soundtracks

HebCelt Festival Spotlight

The multi-award-winning Hebridean Celtic Festival (HebCelt) has been a key feature in the cultural landscape of the Outer Hebrides since 1996. This internationally renowned event has a unique setting in the Scottish Hebridean island of Lewis, the heartland of the Gaelic language and culture. HebCelt passionately promotes its heritage, including the vibrant Gaelic and traditional music that is part both of its history and its contemporary life. It mixes the best local talent with leading Scottish, UK and world artists and brings together household names and emerging talent. The result is a blend of sights and sounds that is true to Celtic traditions but also welcoming to new ideas and influences. hebceltfest.com

Fri 31 May | Hall One | 7.30pm

Julie Fowlis

Folk HebCelt Festival Spotlight

‘If snow could sing, it would sing like Julie Fowlis…’. This is how the pure northern voice of Julie Fowlis was described by acclaimed nature writer Robert Macfarlane. Hailing from the Outer Hebrides and now based in the Highlands, this renowned artist – perhaps best known for her work with the Disney Pixar movie Brave – is widely heralded for championing traditional Gaelic. Her music is deeply influenced by the Hebridean islands where she grew up, and by the Highland landscapes where she now resides. Enjoy the best of traditional Scottish vocals, backed by Fowlis’ vibrant band of some of Scotland’s finest instrumentalists.

£20-£40 plus under 30s and concessions

Fri 7 Jun | Hall One | 7.30pm

John McCusker & Friends

Folk

John McCusker, Scotland’s foremost fiddle player, gathers a who’s who of singer songwriters and traditional musicians at Kings Place for a oneoff special. A regular feature in the Queen’s Hall programme in Edinburgh, an impressive and carefully selected ‘house band’, will be joined by an exciting line-up of guests including Idlewild’s Roddy Woomble. They’ll perform their best-known songs, classics, and some traditional gems in a unique live collaboration.

£32 plus under 30s and concessions

Fri 14 Jun | Hall One | 8pm

Evelyn Glennie and Trio HLK

Contemporary Jazz

Since forming a quartet with legendary percussionist Evelyn Glennie, Trio HLK have forged a unique new musical language, bringing together contemporary classical and jazz, performed to sold-out halls all over Europe. In this concert for Scotland Unwrapped, they will introduce their electrifying new album Anthropometricks.

£20-£42 plus under 30s and concessions

Thu 27 Jun

St Magnus International Festival

Since 1977, St Magnus International Festival has been at the heart of Orkney’s cultural life in the final weeks of June. Set against the backdrop of land, sea, sky, history and heritage, each year they stage a variety of events in music, theatre, arts, dance, literature, cabaret and folk music alongside community projects, education and learning opportunities, a diverse cultural offering to visitors from far and wide, as well as those who live on the islands. stmagnusfestival.com

Thu 27 June I St Pancras Room | 6.30pm

The Storm Watchers

A film to the text of George Mackay Brown

Film Created & Produced by St Magnus International Festival

This film version of a powerful and poetic play by internationally renowned Orcadian poet George Mackay Brown presents the lives, anxieties, regrets, fears and memories of women as they confront the anxiety of waiting with all their men out at sea, and then the terrible aftermath of the storm they have watched. Filmed in 2021 during lockdown in Orkney, this project involved technology, remote rehearsal, mobile-phone cameras and more, as actors from the Orkney community brought this work to life performing in isolation. Originally written in the 1960s, the power of both imagery and narrative reflected a moment in time which had much contemporary resonance, as many were lost. £7.50

St

Thu 27 Jun | Hall One | 8pm

Storm Runes

Musica Vitae

Classical St Magnus International Festival

Alasdair Nicolson Magnus (Hymn to St Magnus-based)

James Oswald A Sonata of Scots Tunes

Lisa Robertson The Old Man of Hoy CPE Bach Cello Concerto in A minor JS Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G BWV 1048

Alasdair Nicolson Cello Concerto (Storm Runes) London premiere

Maxwell Davies Farewell to Stromness Yesnaby Ground

Robin Michael cello/director

St Magnus Festival, founded by long-time resident Peter Maxwell Davies, looks to Orkney’s Nordic roots this year with a residency by the Swedish string orchestra Musica Vitae. Oswald’s Sonata from the Scottish Baroque meets music by Bach and his son prefacing a new cello concerto by the current festival director, Alasdair Nicolson. Lisa Robertson’s work paints a picture of an Orkney rock-stack landmark. The concert ends with two ever-popular works by Maxwell Davies.

£19.50-34.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Julie Fowlis | 31 May

John McCusker | 7 Jun

Evelyn Glennie | 14 Jun Musica Vitae

Magnus

Sat 31 Aug | Hall One | 7.30pm

Mànran

Folk

Multi-award-winning Scottish supergroup Mànran have been at the heart of the Scottish traditional music scene for over a decade.

Known for their self-penned tunes performed on a mixture of traditional and modern instruments, outstanding songs in Gaelic and English, and vibrant live performances, they return to Kings Place following their sold out debut in 2020.

£20 plus under 30s and concessions

Fri 20 Sep Hall One | 7.30pm

Aidan O’Rourke & Friends

My Light Shines On Folk Contemporary

In 2020, five musicians gathered in a deserted concert hall. The group involved piper Brìghde Chaimbeul, ney player Bashir Saade, guitarist Graeme Stephen, singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni and Aidan O’Rourke on fiddle. Four years later, Aidan is bringing the group back together to harness the connection: a rare synergy between players as they sit in a wide circle, eyes closed, passing the music between them, celebrating the grit, calibre and charisma of Edinburgh’s grassroots music-making,

£27 plus under 30s and concessions

Mànran | 31 Aug

Sat 28 Sep | Hall One | 7.30pm

Aurora Orchestra with Donald Grant

The Night Overtook Us

Folk Classical

Donald Grant Thuit an Oichche Oirnm (world premiere)

Traditional Gaelic songs with traditional and contemporary tunes written/arr. by

Donald Grant

David Fennessy Hirta Rounds

Ailie Robertson The Black Pearl

Helen Grime To See the Summer Sky

Players from Aurora Orchestra

Donald Grant fiddle/violin

Innes White guitar

Tom Gibbs piano

Euan Burton double bass

Mischa Macpherson vocals

As the days shorten and the year’s end draws nearer, journey with Aurora Orchestra and Donald Grant to the Scottish islands, where the winter nights are long and isolating. Share in an evening inspired by the hardship, wild beauty and and community spirit of an island winter, with traditional Gaelic and contemporary string music.

£22.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Sun 29 Sep | Hall Two | 5pm

Ancient Modernity

Solo cello in Soundscape

Contemporary Riot Ensemble Presents d&b Soundscape

Louise McMonagle cello

Aaron Holloway-Nahum electronics

Acclaimed Scottish cellist Louise McMonagle launches Ancient Modernity (Delphian Records), a solo album meticulously crafted over years of collaboration with today’s most dynamic creatives. Here is a musical journey that starts and ends with the rich landscapes of Scotland, uniting visionary composers who draw inspiration from Gaelic psalms, Arabic oud techniques, Baroque bass lines and traditional folk melody. Music by Ailie Robertson, Corrina Hewat, John Maxwell Geddes and Lisa Robertson will feature alongside works for cello and electronics by Caroline Shaw, Liza Lim and Zoe Martlew, showcasing the 360° d&b Soundscape system.

£18.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Wed 2 Oct | Hall Two | 7.30pm

Ali Smith & Jackie Kay Life Soundtracks

Spoken Word curated by Jackie Kay Novelist Ali Smith (The Accidental How to Be Both) and poet Jackie Kay discuss the soundtracks to their lives. Shared passions embrace a wide range of music from Celtic folk to jazz, from blues to Bach, musicals to Mozart. Life without Ella or Nina or Joni would have been a different life altogether. Music tells the story of our lives; one song can take you right back to the time when...

£18.50 plus under 30s and concessions

The Marian Consort | 18 Oct

Rachel Sermanni | 20 Sep

Donald Grant | 28 Sep

Fri 18 Oct | Hall One | 7.30pm

The Marian Consort

An Auld Alliance

Classical

des Prez Benedicta es, caelorum Regina Plainchant Felix namque

Anonymous Missa Felix namque, Kyrie & Gloria Peebles Quam multi Domine

Phillip Cooke Canticum Mariae Virginis

Certon Pater noster/Ave Maria

Anonymous Descendi in hortum meum

Electra Perivolaris A Winged Woman de Sermisy O Maria stans sub cruce

Anonymous Missa Felix namque, Agnus Dei J Lupi Salve celeberrima virgo

The award-winning voices of The Marian Consort present a programme of sumptuous Renaissance polyphony from some of Scotland’s few surviving 16th-century manuscripts. The so-called ‘Dunkeld’ Partbooks give a glimpse of the musical riches being performed in this period, including motets by Continental composers sourced directly from Paris and the beautiful anonymous Missa Felix namque £20-£40 plus under 30s and concessions

Islander at the edge

It was the great Traveller singer Belle Stewart who pinpointed something about Aidan O’Rourke when he was 14 years old. The young fiddler was playing a set of marches at a ceilidh in Fort William, up the coast from where he lived on the island of Seil, and the fearsome Stewart – who famously did not suffer fools gladly – leaned over to his parents and jabbed a finger in the lad’s direction. ‘He has it’, she declared. ‘The conniach.’ The term translates approximately as ‘soulfulness’, ‘depth’, ‘an innate connection with the past’. It’s that inexplicable yet very tangible thing of ‘getting’ the inner meaning of music and somehow being able to make it sing.

O’Rourke would ride the school bus from Seil to Oban with a shinty stick in one hand and a fiddle case in the other. His first teacher was a retired butcher, George McHardy, who lived on the same council estate. At first McHardy charged £2.50 per lesson; soon he stopped charging, but the lessons continued and the pair would sit and play tunes together. Other early influences included cassette tapes sent back from pub sessions on the west coast of Ireland, which O’Rourke would replay on repeat until the tape ran slack.

That formative encounter with Belle Stewart in 1989 led to him joining his first band, The Caledonia Ramblers (with Stewart’s grandson), and touring North America during his school holidays. He joined the Highland supergroup Blazin’ Fiddles in 1998; he co-founded Lau in 2006, and the trio has since pioneered a unique sound in progressive, politically charged folk music.

‘O’Rourke is one of Scotland’s tradition bearers in the truest sense – he keeps the heritage alive by going to the source and making it new.’

Today Aidan O’Rourke is one of Scotland’s tradition-bearers in the truest sense – which is to say he keeps the heritage alive by going to the source and making it new. He’s restless, and hasn’t shied away from testing the edges of traditional form: try his epic cycle 365, with a tune composed for every day of the year. It brought him together with jazz pianist Kit Downes and produced an astounding catalogue of melodic and harmonic invention. Or there’s his score for the film Iorram, first- ever feature-length Gaelic cinematic documentary, which wraps new instrumentals around archive voices to hypnotic effect.

While O’Rourke’s various collaborations will continue searching and stretching, as we’ll see in his Scotland Unwrapped events, he seems increasingly interested in stripping back his aesthetic to get at the rawest and realest essence of the tradition. From the subtle, trance-like intensity of his duo performances with piper Brìghde Chaimbeul to curatorial projects reviving Gaelic archives and Scottish Enlightenment music, his work is about finding the heart of the thing: the nuance, the grit, the conniach.

20 Sep

My Light Shines On 6 Dec

Aidan O’Rourke & Sean Shibe

Introducing Aidan O’Rourke, fiddler, composer, collaborator and guest curator for Scotland Unwrapped

Fri 18 Oct | Hall Two 8pm

Kinnaris Quintet

Folk

Jenn Butterworth guitar

Laura-Beth Salter mandolin/tenor guitar

Aileen Reid 5-string fiddle

Fiona MacAskill fiddle

Laura Wilkie fiddle

Based in Glasgow, MG Alba Trad Music

Awards 2018 and 2022 Folk Band of the Year Kinnaris Quintet take influences of traditional Scottish, Irish, Bluegrass, Classical, Scandinavian and Appalachian music, creating technically dazzling and evocative arrangements. Expect uplifting and driving harmonies, intricate arrangements, and joy in abundance.

£18.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Fri 25 Oct

Sun 20 Oct

soundfestival Aberdeen

Sun 20 Oct | Hall One 6pm

Ensemble Hesperi

The Scots Musical Museum

Classical London Chamber Music Sundays

Oswald Airs for Autumn and Summer

Trad. (SMM/Burns) ‘The Banks o’ Doon’

Oswald A Curious Collection of Scots Tunes

Trad. (SMM/Burns) ‘Alloway House’

Handel Trio Sonata in B minor HWV 386b

Agrippina HWV 6 ‘Vaghe perle’ Trad. (SMM/Burns) ‘Green grow the rashes’

Handel Acis and Galatea HWV 49

‘Heart, the seat of soft delight’

Pergolesi Stabat Mater

Vidit suum dulcem natum

Thomas Erskine, Earl of Kellie

Six Sonatas for Two Violins and Bass

Corelli Violin Sonata in C Op. 5 No. 3

Geminiani Trio in F on ‘The Last Time

I Came o’er the Moor’

Trad. ‘My love is like a red, red rose’

Mary-Jannet Leith recorders

Magdalena Loth-Hill baroque violin

Florence Petit baroque cello

Thomas Allery harpsichord

Harriet Burns soprano

Relive a musical evening in 18th-century Edinburgh with the dazzling young Ensemble Hesperi and soprano Harriet Burns. There fashions combined the best of the Italian Baroque with the soaring melodies and dance rhythms of traditional Scottish music. With songs from the celebrated Scots Musical Museum, featuring the poetry of Robert Burns, and music by Scottish composers James Oswald, Thomas Erskine and Robert Bremner, combined with their European contemporaries Handel, Corelli, Geminiani and Pergolesi.

£18-£32 plus under 30s and concessions

sound is a collaborative new music organisation based in North-East Scotland that fosters innovation, nurtures talent, and shares the excitement of creativity and discovering new sounds with people across Scotland. It achieves this through a year-round programme of composer support activity, a youth programme, local community engagement, and through the award-winning annual soundfestival of new music.

sound-scotland.co.uk

Sun 20 Oct | Hall Two 5pm

Àrainn

Electro-acoustic music from Scotland

Contemporary soundfestival Aberdeen | d&b Soundscape

Àrainn means ‘sound’ in Scots Gaelic, and this promises a captivating evening of spatialised performances of electro-acoustic music, sound art and visuals from/of Scotland. Featuring music by Claire M Singer, Pippa Murphy, Diana Salazar, Suk-Jun Kim and Alistair MacDonald, presented by composer/sound artist Pete Stollery utilising the 360° d&b Soundscape system.

£18.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Ensemble Hesperi | 20 Oct

Cumnock Tryst Festival

The Cumnock Tryst festival was founded by composer James MacMillan, who was born and brought up in the former mining town of Cumnock, Ayrshire. Tryst is an old Scots word which means a meeting place or romantic rendezvous. The town of Cumnock ties into this sense of coming together, as its Gaelic name comunn achadh means the place of confluence; the town sits where the River Glaisnock and the Lugar Water meet. For four packed days and nights in October, the Cumock Tryst welcomes great musicians from all over the world and showcases the talent of local people in a myriad of locations. There’s a ceilidh and a mass, and many concerts in between. In 2024 The Cumnock Tryst celebrates its 10th anniversary. thecumnocktryst.com

Fri 25 Oct | Hall One | 8pm

Dunedin Consort

& Hebrides Ensemble

Since it was the day of Preparation...

Classical Cumnock Tryst 10th Anniversary Dunedin Consort Hebrides Ensemble Matthew Brook baritone

Two of Scotland’s award-winning ensembles join forces to present James MacMillan’s extraordinary setting – by turns intimate and dramatic – of the Resurrection story. Featuring the towering bass-baritone of Matthew Brook, Since it was the day of Preparation... uses chamber forces to make a hugely powerful impact. This marks the second time that this ‘modern masterpiece’ will be presented in London since it was co-commissioned by Kings Place in 2012. £25-£45 plus under 30s and concessions

Sat 2 – Sun 3 Nov | Hall One & Two

Karine Polwart

Sing to the Dark

Folk | Contemporary

To coincide with Samhain, the traditional Celtic gateway to the dark half of the year, songwriter and storyteller Karine Polwart and sound designer and composer Pippa Murphy present a unique, immersive performance with one hundred singers. A journey into and out of darkness via myth and incantation, lullaby and dreaming, blessing and lament, this is a work specially devised for Karine’s residency at Kings Place. Joining Karine for this weekend celebration are singers Rachel Sermanni and Kim Carnie, as well as Rachel Newton and Lauren MacColl’s Scottish witch trial project, Heal & Harrow

Tickets from £17

PROMOTING SCOTTISH FOLK, ROOTS AND TRADITIONAL MUSIC ON THE WORLD STAGE.

From Kings Place London, Ceolas Scottish Music Nights Germany, Festival Interceltique de Lorient , Baltoppen

Live Copenhagen, Folkelarm Oslo, and much more Showcase Scotland Expo works worldwide with partners to promote the best of Scottish talent, introducing you to some of the best new music our nation has to offer.

Chloe Matharu @chloe.matharu.7

Beth Malcolm @BethMalcolmMusic The Langan Band@thelanganband Gnoss @gnossmusic

Sun 17 Nov

East Neuk Festival

East Neuk Festival is a small and visionary festival on Fife’s beautiful coast, the East Neuk (pronounced ‘nyook’), which has been bringing together major international and Scottish talents in a unique curated programme for nigh on 20 years. Three activities meet in the festival each June. Alongside the concert programme of chamber music, jazz, traditional and experimental work, the RPS Award-winning Big Projects bring together community and professional musicians to create new works inspired by the region; young artists take residencies to realise new projects and develop skills through the ENF Retreat. For performers and audience alike, this intimate festival offers a relaxing and inspiring place to forget the world and lose themselves in the music. Look out for an East Neuk Festival event in autumn 2024. eastneukfestival.com

Sat 23 Nov Hall One | 11am

Aurora Orchestra

The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse

Family | Classical

Martin Suckling The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse

Aurora Orchestra

Conductor tbc

Presenter tbc

Fri 22 Nov | Hall One | 7.30pm

Steven Osborne with Principal Players of Aurora Orchestra

Classical Master Series

Debussy Deux Arabesques L66

Violin Sonata L148

Élégie L138

Cello Sonata L135

Ravel Miroirs II Oiseaux tristes III Une barque sur l’océan Piano Trio

Principal Players of Aurora Orchestra

Steven Osborne piano

Scottish pianist Steven Osborne OBE, one of Britain’s most treasured musicians, reunites with principal players from Aurora Orchestra. We begin with the freshly radical Arabesques of Debussy’s youth and enter the sensuous instrumental sonatas of his final years, in which he drew inspiration from the wellspring of the French Baroque when, in his words, ‘music was subject to the laws of beauty inscribed in the movements of Nature herself’. In the second half, Osborne prefaces Ravel’s high-octane Piano Trio with two scintillating visions from Miroirs £20-£50 plus under 30s and concessions

Join a duck and a mouse on an adventure inside a wolf, as Aurora and Scottish composer Martin Suckling bring Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen’s much-loved children’s story to musical life. Martin Suckling’s new piece for children reimagines the story as a musical adventure that introduces young children to orchestral music and instruments in a playful and engaging way. Join us for lots of fun, audience participation, beautiful set design, sublime music-making from the players of Aurora Orchestra, a guest narrator, and Jon Klassen’s instantly recognisable illustrations. Recommended for ages 4–8.

Children £15, Adults £20, Family ticket offer available

Steven Osborne

The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse

Admiral Fallow

Contemporary Folk

Glasgow-based indie-folk group

Admiral Fallow (Louis Abbott, Kevin Brolly, Phil Hague, Sarah Hayes and Joe Rattray) have released three much-loved studio albums, the most recent of which had three singles –Sleepwalking Dragonfly and Tuesday Grey – receive airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Scotland. They have toured throughout the UK and worked with artists such as The Proclaimers, Deacon Blue, Kings Place Artist in Residence Karine Polwart, and Kris Drever.

£18.50 plus under 30s and concessions

Sat 23 Nov | Hall Two | 8pm

Fri 6 Dec | Hall One | 7.30pm

Kathy Hinde, Konx-om-Pax & others

Contemporary Cryptic at 30 presents Cryptic continue their thirtieth birthday celebrations in November, presenting an eclectic evening of audiovisual work. Cryptic Artist Kathy Hinde, whose work is often inspired by behaviours and phenomena found in the natural world, will perform a brand-new AV performance commissioned for Sonica Glasgow 2024. She will be joined by other Scottish audiovisual artists on the night, including Konx-om-Pax (aka Tom Scholefield), the Glaswegian composer, producer and graphic artist whose Ways of Seeing made waves in 2019.

£20 plus under 30s and concessions

Sat 30 Nov | Hall One | 7.30pm

St Andrew’s Night with Blue Rose Code,

Eddi Reader & Steve Knightley Folk

An exclusive evening in London, boasting the finest Scottish voices backed by an elite house band of Scottish musicians performing songs that manifest the real spirit of a modern St Andrew’s Day. Curated by Blue Rose Code, the evening features Eddi Reader and Steve Knightley, along with rising stars of the scene. You will hear from both ends of the broadest of folk spectra, singing you through an irresistible and enduring Celtic canon in celebration of St Andrew’s Day.

£30 plus under 30s and concessions

Aidan O’Rourke and Sean Shibe

Folk | Classical

An evening of musical collaboration and new work, bringing together two Scottish musicians who are both embedded in tradition, with guitarist Sean Shibe carrying a torch for classical music in the broadest sense and fiddle player Aidan O’Rourke deep rooted in Scottish folk culture. Both of them gravitate to the edges of their traditions and thrive on roaming the hinterlands.

£25 plus under 30s and concessions

Sat 7 Dec Hall One | 7.30pm

Colin Currie Quartet play Anna Meredith

Classical | Contemporary Kings Place commission

David Horne Pulse for solo marimba

Aileen Sweeney - new work for percussion quartet, London Premiere

Steve Reich Mallet Quartet

Ben Nobuto new work

Anna Meredith Bumps per minute: Studies for Dodgems arr. for percussion quartet, World Premiere

Scottish star percussionist Colin Currie brings a sparkling quartet programme featuring two world premieres and three Scots composers. Anna Meredith and Colin were in the same wind band at their Edinburgh high school and have always kept in touch. This concert sees their first professional collaboration and harnesses the brazen eccentricity of her Dodgem Studies in a whizzingly upbeat new version for Colin’s quartet – a Kings Place commission. Also featured will be works by Ben Nobuto, Steve Reich, and fellow Scots David Horne and Aileen Sweeney.

£25-£45 plus under 30s and concessions

The events listed within this brochure are confirmed at the time of going to press. More events will be added so please check the website for the latest programme.

kingsplace.co.uk/scotlandunwrapped

Admiral Fallow

Kathy Hinde

Sean Shibe

Eddi Reader

Colin Currie Quartet

Booking

Art Pangolin London

Based in Kings Place, Pangolin London not only exhibits sculpture in its sleek and specially designed gallery, but also throughout the public spaces of the building and along the canal-side.

Open Monday to Saturday, 10am – 6pm. kingsplace.co.uk/your-visit/art-galleries

Sat 13 Jan - Sun 30 Jun | Gallery Level -1

Julie Brook

What is it That Will Last

Friday - Mondays or by appointment

‘What is it That Will Last’ offers an insight into the extraordinary work of Scottish land artist Julie Brook. Incorporating film, photography and drawing, this exhibition explores Brook’s deep and immersive relationship with the landscape and the works she creates and documents in wild and inaccessible places.

Wed 1 May - Sat 8 Jun

Pangolin London Ground Floor Gallery

Steve Dilworth

New Work

Mon - Sat 10am - 6pm

Steve Dilworth, who lives and works on the remote Isle of Harris on the West Coast of Scotland, is renowned for using a vast range of natural materials, mostly found on the island. Dilworth often encases these natural objects, including the remains of animals and birds, within his sculptures as a celebration of both the living and the dead. This exhibition celebrates the publication of a new monograph by Georgina Coburn about the artist.

Tickets for all performances are available to purchase on the Kings Place website. A 10% booking fee will be applied to online and telephone ticket bookings, with a maximum charge of £5.00 per transaction. Fees do not apply to bookings made in person at the Box Office. Friends of Kings Place are exempt from booking fees.

Under 30s Tickets

A limited number of Under 30s Tickets (£8.50; no booking fee) are available for selected events at Kings Place, ranging from classical concerts to jazz and folk music.

Concessions Tickets

A limited number of Concessions tickets are available on selected events, providing discounts for students and those in receipt of benefits or financial support (e.g. Pension, Disability, Universal Credit). For more information, please visit our website or call the Box Office.

Returns policy

Tickets cannot be refunded or exchanged, except where a concert is cancelled or postponed, or when it is sold out and the ticket can be resold. In the event of a successful resale, you will receive a gift voucher to the value of your tickets, which can be used against any ticketing purchase within the next two years.

Online

Secure 24-hour online booking at kingsplace.co.uk

Box Office

The Box Office is open (in person and via telephone) between 1.30pm and 5pm, Monday to Friday. Additionally, on days where there is a ticketed event taking place, it will open two hours prior to the first performance. You can also get in touch with specific queries via email: info@kingsplace.co.uk or call 020 7520 1440

The Venues

Hall One

Hall One is a seated venue with state-of-the-art fresh air ventilation for your comfort. The majority of events in Hall One have allocated seats but some events will be general admission.

Hall Two and St Pancras Room

All seating is general admission. Some events may have a combination of seating and standing, and some are standing only.

Access

We aim to make your visit to Kings Place as comfortable as possible. Kings Place is fully accessible for wheelchair-users, with lifts from ground floor to concert level, and multiple wheelchair-accessible toilets. An infrared system is available in both Hall One and Hall Two. All areas are accessible to those with Assistance Dogs. Seating for standing only events can be reserved for customers with access requirements. We recommend joining the Kings Place Access Scheme, which will enable you to book access tickets online and will ensure our team can offer you the best possible experience when you visit Kings Place. If you are not signed up to our Access Scheme, please notify the Box Office team of your access requirements by emailing info@ kingsplace.co.uk or by calling 020 7520 1440 during opening hours. The full Access Guide can be found on the website.

Arriving late

We will endeavour to seat latecomers at a suitable break in the performance, according to the artists’ instructions. However, this may not always be possible and in some instances, latecomers may not be admitted. Tickets are nonrefundable.

Taking pictures

You are welcome to take photos at the end of events for social media,

provided this doesn’t interfere with anyone’s enjoyment of the performance. However, there may be occasions when the artist has requested no photography, which we would make clear on the day.

Kings Place staff may take pictures during your visit that are later used for promotional purposes. Signage will be displayed if filming is taking place during a performance.

Members of the audience are not permitted to film performances. Please speak to a member of staff if you have any concerns.

Food & Drink Policy

Please note that food is not permitted inside our venues. Please ensure that all drinks are decanted into the cups provided prior to entering our venues. Red wine is not permitted inside Hall One.

Food & Drink

Situated on the ground floor, Rotunda is a waterside bar and restaurant overlooking Regent’s Canal, making it the perfect place for pre-concert drinks and dining. Serving quality produce from independent suppliers, it offers a range of dining options including a full à la carte menu, pre-performance menu, light post-performance supper, and a selection of smaller nibbles and bar food. Find out more at rotundabarandrestaurant.co.uk or call 020 7014 2840.

Pre-Concert Meal

You can now book a Pre-Concert Meal in Rotunda at the point of booking your Classical concert tickets, with a discounted price available exclusively to Kings Place concert-goers.

Concert Bar

Open for most events, the Concert Bar is situated adjacent to the concert halls. Place your interval order at the bar prior to the start of the performance to avoid queuing in the interval. If the bar is closed, drinks can be purchased from Rotunda Bar.

Journey

Kings Place is situated just a few minutes walk from King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, one of the most connected locations in London and now the biggest transport hub in Europe.

Public transport

The Transport for London Journey Planner provides live travel updates and options on how to reach Kings Place quickly and accurately. You can also call London Travel Information on 0343 222 1234.

Tube

Bus

The 390 bus route runs along York Way. Other services running nearby are routes 10, 17, 30, 45, 46, 59, 63, 73, 91, 205, 214, 259 & 476.

Car

Kings Place is outside the Congestion Charge Zone. However it is within the London-wide Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). The nearest car park is at St Pancras Station on Pancras Road, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including Bank Holidays. An alternative space is Handyside Car Park in the Tapestry building

The nearest tube station is King’s Cross St Pancras, on the Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines. The station has step-free access from platform to street level. The quickest way to Kings Place is via King’s Boulevard. You can also walk via York Way.

Editorial Team

Publisher

Kings Place

Music Foundation

Contact

020 7520 1440 info@kingsplace.co.uk

Art Direction

Binomi (binomi.co.uk)

Proof-reading

Susan Baxter

Editorial

Helen Wallace

Rosie Chapman

Joanna Woodley

Damien Stewart

Samira Pereira

Printer

Indigo Press (indigo-press.com)

CentralSaintMartins GoodsWay

Programming

Helen Wallace (Executive & Artistic Director)

Rosie Chapman (Head of Artistic Planning)

Jacob Silkin (Senior Programme Manager)

Rebecca Millican (Programme Manager)

With thanks to

With thanks to Peter Millican OBE, and the whole team at Kings Place Music Foundation.

The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine at the time of going to press, but we accept no responsibility for omissions or errors.

© Kings Place 2023. All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of Kings Place is strictly forbidden.

on Canal Reach, open 8am-10pm, 7 days a week including Bank Holidays.

Bike Santander Cycle docking stations are located on Goods Way and on

Image credits

the corner of Crinan Street and York Way. For updates and cycling routes, please visit tfl.gov.uk/cycling

p1 Helen Wallace © Nick White, Rosie Chapman © Nick White | p2 Scottish ceilidh © Visit Scotland | p4 Kate Molleson © David Grinly | p5 Fergus McCreadie © Dave Stapleton; Karine Polwart © Sandy Butler p6 Scottish Ensemble © Hugh Carswell; Jasdeep Singh Degun © Adam Lyons | p7 Mairi Campbell © Julia Fayngruen; Cut a Shine Ceilidh, supplied photo; Band of Burns, supplied photo | p8 Hannah Lavery © Kat Gollock; Duncan Chisholm, supplied photo | p9 Aaron Azunda Akugbo © Olivia De Costa; LVRA © Minsett Hein p10 Fire Songs by Frozen Light Theatre Company © Monica S Jakubowska | p11 Orkney Folk Festival Pub session © Sean Purser; Kris Drever © Paul Jennings | p12 FARA, supplied photo; Saltfishforty, supplied photo | p13 Coasts of the Orkney Island near Birsay © Chmee2; The Chair, supplied photo | p14 Karine Polwart © Robin Gillanders p18 Maxwell Quartet, supplied photo; Ryan Young © Liz Burton; Blazin’ Fiddles © Archie MacFarlane p19 Ela Orleans © Niall Walker; Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham, supplied photo | p21 Hannah Rarity © Elly Lucas; Ímar, supplied photo | p22 Nicky Spence © Ki Price; Sam Amidon supplied photo | p23 Chris Stout & Catriona McKay © Kris Kesiak | Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas © Irene Young; Megan Henderson, supplied photo | p24 Jackie Kay © Jon Parker Lee | p26 Julie Fowlis, supplied photo; John McCusker

© Elly Lucas | Evelyn Glennie © Philipp Rathmer p27 St Magnus Cathedral © Leslie Burgher; Musica Vitae © Lina Alriksson | p28 Mànran © Kris Kesiak; Rachel Sermanni, supplied photo p29 The Marian Consort © Nick Rutter; Donald Grant, supplied photo | p31 Aidan O’Rourke © Peter McNally | p32 Kinnaris Quintet © Somhairle MacDonald; Ensemble Hesperi, supplied photo p33 Hebrides Ensemble, supplied photo; Dunedin Consort © Tommy Slack | p35 Steven Osborne © Ben Ealovega; “The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse” cover illustration P 36 Admiral Fallow, supplied photo; Kathy Hinde, supplied photo; Eddi Reader, supplied photo | p 37 Colin Currie Quartet © Viktor Erik Emanuel; Sean Shibe © Andrew Paterson | p38 Julie Brook’s installation and Steve Dilworth’s sculpture, Courtesy of the artist/Pangolin London – photo: Steve Russell Studios p39 Hall One © Viktor Erik Emanuel; Hall Two © Nick White; St Pancras Room © fabiovh.co.uk

As running costs rise and we continue to face post-Covid challenges, your support is vital in bringing our ambitions to life, ensuring our work remains accessible to everyone.

Please consider a donation to our Future Fund today and help us raise £30,000 to continue our life-enhancing work, both on and off our stages:

• Talent development: diversifying our artistic partnerships and offering more opportunities for emerging artists to create new work

• Support community initiatives: expanding our offer to music education charities and community groups with free space in our venue

• Invest in the next generation: developing routes into work for young people with paid training and funded internship opportunities

As a registered charity, we need your help to do this.