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INSPIRING AND CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE OF ALL AGES
www.sco.org.uk | Issue 71 | September 2018
MEETING MAXIM by Keith Bruce
Also inside: IMPACT Centre | SCO at WHEC | HRH Patronage
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CONTENTS 4
Issue 71 | SEPTEMBER 2018
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REGULARS 3 FOREWORD 4 SCO NEWS 8 60 SECOND INTERVIEW 9 RECENT RECORDINGS 30 YOUR ORCHESTRA, YOUR SAY 31 THROUGH THE EYES OF...
FEATURES 10 Oliver Knussen
A personal appreciation by Professor Christopher Kelnar
12 SCO at WHEC Wester Hailes Education Centre, Edinburgh
14 Patron Events and 250 Society 23 Pre-Concert Insights
COVER
Dates for your Diary
15 Meeting Maxim by Keith Bruce
4 Royal Terrace Edinburgh EH7 5AB telephone: 0131 557 6800 email: info@sco.org.uk www.sco.org.uk
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24 Making an IMPACT
Latest update on Edinburgh’s new concert hall
Core funded by
The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is a charity registered in Scotland No. SC015039 Company registration No. SC075079
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FOREWORD a sensational end to this year’s festival season.
Welcome to our latest edition of SCO News. In my last introduction, I looked forward to our performances of all four of Brahms’ symphonies with Robin Ticciati as part of the Edinburgh International Festival. Well, if you were able to be in the Usher Hall for those two evenings, you will know just how wonderful they were, and what a fitting tribute they were to a glorious nine-year partnership. Thank you to Robin, to our friends at the Festival and to Donald and Louise MacDonald for their generous support of these concerts. For the SCO, August has been a month to savour. As well as Brahms, we had the honour of giving the Opening Concert of the Edinburgh International Festival’s Usher Hall programme – Haydn’s uplifting Creation with conductor Edward Gardner and the incomparable National Youth Choir of Scotland. In the final week, we delved into the magical and extraordinary world of Olivier Messiaen. Des Canyons aux étoiles (From the Canyons to the Stars) is a remarkable musical evocation
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Gavin Reid
of Utah’s Grand Canyon. Depicting the magnificence of Bryce Canyon as well as the delicacy of the accompanying birdsong, this truly is a virtuoso work. Lead by Conductor Matthias Pintscher, it was given a performance to match. So much so, that it was awarded a much-coveted Herald Angel Award. Our month culminated with the Virgin Money Fireworks Concert in Princes Street Gardens, presented in partnership with Virgin Money and the EIF. We are proud to have presented this event for all of its 36-year history. With a programme that included a celebration of the centenary of the late, great Leonard Bernstein and no fewer than 400,000 fireworks dancing and shooting across the clear night sky to Gustav Holst’s The Planets, it was
Off the concert platform – but with a firm view of what a new one is going to look like – August also saw the unveiling of David Chipperfield Architects’ latest plans for the IMPACT Centre – the brand new concert hall and performance venue in Edinburgh’s St Andrew Square which will become home to the SCO. The venue promises fantastic new opportunities for everyone to experience and participate in – as well as simply enjoy - the thrill of live musicmaking. There is much to look forward to. Talking of which, after the excitement of our recent announcement that Maxim Emelyanychev will become our next Principal Conductor in September 2019, I am thrilled that Maxim will be joining us in October for two performances of Haydn’s The Seasons. I do hope you will be able to join us, not only for this programme, but throughout our forthcoming season
Gavin Reid Chief Executive
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HRH greating Maximiliano Martín in 2014
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, THE DUKE OF ROTHESAY, RENEWS HIS PATRONAGE OF THE SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA –––––– We are delighted that The Duke of Rothesay has accepted our invitation to extend his Patronage of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra for a further five years. This has been
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received with the continuing recognition from HRH that, “for me, the SCO represents the very best of Scotland’s artistic heritage: integrity, excitement and artistic excellence.” As part of our 40th Anniversary celebrations in 2014, the SCO Wind Soloists had the pleasure of performing in the presence of HRH in the Throne Room of the Palace of Holyrood House. SCO Wind Soloists Maximiliano Martín, William
Stafford, Peter Whelan, Alison Green, Boštjan Lipovšek and Harry Johnstone played Mozart’s Divertimento No 14 in B-flat, K270 and Beethoven’s Sextet, Op 71 before guests retreated to the Evening Drawing Room for a reception. SCO Chair, Colin Buchan said, “We are incredibly honoured that His Royal Highness has agreed to extend his term as Patron, a role he has now held for over 20 years.”
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FESTIVAL ROUND-UP –––––– In Scotland’s Year of Young People, we teamed up with the National Youth Choir of Scotland for the Opening Concert – Haydn’s dazzling oratorio The Creation – conducted by Edward Gardner. The 120-strong NYCoS gave an outstanding, finelybalanced performance in this colourful reading, conducted by Edward Gardner. The distinguished tenure of the SCO’s Principal Conductor, Robin Ticciati, was capped with a final pair of concerts encompassing the four great Brahms Symphonies. These were performances of great richness and depth, showcasing “a top team on top form” (Herald) and with individual star turns all over the platform. After the final concert we presented Robin with a beautiful facsimile score of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique as a souvenir of his very special partnership with SCO. Olivier Messiaen’s ecstatic and wondrous Des Canyons aux étoiles was a unique International Festival occasion and an extraordinary sonic experience. This 90-minute meditation on the Utah landscape, its birdlife, the colours of its rocks and heavens, demanded virtuoso feats of musicianship from its soloists – pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, percussionists Noè Rodrigo
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Gavin Reid collecting a Herald Angel Award
Gisbert and Bence Major, and our own Principal Horn Alec Frank-Gemmill. Conductor Matthias Pintscher, making his debut with SCO, brought together a performance of great intensity, conjuring his forces in a committed, breathtaking performance which brought the audience to its feet. The Orchestra was the proud winner of a Herald Angel for this memorable concert. The International Festival came to a fabulous close with the
spectacular pyrotechnics of the Virgin Money Fireworks Concert, conducted by Clark Rundell. Guest soloists Lucy Crowe and Nicky Spence opened the proceedings with a special Bernstein centenary-year selection of songs from West Side Story. This was followed by Holst’s visionary The Planets, illuminated by Pyrovision’s dazzling and colourful fireworks display, many seasoned Festival-goers declaring it “the best ever”.
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Astronaut Tim Peake
A SPECTACULAR VISIT TO THE PLANETS –––––– This year’s spectacular Virgin Money Schools Concert, presented by the SCO in partnership with the Edinburgh International Festival, attracted the largest audience to date with more than 1900 Primary 7 pupils from 34 primary schools across Edinburgh joining us for the open-air concert. To enhance the children’s experience and learning we commissioned a unique set of
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online resources, introducing
[The concert was] free, easy
Gustav Holst’s orchestral suite The Planets and exploring the science and astrological associations behind the music. The interactive concert was conducted by Clark Rundell, presented by Rachel Leach, and included a surprise guest video appearance by renowned astronaut Tim Peake! We were delighted for the second year running to showcase the excellent Kilmarnock Schools’ Pipe Band, who welcomed the audience to the Ross Theatre before the main show.
to access, well organised… the music and resources were fantastic… a really positive experience. Edinburgh Primary School Teacher –––––– To see the learning resources, including videos from University of Edinburgh scientists, Scottish Chamber Orchestra musicians and two pianists, see sco.org.uk/creative-learning/ current-projects/1388-the-planetslearning-resources
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Our new librarian Amy Brown joined us at the start of August. She is a horn player and recently graduated from Birmingham University, where she was strongly
Monica, Amy and Laura
involved in the Music Society, firstly as Orchestra Manager and subsequently as President. She also worked at the Barber Concert Hall and Manchester Jazz Festival. Welcome Laura, Monica, Amy and Melissa!
ON BOARD –––––– We have a new board member! Rachael Erskine was co-opted by the Board of Directors at a meeting in June, and participates in her first meeting in September.
STAFF CHANGES –––––– We have four new members of the SCO administration team – two people in the Development department, a new Librarian and our new St Andrews University Graduate Trainee Melissa Jones. Laura Hickey joined us at the start of September as Development Officer (Individual Giving). She is originally from Kerry, although some of you from Edinburgh may be familiar with her from her work in the Queen’s Hall box office a few years ago. Most
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recently she was Development
Rachael is a partner at the search firm Ridgeway Partners, taking an active role in identifying diverse talent to senior roles and boards. As a mentor of The
Officer at the Edinburgh International Science Festival. Laura looks forward to getting to know as many of you as possible through our new series of Patron’s events (see P14).
Kilfinan Group, Rachael provides informal mentoring to charity chief executives. Rachael started her career with KPMG where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
Monica Sutcliffe has also joined us as Development Officer (Trusts and Projects). She has made the move from the Dunedin Consort and will be working on our many Trust and Foundation applications and evaluations, helping develop our Business Partnerships and also working on special projects.
SCO Board members play an important role in helping to develop and deliver the vision, strategy and broad networking that is so important for an orchestra such as ours. SCO Chair Colin Buchan: “On behalf of the SCO I am delighted
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to welcome Rachael to our Board. We look forward to drawing on her breadth of her knowledge and experience in leadership and senior management, will add additional depth to our highly experienced pool of board members.” Rachael Erskine joins Board colleagues David Cumming, Jo Elliot, Alison Paul, Tom Usher and Zoë van Zwanenburg, and Orchestra Advisors Adrian Bornet, Brian Shiele, Rosie Staniforth and Su-a Lee.
NEW YEAR GALA CONCERT UPDATE –––––– The New Year Viennese Gala concert programme is now set! It includes: WEBER orch BERLIOZ Invitation to the Dance DVOŘÁK Slavonic Dance in E minor, Op 72 No 2 RAVEL Tzigane KODÁLY Dances of Galanta SMETANA Three Dances from The Bartered Bride SIBELIUS Valse Lyrique EDUARD STRAUSS Bahn Frei J STRAUSS Tritsch-Tratsch Polka J STRAUSS An der schönen blauen Donau (Blue Danube Waltz) Come and welcome 2019 in sparkling style this New Year in Edinburgh, Dumfries, Ayr and Perth
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SECOND INTERVIEW BENJAMIN MARQUISE GILMORE You’ve performed internationally with many incredible orchestras and ensembles, what makes performing with the SCO special? The SCO has the flexibility and immediacy of communication that one tends to associate with chamber orchestras, but above all it has an amazing energy, which can always be counted on to come through no matter where the concert is taking place, and whether the piece is being played for the first or the hundredth time. I think that the group’s commitment to giving as much as possible at each performance is what forges its connection with its audiences. You were appointed SCO Leader back 2016 – what has been your most SCO memorable concert to date? It would really be impossible to choose just one, but if I had to name a couple: the first time I played under Robin Ticciati was in Mendelssohn’s ‘Scottish’ symphony, and the dynamic between orchestra and conductor was incredible, I was just swept along. I will also never forget a Bartók Divertimento that we did with Alexander Janiczek, again this was an interpretation that clearly had a long history, and now I simply can’t imagine the piece any other way. This Season you will be performing a wide range of repertoire in many different roles – from leading the Orchestra, to featuring as a soloist and director, what are you most looking forward to? If there’s one thing I’ve learned is that you never know how something will turn out in advance, so I’m looking forward to all of it! But I am eagerly awaiting the return of Kristian Bezuidenhout and working on one of my absolute favourite Mozart symphonies, number 29 –––––– Benjamin Marquise Gilmore plays Bach Violin Concerto in E on 13 & 14 December in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
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RECENT RECORDINGS Brahms: The Symphonies Robin Ticciati – Conductor
Around the world with Brahms Our recent recordings of Brahms Symphonies have been attracting attention from music journalists across the globe: Listeners who think they know the symphonies well should try these recordings, because Ticciati brings out fine internal details that are often buried in conventional readings Allmusic.com (US) I think the balances are terrific, as are the Scottish strings and the overall sound of the orchestra. American Record Guide (US) I think I know these four symphonies as well as I know anything in music, and yet I have already learned an enormous amount from these recordings. I’ve played them again and again, and I’m still noticing more details that have been thought through afresh. You will, I hope, find these readings exciting and moving in equal measure, and I can hardly recommend them to you strongly enough. Klassiskmusikk.com (NOR) …an unbelievably exciting journey through the symphonic world of this composer BR Klassik (DE) Recording of the Month: ‘The young British conductor radically revisits Brahms’ four symphonies by questioning decades of musical interpretations and rediscoveries.’ Classica (FR) Ticciati’s is lean and quite dazzlingly transparent. Listening with score in hand, I marvelled at the conductor’s meticulous observance of Brahms’ markings. Nearly every instruction regarding dynamics, phrasing and articulation is accounted for. Gramophone Magazine
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It was a real sense of occasion with an overwhelming response to perform the complete cycle at this year’s International Festival, marking the end of Robin Ticciati’s tenure as Principal Conductor. Mercurial, magical, constantly surprising. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Robin Ticciati have enjoyed one of the music world’s most joyfully symbiotic partnerships, admired across the globe. The List Robin Ticciati has had a distinguished tenure as Principal Conductor of the SCO, capped with a celebrated farewell season where they have proven theirs was a partnership that was at the height of its powers. Our heartfelt thanks to Robin Ticciati for all that he has given the SCO, and especially these wonderful recordings of Brahms’ Complete Symphonies –––––– Available from the SCO merchandise desk or by phone on 0131 557 6800 –––––– This recording was made possible with support from the SCO Sir Charles Mackerras Fund and the Usher Hall.
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OLIVER KNUSSEN
(12th June 1952 – 8th July 2018)
A personal appreciation by Professor Chris Kelnar
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Few recent classical musicians can be said to be truly irreplaceable, but Oliver Knussen is certainly one. A gentle giant of a man, physically, intellectually and musically, Oliver (“Olly”) Knussen (who has died aged 66) was someone whose SCO concerts I always looked forward to with particular anticipation. Olly was uniquely generous with conducting the music of his contemporaries, doing so with unmatched technical control and interpretative insight. He agonised over the development of his own exquisite compositions and, with increasing conducting (and teaching) activities, his own compositional output is frustratingly small. It includes two memorable “fantasy-operas” in collaboration with Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are (1979-83) and Higglety Pigglety Pop! (1984-85) and concertos for (respectively) violin and horn. His own description of Requiem: Songs for Sue (2005-06), written in memory of his wife, as “...not a huge work...but...a big piece emotionally”, could stand as a summary of his entire oeuvre. As a conductor, Olly’s SCO programmes were always thought provoking, for example linking Helen Grime’s A Cold Spring, Knussen’s own Two Organa, Hindemith’s Kammermusik No. 2 and Stravinsky’s Movements with Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony – a piece, I suspect, very close to Olly’s “less is more” musical aesthetic (2012). In 2013, he coupled Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Ebb of Winter and Bartók’s Third Piano Concerto with Stravinsky’s Symphony in C.
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For the SCO’s 40th-Birthday celebrations (2016), he juxtaposed Henze’s First Symphony with that of the 12-year-old Mendelssohn, Britten’s Lacrimae, and Six Speechless Songs by SCO Associate Composer, Martin Suckling, like Olly born in Glasgow. Aged 15, Olly had conducted the LSO in his own First Symphony. Olly conducted Max’s Fourth Symphony with the SCO for Max’s 75th birthday (2009) having been in the audience for its BBC Proms SCO premiere (1989). Olly’s EIF appearances included the 2014 Opening Concert (Schoenberg, Scriabin, Debussy) and, in 2008 with the SCO, the premiere of David Matthews’ orchestration of Janáček’s piano pieces On an Overgrown Path. Further details of Olly’s career and achievements can be found in his friend, fellow composer (and David’s brother) Colin Matthews’ fine obituary for Olly in The Guardian (9/7/18). Olly’s increasing ill health made watching him manoeuvre himself onto the stage, with a stick for support, an increasingly concerning experience. When he sat and conducted, however, his precision, clarity and economy of gesture (attributes equally applicable to his compositions), attuned by the “best pair of ears in the business”, were extraordinary. Few recent classical musicians can be said to be truly irreplaceable, but Oliver Knussen is certainly one
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SCO AT WHEC Wester Hailes Residency
In school we usually don’t talk, because of the pressure of thinking that others will stop liking us just because we’re talking to them, but then in music we’re all there, just free, and we started talking and getting on really well and helping each other out… It was a great experience.
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Each year as part of our Wester Hailes Residency we run two series of creative composition workshops at the secondary school, Wester Hailes Education Centre (WHEC). Led by Paul Griffiths, distinguished workshop leader and artistic director of SCO VIBE, the workshops enable young people to develop their own musical ideas and to create pieces which combine ideas and influences from everyone in the group. Paul and the team of experienced musicians who work alongside him understand the transformative power of music and its ability to bring people together. Our ambition is to help young musicians at WHEC to develop their
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Don’t hold back what you’re feeling. Even if you think that it’s not the greatest idea, it could be turned into something really, really amazing. Don’t give up. sense of self, self-confidence and social confidence by giving them a forum to contribute to and influence creative decisions, and to empower them to develop their musical and artistic skills. We talked to the young people about their experiences of the workshops in June 2018 to find out whether we are fulfilling these aims: I really liked how everyone had your own part in it… everyone engaged in every single piece of music. Also that I always thought music was only for certain people making it, but it really
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enlightened me that it’s really easy to make your own music… In school we usually don’t talk, just because of the pressure of thinking that others will stop liking us just because of the fact that we’re talking to them, but then in music we’re all there, just free, and just started talking and getting on really well and helping each other out… It was a great experience. Don’t hold back what you’re feeling. Even if you think that it’s not the greatest idea, it could be turned into something really, really amazing. Don’t give up.
Thank you for the amazing time, can we do it again please! –––––– Kindly supported by The Castansa Trust, The Robertson Trust, Paul and Clare Rooney, The Christina Mary Hendrie Trust, Mrs Rowena Goffin’s Charitable Trust, The Stevenston Charitable Trust, The Nancie Massey Charitable Trust, Geraldine Kirkpatrick Charitable Trust and Ponton House Trust
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PATRON EVENTS WIN £250 ––––––
250 SOCIETY
We are incredibly grateful to the many people who are kind enough to donate to the Orchestra as Patrons. Income from concert tickets does not begin to cover the substantial costs of all our activities and, despite a generous Government grant, we are very dependent on raising funds from other sources to ensure the SCO’s continued success – both on and off the concert platform.
Just £5 a month as a member of the 250
Whilst the Patrons scheme is a philanthropic
Society gives you the chance to scoop £250 in our monthly draw at the same time as knowing that you are contributing towards the SCO’s Creative Learning programme.
way for people to support the SCO, this coming season we are excited to be offering donors the chance to become more involved and attend a series of bespoke events in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. All active Patrons in these cities should have already received information about these events, so please contact the Development team on 0131 557 6800 if not.
Please join us in congratulating recent winners of our 250 Society: May June July August
Jane Borland Peter Jackson Mitzi Walbank David Lipetz and Philip Croft
To learn more about the 250 Society or to join now, contact Laura Hickey on 0131 478 8344.
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We look forward to meeting many of you over the course of the Season and getting to know you better! –––––– To learn more about becoming a Patron, please contact Laura Hickey on 0131 478 8344.
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MEETING MAXIM By Journalist Keith Bruce
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My father used to bring me musical scores to read when I was very small
“Becoming a musician was never a question for me,” says Maxim Emelyanychev. What the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s new Principal Conductor means is that his course in life has been clear for as long as he can remember. No other career ever suggested itself. Maxim’s English is much better than he modestly suggests, but strictly speaking he is saying that a musical future was never in question.
relationship with the SCO, that Maxim steps in to conduct the first appearance by the SCO Chorus this season, when he replaces an indisposed Bernard Labadie on the podium for Haydn’s The Seasons on October 11 and 12. It was when he deputised for Robin Ticciati for a programme of Schubert and Dvořák in March that the players, audiences and critics were unanimous in their praise. The musicians of the SCO
“My father is a trumpet player and my mother is a singer, and I was taken to my first orchestral concert when I was three years old,” he continues. “My father used to bring me musical scores to read when I was very small, and I began to play the piano and to sing in a boys’ choir. They are very popular in many Russian cities and I was singing the Stabat Mater of Pergolesi when I was very young.”
had found their successor to the departing Robin, and the sixth Principal Conductor in the Orchestra’s history was appointed. Indeed, my review in The Herald pointed out that Maxim “produced some of the most robust playing we have heard from the SCO musicians this season.”
It is perhaps then another auspicious step in his new
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Maxim attended a music school from the start of his education, although he hastens to point out that mathematics, physics and languages were also on
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Conducting can often be something to do in the second half of a professional career, so it was good to start early
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the curriculum. He recognises, however, that he was fortunate in being directed towards conducting when he was just 12 years old, alongside his keyboard studies. “Conducting can often be something to do in the second half of a professional career, so it was good to start early. My teachers recognised that I had the necessary reflexes.”
A turning point in his practice came at the age of 16. “A few months before the entrance exam I was invited to conduct a youth symphony orchestra as well as being the soloist in Mozart’s 11th Concerto. And I wanted to give an authentic performance, especially of the Cantabile slow movement.”
Learning conducting technique joined other disciplines including composition and obligatory participation in piano competitions, although Maxim says it was just as important to his musical development that he was regularly playing piano and celeste in the company of other musicians in an orchestra. His first study was piano when he moved on to music college and then the Moscow Conservatory, but he was encouraged to continue his conducting in parallel.
Pinnock and Frans Brüggen and counter-tenor Michael Chance, the young Maxim directed the orchestra from the harpsichord and started his studies determined to continue to do both, although the conservatoire was not really geared up for such an ambition.
Influenced by his listening to the recordings by conductors Trevor
“It is difficult to do both because you should really pay extra,” he explains. With supportive teachers, however, ways were found for him to receive extra tuition. And although his
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Maybe we could do a concert with gut strings, but the most important thing is how you perform the music
invitations to join the SCO have so far not included showcasing his keyboard skills, directing the orchestra from the keyboard is on his agenda for possible concerts in the future. And he remains fascinated by the lessons of historically-informed performance. “Of course you can play Mozart on modern instruments; you can do the music in any way. But it is good to give natural trumpets to good players, and hear the authentic sound of early music. Trumpets and timpani in particular have changed a lot since those days. “Maybe we could do a concert with gut strings, but the most important thing is how you perform the music. It has to work as it did in those times, but Bach played on a quartet of saxophones can still be authentic.” That is only one aspect of the
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music he hopes to conduct with the Orchestra, he quickly adds. With no immediate ambitions to tackle Mahler, Bruckner or Strauss (“they will come later,” he says), his list of potential inclusions in the repertoire is a long and inclusive one. “Italian baroque, early Romantic German and Austrian music, 20th Century French and Russian, I have no preference,” he says, noting in passing the close relationship between composers in the last category, with Ravel orchestrating Mussorgsky and Stravinsky’s admiration for ‘Les Six’. For a musician of his generation, the politics of the 20th century that separated composers, and sometimes brought them together, is from the history books. “I don’t remember anything of the Soviet Union, but how to live in this country is still a question now - how to start to be open and smile.
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It is important that there is music in all places, in the street and in the church ... I think we can do some programmes that allow me to see more of the beautiful and interesting places in Scotland “Prokofiev and Shostakovich created art, so although the time when they lived is important, music is higher than this level of politics. It is like with poetry: Pushkin and Shakespeare were writing about things in their time, but now we do not care about that. The beauty of their work is more important than that.” Maxim also hopes to extend his practice in Scotland beyond
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the boundaries of the classical canon, and sees real possibilities for the creation of a new concert hall in Edinburgh to break down barriers and encourage crossover collaborations with Scottish folk and renaissance music. “It is important that there is music in all places, in the street and in the church as in earlier times, while now we just go to concerts between seven and nine o’clock. I think we can do some programmes that allow me to
see more of the beautiful and interesting places in Scotland.” –––––– Maxim Emelyanychev Conducts Haydn The Seasons with SCO Chorus on 11-12 October in Edinbrugh and Glasgow –––––– The Edinburgh concert is proudly sponsored by
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PRE-CONCERT INSIGHTS – DATES FOR THE DIARY Pre-concert insights are free to all ticket holders and help you enjoy the music being performed in the concert even more. Please join us! Leleux plays Haydn Oboe Concerto Thursday 4 October, 6.30pm - Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh (Auditorium) Friday 5 October, 6.30pm – City Halls, Glasgow (Auditorium)
French Oboist and Conductor François Leleux in conversation with SCO Chief Executive Gavin Reid Haydn The Seasons with SCO Chorus Thursday 11 October, 6.30pm – Usher Hall, Edinburgh (Auditorium) Friday 12 October, 6.30pm – City Halls, Glasgow (Recital Room)
Chorus Director Gregory Batsleer in conversation with Tenor Andrew Staples Altstaedt plays Schumann Cello Concerto Wednesday 7 November, 6.30pm – Younger Hall, St Andrews (Auditorium) Thursday 8 November, 6.30pm – Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh (Auditorium) Friday 9 November, 6.30pm – City Halls, Glasgow (Auditorium)
Composer Martin Suckling explores his intriguing new work Meditation, which includes recorded bells rung by communities from across Scotland. Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream Thursday 29 November, 6.30pm – Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh (Auditorium) Friday 30 November, 6.30pm – City Halls, Glasgow (Auditorium)
In collaboration with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS), storyteller Anna Lehr and SCO Principal Flute Alison Mitchell invite concertgoers of all ages into Mendelssohn’s imagined worlds with timeless tales and musical magic. Tales of Mendelssohn II 6 December, 6.30pm – Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh (Auditorium)
A pre-concert performance by St Mary’s Music School, Edinburgh 7 December, 6.30pm – City Halls, Glasgow (Recital Room)
A pre-concert performance by students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
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MAKING AN IMPACT IMPACT centre enters planning phase
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Crown to George Street
The setting, within the context of Edinburgh’s historic New Town, is also both stimulating and challenging Sir David Chipperfield
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Following a 25-year search to find the ideal location for a new music and performance venue in Edinburgh, images have been unveiled to reveal a stunning design for the IMPACT Centre. As well as being the new home for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the centre will be used for music performances, talks, conferences and as a venue for the Edinburgh Festival during August.
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The design has been developed and refined following extensive consultation with Edinburgh city officials, heritage bodies, community bodies and the public and IMPACT Scotland are grateful for everyone’s support and contributions. Sir David Chipperfield is leading the design team and said, “We are very excited to be working on the new music venue in a city renowned around
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Ground floor foyer
the world for its arts and culture. The setting, within the context of Edinburgh’s historic New Town, is also both stimulating and challenging.” The new music venue provides a modern performance space and public space in a somewhat hidden corner of the city. The planning application for the IMPACT Centre was submitted to City of Edinburgh Council on 23 August 2018. The project is being funded through substantial philanthropic donations,
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together with £25 million support from the Scottish and UK Governments and City of Edinburgh Council, as part of the City Region Deal. The Royal Bank of Scotland are supporting the project by providing a long-term lease for the land at a nominal cost –––––– To stay up to speed with all the latest developments please check impactscotland.org.uk/news or follow on Twitter @ImpactScot
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YOUR ORCHESTRA, YOUR SAY...
Insta pick of the Season
–––––– Your opportunity to comment and have your say. Whether it is via social media or by sending us a letter, we love to hear from you. ––––––
A fantastic appointment for @SCOmusic – [Maxim] Emelyanychev was a brilliant guest conductor at Dvořák Violin Concerto in March. Can’t wait for the 2019/20 season Martin Hogg @The_Hoggy The orchestra played magnificently! How lovely to see the musicians enjoying and interacting with each other and Nicolas Altstaedt. The atmosphere was quite special tonight and our standing ovation was heartfelt. Simply wonderful evening. Thank you SCO and haste ye back to the magical Universal Hall, Findhorn. Summer Tour Attender – Findhorn (Audience Survey)
Guest Conductor and cell ist Nicolas Altstaedt.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION –––––– Sign up for our email newsletter For all our latest news, films, photos, blogs and special offers, visit sco.org.uk/latest Email us Michael Devlin, Customer Communications michael.devlin@sco.org.uk Comment on Facebook facebook.com/scottishchamberorchestra
Workshopping with the brilliant Paul Griffiths and @SCOmusic in Wester Hailes. He asked the teens what they’d like to write songs about. ‘How it’s important to appreciate the little things in life because that’s what makes you happy.’ Emma Smith @emmafsmith
A wonderful view yesterday [at Virgin Money Schools Concert]! We listened to the amazing Scottish Chamber orchestra play some of Holst’s The Planets Suite and even got a message from astronaut, Tim Peake #VMFireworks Davidson’s Mains Primary School @DMPrimary 7
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THROUGH THE EYES OF... Martin Suckling SCO Associate Composer To mark the centenary of the 1918 Armistice, people have been recording their local church bells to contribute to the composition of a new work by Martin Suckling, Meditation (after Donne). We caught up with Martin about how this is progressing: Where have you received your recordings from? Around 100 recordings have been received, with contributions from as far north as Orkney down to the south west coast of Galloway. Together with their recordings, people have been kind enough to provide little bits of local history, like the Lanark bell being the oldest cast bell in Europe, or the sometimes circuitous journeys that bells have taken to reach their current towers, as well as lovely details about the recordings made, such as one of a ring by an 11-year-old Sunday School attendee, and a quarter peal in memory of a recently deceased
arrangements for this piece including Helensburgh Orchestral Society and Lanark Music Society. It was always the plan that this piece should be approachable by a wide range of groups.
bellringer.
–––––– SUCKLING Meditation (after Donne) World Premiere 7-9 November 2018 St Andrews, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Conducted by Nicolas Altstaedt –––––– Proudly sponsored and match funded by
How can bell recordings be used in a new composition? I’ve used the bells in different ways throughout the piece. The opening features them all ringing nearsimultaneously, but for the most part they’re used much more sparsely, gently tolling and outlining the harmony. The bells have quite distinct personalities and ambiences that come with them and I wanted to make sure there is space to take all of this in. They create a kind of landscape for the orchestra to sing within.
I’m also really excited about a series of workshops with the SCO and young people (in St Andrews, Glasgow and Edinburgh), where we’ll be using their own material alongside the bells recordings to create their own compositions. It’s not every day you get the opportunity to be part of something like this, and I hope the experience will live long in the participants’ memories
–––––– Martin Suckling’s new work is kindly supported by Cruden Foundation and RVW Trust
How will your new composition live on? I have been approached by other groups for
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PLAY YOUR PART
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