3–11 December Cockermouth ADVENTURES IN MUSIC Dundee Aberdeen for a Inverness Perth Dumfries Edinburgh Winter’s Glasgow Night Concerts by Candlelight Programme HELLO welcome to For A Winter’s Night

Our December concerts have become a much-loved and important part of Performers the SE calendar, providing an anchor point in an otherwise shifting and Scottish Ensemble dynamic programme of events. Artistic Director & Violin In contrast with our increasingly fast-changing Jonathan Morton and unpredictable world, these candle-lit evenings draw us in. We keep coming back Violin for a potent mix of architectural and sonic Cheryl Crockett beauty, where old and new sounds reverberate Daniel Pioro across old stones and centuries, perhaps Liza Johnson reminding us of important truths that we Eva Thorarinsdottir can too easily forget in our daily lives. Laura Ghiro Alastair Savage Each piece of music you’ll experience tonight captures a different facet from the rich world Viola of music for strings, and many reference Jane Atkins and celebrate specific moments in our fifty Andrew Berridge year history – an exciting new commission, a forward-thinking collaboration, a significant Cello recording. I have threaded many of these Alison Lawrance highlights together into a musical mosaic, a Naomi Pavri style of programming which can often forge unexpected connections. All of us at SE look Double Bass forward to sharing these with you tonight. Diane Clark Olaya García Álvarez*

*SE Young Artist Promising strings students chosen to accompany us on tour as part of our training programme with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

All timings are approximate. Jonathan Morton Programme order correct at time Artistic Director of printing; any changes will be announced from the stage. Part One Part Two Programme 50 mins approx. 50 mins approx.

Our latest ‘adventure Henryk Gόrecki Pyotr Ilyich in music’ is a journey Part III Tchaikovsky not only through from Three Pieces in Old Style Waltz centuries, styles and from Serenade for String Orchestra musical genres but Martin Suckling through the emerging In Memoriam Walter Gross themes that link from Postcards 2012-13 Tenderly these pieces together arranged by James Manson – from nature, to trad. from South India romantic love, to Raga Kiravani Jean Sibelius transcendence. Turn adapted by Daniel Pioro The way of the Lover the page to follow from Rakastava along with your trad. from Transylvania official guide... Pê-loc Benjamin Britten from Romanian Folk Dances, Romance transcribed and orchestrated from Variations on a by Béla Bartók Theme of Frank Bridge

Gustav Antonín Dvořák Ostinato Larghetto from St Paul’s Suite from Serenade for Strings

Anna Meredith trad. from Shetland Variation on Tullochgorm Day Dawn from Scottish Variations arranged by Henning Sommerro Edvard Rigaudon Johann Sebastian from Suite Aria and Variation No. 13 from Goldberg Variations Piers Hellawell arranged by Dimitri Part III Sitkovetsky from Sound Carvings from the Water’s Edge trad. Hymn In the Bleak Midwinter Antonio arranged by Daniel Pioro, Winter: Part II inspired by Gustav Holst from The Four Seasons Erkki-Sven Tüür John Tavener Insula Deserta Tears of the Angels

Interval 20 mins

For A Winter’s Night programme | December 2019 | scottishensemble.co.uk NOTES ON THE MUSIC

An adventure through music for strings

PART ONE elegy. We start with the chirrup Compelling and addictive, the of birds in conversation – whole thing is underpinned Looking back… intended to signal “the feeling by a drone that acts as a We begin with a piece that was of stepping out on the first centre of gravity, rooting us written in the middle of the day of Spring” – only to be in order to allow our minds – 20th century, but which sounds introduced to the mournful potentially souls, depending like music from a far more lament of the cello that soon on your beliefs – to drift. distant time. Gόrecki was a emerges from beneath. The Polish composer known for his result is a thought-provoking Raga Kiravani shifts, avant-garde music – but with vignette on the clash of personal seamlessly, into another work his Pieces in Old Style, the loss with the ambivalent inspired by traditional music, clue was in the name. Searching continuation of nature that this time from Transylvania for an alternative source of can accompany grief. – allowing us to notice the beauty and inspiration amidst fascinating similarities of music the forward-thinking atonality Stepping out: composed on different sides of his own time, the composer exploring and of the world, pre-globalisation turned to the thick, weighty discovering and pre-internet. Arranged harmonies of the Renaissance. From here, we begin to by Bartók – a Hungarian In this intense piece, he creates travel further – across time, composer fascinated by dense pillars of sound that geography, and into new folk music of his native and seem to move together like sound worlds. It’s fascinating surrounding countries – the some eternal jigsaw, locking how what is essentially an Romanian dance-inspired and unlocking and lending arrangement of sounds – the Pê-loc shares much of the whole thing a feeling of combination of the notes the hypnotic, mesmerising human, emotional gravity themselves, the ones they’re effect of the raga, with its and transcendent levity – no next to, and the way they’re chanting chords and seductive, mean feat, within barely ordered and clustered – can twisting, beckoning melody. five minutes of music... transport us, immediately, to a specific place or time. From the Gaining momentum: The clue is similarly in the opening notes of SE violinist finding energy name with Suckling’s Postcards Daniel Pioro’s arrangement of We’re roused from our trance 2012-13, the idea being this traditional South Indian by a sudden wave of energy, that the musical concept for raga, we are somewhere and three pieces full of the each of the four pieces in the else; immersed in a heavily lithe, nimble, agile excitement collection should be able to fit fragranced, heaving, hypnotic of neat-and-fast strings. on the back of a postcard. In piece of music conjuring the With its chipper little melody Memoriam is a miniature exoticism of the ancient East. and delicate plucked strings, in Holst’s Ostinato, the been found in the streets, the plucked strings provide the composer demonstrates how taverns, the fields – melodies, constant, neat, frost-bitten nip repetition as a creative device rhythms and dance steps passed of sharp, falling snowflakes. can be used to create something down through generations Whatever you hear, its lively, interesting and enjoyable. – really comes across in the undeniable cheer suggests What could have felt like an sense of joyful abandon that it’s a picture of winter exercise in composition has infusing this virtuosic work. as viewed from a position of become a sweet and memorable cosy warmth – from behind a work that keeps the listener on Pausing to window, perhaps. Indeed, in the its toes and remains a favourite appreciate nature score, Vivaldi included sonnets in the composer’s repertoire. With Piers Hellawell’s that had inspired him. For evocatively-titled Sound Winter, the sonnet ends: “This Those familiar with the Carvings from the Water’s is winter, which nonetheless Scottish fiddle tradition Edge, we shift into another / brings its own delights.” may well recognise the title realm again, pausing to Tullochgorm – if not appreciate the inspiration that Transcending it all necessarily the original melody nature – wild and vast, beautiful To end our first half, though, coming through in Meredith’s and untameable – represents we rise above the frost-glittered piece inspired by the traditional across all art, not only music. In delights of the mortal universe... Highland tune. Instead, she Hellawell’s ‘sound carvings’ (he Tavener’s Tears of the distills the rhythm, energy has done others, inspired by a Angels revisits the mysticism and repetitive thump that volcanic crater and Antarctica’s we touched on earlier but this characterises the fiddle tune and Ice Wall; this was written on the time in a highly moving piece creates something entirely new, island of Harris), the individual that glistens and rings with the building to a fairly rock-and-roll parts stand alone, almost like composer’s Orthodox Christian climax! objects to be admired separately, beliefs. We couldn’t do better and creating a powerful than Tavener’s own (fairly The dance continues with collection of images. daunting) description of how Grieg’s Rigaudon, inspired the piece should be played: by another European dance Far more well-known is “Tears of the Angels should be tradition. The ‘rigaudon’ was Vivaldi’s portrayal of winter, played at the extreme breaking point a lively folk dance for couples, taken from his ludicrously of tenderness. In other words, totally popular in 17th-century ubiquitous Four Seasons concerti, beyond our compassion, and beyond France (and, as so many were, in which he hoped to capture our comprehension. Wrapped in a soon formalised for courtly elements of each of the seasons depth of inner silence of which we purposes – this type of dance through music. We’ve chosen have no idea, a state of being, not was particularly prevalent in the second movement from the an emotion, a tender light piercing Louis XIV’s court). One of Winter concerto for the way the agonising darkness of the world. the most striking and enjoyable it seems to capture the cheerful Since we are ‘human’ and not features of Grieg’s offering brightness of a crisp winter’s angels, the music can only be is the encouragement of a day. The trembling, shivering ‘imagined’ by us. All the strings fantastically rustic, folky feel melody can morph into a happy are muted throughout, except for through the quick, fiddle-like whistle through numbed lips, the part marked solo violin. The melodies shared by the violin or a whining wind through solo violin is ‘the chief among the and viola. The beating heart bare branches, depending on Angels’, and the whole piece must of music that would have how it’s played; either way, the sound serene and seamless.”

For A Winter’s Night programme | December 2019 | scottishensemble.co.uk NOTES ON THE MUSIC

PART TWO falling in love. Compare this to stark landscape. The emotional Britten’s Romance, which power of the solo voice, ringing Feeling romantic follows. Taken from his Variations out across time, is something The lusciousness of strings on a Theme of Frank Bridge, each we find particularly fascinating. playing en masse seems variation was intended to reflect Take Bach’s Goldberg almost tailor-made for anyone a different character trait of Variations, composed in the wanting to convey a feeling of his composition teacher. This courts of Germany in 1741. sweeping, swooning romance – romantic waltz – meant to Written as a soothing diversion as we hear in everything from convey Bridge’s charm – feels for an insomniac count (or heart-rending symphonies, to so easy, so overtly abundant so the story goes), the lonely folk or rock ballads, to that in schmoozy charm, that it voice that flows, spirals, twists, climactic schmaltzy moment almost feels like a parody – evolves and ultimately circles in the latest romantic comedy. compositional fun, or a tongue- back across the course of 30 in-cheek statement? No-one variations still communicates In our romantic interlude, has been entirely sure. We wrap to us today: directly, and with a the classic, poised Waltz things up with the operatic feeling of personal resonance. from Tchaikovsky’s lyricism of the Larghetto from Serenade for Strings sweeps Dvořák’s popular Serenade for We expect you’ll recognise into Tenderly, a classic Strings – a huge outpouring the final piece in this section. from the American golden era of emotion that manages to In 1906, Holst set Christina of music by songwriter Walter simultaneously sound tender, Rossetti’s poem A Christmas Gross, arranged here by double wistful and tranquil. Carol to music. In The Bleak bassist James Manson. We chose Midwinter is now firmly this as a fond favourite from the Celebrating shared rooted in our carol tradition: the tea dances we’ve put on across traditions... sound of resounding, comforting Scotland over the years (part of As the end of the concert draws winter warmth – and of our our events taking music out of near, we begin to think about collective aural history. the concert hall). But with its ritual, and tradition; about aching harmonies and strings, processes and customs shared ...before stepping there’s also something about this by us as human beings, passed into the future music that seems coated with down through generations and We’ve chosen to end not on the candied, cosy, bittersweet through time, and how beautiful a carol, but an inspirational nostalgia of Christmas... it is that these sounds we inherit soundscape that seems to can remain so vibrant, so conjure the vast beauty of No-one does emotive, cinematic meaningful, to us today. The nature. Both awe-struck strings quite like Sibelius, Day Dawn is an arrangement and detached – or, as writer but while you’ll hear these of a traditional fiddle tune David Fanning coins it, full in the other movements of from Shetland – thought to of “the ecstatic and the Rakastava (‘The Lover’ – date back to Norse times, or ascetic” – there is something recommended listening, if certainly many centuries – that simultaneously complex and you’re not already familiar would be played either on simple about Erkki-Sven with it), we’ve chosen to share the morning of the Winter’s Tüür’s Insula Deserta. We this short middle movement, Solstice or Christmas Day. hope its spiked, shimmering for the way it fizzes along with Listening today, its solitary shards will send you out into the disbelieving, suspended voice still speaks out to us so the night full of the magic and breathlessness of someone clearly from its frozen, still, wonder of this time of year.

For A Winter’s Night programme | December 2019 | scottishensemble.co.uk | Notes by Rosie Davies Delve deeper... Celebrating 50 years of If you’re interested in reading SE’s full and fascinating history, written by one of our dedicated – and eloquent! – supporters, please go to Scottish scottishensemble.co.uk Ensemble and search for ‘history’ 1969 Compiling some of our favourite and most significant musical moments is nearly as difficult as narrowing down the many We are born! Publisher and polymath John Calder approaches renowned landmark moments violinist Leonard Friedman about forming a band to perform in Baroque in our history. Here operatic productions at Calder’s multi-arts festival, Ledlanet Nights... are just a few... and the Scottish Baroque Ensemble is founded. Our first performance? ’s Alcina, squeezed into the small hall of Ledlanet House

1976 1984 1991

Should a Baroque orchestra be tackling works by , We quickly grew, and in 1976 made and other exciting 20th-century our first gramophone record composers? In 1984, the decision In 1991, we signed a record deal with (featuring works by Purcell, was made to become simply Virgo Classics, the classical wing of and ) as well as setting off on Scottish Ensemble, better Richard Branson’s Virgin Records our first international tours to the reflecting the mix of music we were (pictured: Branson attending one of USA and Germany exploring in our programmes our concerts, complete with baton!) 1993 2014 2018

Having toured the world since 2015, Having secured a major deal our cross-artform collaboration with British Telecom – the largest with Andersson Dance, Goldberg commercial sponsorship in Scotland An exciting decade of exploration led Variations - ternary patterns for a performing arts organisation at to our first cross-artform production, for insomnia, received its 30th the time – from 1993–2003 we were 20th-Century Perspectives, performance at London’s the BT Scottish Ensemble exploring music and architecture Barbican Centre in July 2018. (and the name stuck! This is what with visual artist Toby Paterson Four months later, we premiered we’ll always remain to some of our in a previously-derelict modernist our second collaboration with long-time audience members) warehouse in Glasgow the Swedish dance company. OUR SUPPORTERS

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