SCO News | January 2017

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INSPIRING AND CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE OF ALL AGES

www.sco.org.uk | Issue 66 | January 2017

POPPY LOVE

What is the connection between Beethoven and poppies?

PLUS Trekking with Su-a Lee in Nepal

Also inside: Summer Tour Dates | Big Ears, Little Ears on Tour | Sir James MacMillan

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CONTENTS

Issue 66 | January 2017

9

11 12

22

14 –––––

REGULARS 3 FOREWORD 4 SCO NEWS 8 60 SECOND INTERVIEW 10 RECENT RECORDINGS 22 YOUR ORCHESTRA, YOUR SAY 23 THROUGH THE EYES OF...

OTHERS 9 Summer Tour Dates 12 Big Ears, Little Ears on Tour Since 2011, babies and toddlers have experienced the joy and excitement of live music at Big Ears, Little Ears concerts around Scotland.

14 The Adventures of Su-a Lee Su-a in Nepal My 30-day epic adventure in Nepal.

COVER 11 Poppy Love “I love the image of the poppies, and I love Beethoven Symphony No 7, but what is the connection?”

4 Royal Terrace Edinburgh EH7 5AB telephone: 0131 557 6800 email: info@sco.org.uk www.sco.org.uk

20 Sir James MacMillan

As part of this month-long celebration, we present two major MacMillan premieres – Concertino for Horn and Strings (World Premiere) and Stabat Mater (Scottish Premiere)

Core funded by

–––––

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is a charity registered in Scotland No. SC015039 Company registration No. SC75079

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FOREWORD A very warm welcome to the latest

started immediately with a

edition of SCO News and most importantly from all of us here, an extremely happy New Year!

sparkling Viennese concert on 1 January in the Usher Hall.

With a full schedule of concerts ahead of us over the coming months – including a wonderful tour with Robin Ticciati and the incomparable Maria João Pires taking in Salzburg, Paris, Aixen-Provence, Luxembourg and Rotterdam amongst others – life in the SCO is never dull.

2016 was an important year for the SCO, one which I hope we will remember as a turning point in our history. It was the year in which we, along with our colleagues from IMPACT Scotland, announced plans to build a brand new concert hall in the centre of Edinburgh.

With acoustics and facilities to match the greatest halls in the world, the plan is that the new building will become home to our orchestra – for concerts, recitals, workshops, talks and rehearsals.

Furthermore, for the first time in our history, everyone in the organisation will work alongside each other. Not merely a convenient bit of administration, this will allow collaboration, planning, plotting and dreaming on an unprecedented scale! And it is a dream – one which the SCO and our supporters have had for many a year. None more so than our Life President Donald MacDonald, who has worked tirelessly on behalf of us all to help turn dream into reality.

The new hall, will of course, be much more than simply our home.

It will be a place for outstanding performances and events from a whole host of musical organisations

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Gavin Reid

and partners, encompassing the widest possible range of styles and genres. It will be a place to meet, eat, drink and think – a cultural and social hub in the heart of one of the world’s greatest cultural capitals.

We are grateful for the support and of course, funding that has been pledged to date. We have much still to do, but we are confident that our proposals will develop into an inspirational musical powerhouse of which everyone will feel proud.

I am particularly looking forward to this year’s annual Family Concerts in February. Stan and Mabel is a delightful story of a musical dog and cat who form an amazing animal orchestra and compete to be the greatest orchestra in the world. With music by the brilliantly talented Paul Rissman and introduced by the

2016 also saw several brilliant appointments in our string sections. With Benjamin Marquise Gilmore joining us to share leading duties with Stephanie Gonley, Edinburgh-born Philip Higham taking up the position of Principal Cello, Marcus Barcham-Stevens becoming Principal Second Violin and Felix Tanner joining the front desk of Violas, we have a quite sensational team of musicians across the whole orchestra.

wonderful Chris Jarvis – known to young audiences across the UK as creator and presenter of numerous TV shows – it promises to be a fantastic event.

Having taken a short break over Christmas, our 2017 concerts

Gavin Reid Chief Executive

Until then, I hope you enjoy catching up on our latest news and we all look forward to seeing you at one of our concerts very soon.

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SCO NEWS

Proposal for a new home for Your Orchestra

NEW WORLD-CLASS CONCERT HALL IN THE HEART OF EDINBURGH –––––– The charitable trust IMPACT Scotland and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) have developed a proposal to create a new world-class arts centre in the heart of Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh.

The proposal is to build a facility in St Andrew Square which would be the new home of the SCO, as well as a venue for education, conferences and public engagement.

The centrepiece is a 1,000 seat

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auditorium, as well as a studio providing rehearsal, recital and recording space to rival the best in Europe. The new building will be immediately behind

dance ensembles.

Dundas House at 36 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh. The historic Royal Bank of Scotland branch will continue to operate as a stand-alone branch.

SCO’s long-term supporter, Dunard Fund, this project provides a fantastic opportunity for the SCO to provide an open, welcoming and unforgettable audience experience in a muchneeded mid-sized performance venue with stunning acoustics in the heart of Edinburgh.

Not only will it provide our internationally renowned orchestra with a splendid new home, it will also enable the SCO to reach out in ways that have not been possible in the past.”

The auditorium would meet the long-recognised need for a purpose-built, midsized performance venue in Edinburgh, combining excellent acoustics with access for all forms of popular music, jazz, folk, chamber and other small classical music groups as well as solo and song recitals and small

Colin Buchan, Chairman of the SCO, said: “With this wonderful support from the

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INTRODUCING...

BENJAMIN MARQUISE GILMORE AS OUR NEW LEADER

a strong sense of unity and cohesion with an openness to new ideas and the flexibility to go in different directions. I’ve

Wigmore Hall (London) and the Brahms Saal (Vienna),

–––––– We are delighted to announce that acclaimed violinist Benjamin Marquise Gilmore has been appointed as the Orchestra’s new Leader, a job he is sharing with Stephanie Gonley.

had some wonderful concerts with the SCO already and look forward to many more in the coming years.”

Elisso Virsaladze, Kolja Blacher and Gerhard Schulz. Benjamin has been a member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE) since 2011 and will continue to share his time with both the COE and the SCO.

Benjamin has led the Orchestra on several occasions over the past few months and quickly made an incredible impression on SCO players and audiences alike. Our Assistant Leader, Ruth Crouch, commented: “Ben is a fantastic violinist, as many of our audience will have heard in his recent solos in Strauss’ Le Benjamin Marquise Gilmore Bourgeois Gentilhomme.

He has a natural sense of At the age of ten Benjamin style in varied repertoire, from won a scholarship to study playing Mozart on gut strings with Natalia Boyarskaya at the to the challenging extended Yehudi Menuhin School. In techniques and rhythms of 2005 he went to study at the Martin Suckling.” On his Vienna Conservatory with appointment Benjamin adds: Pavel Vernikov and Julian “From the first time I played Rachlin, graduating in 2010. with the Scottish Chamber Since then, he has made a Orchestra I felt an immediate career as a renowned soloist and rapport, both musically and chamber musician performing personally, and it’s grown in many of the world’s great stronger ever since. I very much admire the Orchestra’s approach concert halls, including at Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), to music-making, combining

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collaborating with artists including Elisabeth Leonskaja,

SCO Chief Executive Gavin Reid extends a warm welcome to our new Leader: “Ben is a remarkable musician and an exceptional violinist.

These qualities, combined with his naturally inclusive leadership style, make him absolutely the right person to lead the SCO. With Ben and Stephanie the SCO have two quite fantastic leaders.”

MARIE CURIE COLLECTION –––––– A huge thank you to everyone who gave so generously to Marie Curie at our New Year in Vienna concerts this year. Together, you raised a whopping £6,964.90!

All the volunteer nurses are extremely grateful for your support.

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EUROPE 2017 ––––––

concerts will be in Toulouse’s Halle aux Grains, the scene of

friendly Sprogmanay programme at the National Museum of

At the end of January, Robin Ticciati and the Orchestra will take

several memorable SCO/Ticciati appearances in recent years,

Scotland, with live performances, workshops and opportunities

their SCO Season programme of Mozart, Haydn and Dvořák on a whistle-stop tour of Europe. The soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto K467 will be the legendary Maria João Pires, a much-loved visitor to SCO.

and Pamplona’s contemporary Baluarte Auditorium. Returning to Northern Europe for the conclusion of the tour, we finish with concerts at two fabulous modern halls – the Philharmonie, Luxembourg and De Doelen, Rotterdam.

–––––– Our European tour runs from 31 January until 8 February.

for children to try out our multicoloured instrument collection.

Starting with a concert in Salzburg’s historic Mozarteum, the tour moves to the South of France, with a return visit to Aix’s Grand Théâtre de Provence where SCO last appeared at the 2015 Easter Festival.

Then by train to Paris, for the Orchestra’s first appearance, at the Théâtre des ChampsElysées since 1981! The next

CONNECT LATEST –––––– SCO Connect celebrated the turn of the year as part of the family-

WIN £250 ––––––

250 SOCIETY Please join us in congratulating recent winners of our 250 Society draw who each won £250.

September – Dorothy Mowbray October – Geoff Lewis November – Jane Borland December – Alistair Horn It costs just £5 a month to become a member of the SCO’s 250 Society and be in with a chance of winning a monthly prize of £250. All proceeds go towards helping to fund the work of SCO Connect. To join, simply download the SCO 250 Society membership form at www.sco.org.uk/support-us or contact Adam James on 0131 478 8344.

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In January and February, SCO musicians visit venues across Perth and Edinburgh for a series of fun-filled workshops based on the music and story of Stan and Mabel, the SCO Family Concert 2017.

As Orchestra-in-Residence at the University of St Andrews, we are delighted to support the newly formed Children’s Orchestra.

Conducted by Gillian Craig, the orchestra gave their first public performance at the StAFCO (St Andrews and Fife Community Orchestra) Winter Concert and SCO musicians are looking forward to their first coaching sessions with members of the orchestra in February.

Meanwhile, SCO residencies at primary schools in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh and Rattray, Perthshire, have entered their second year, with pupils taking part in weekly creative workshops with Matilda Brown (composer) and teams of SCO musicians. “Their involvement in this type of open, creative activity helps children who don’t have the vocabulary to develop in more conventional ways, and

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Congratulations to Jane and Richard

it means they can contribute and communicate more, and consequently feel more valued, which in turn makes them more engaged in school life”. Teacher, Rattray Primary School.

JANE ATKINS GETS MARRIED

“The children have really become a lot more focused in class since this project and are working

–––––– Congratulations and best wishes to SCO Principal Viola Jane Atkins who married partner and frequent SCO Viola player Richard Nelson on Saturday 3 December.

together more. Those that are quiet in the classroom really come out of their shells through the music .” Teacher, Canal View Primary School, Wester Hailes.

The ceremony took place on the beach at Crear with their children Liam, Eloise, Benjamin and close family friends present.

In December, Professor Raymond Holden from the Royal Academy of Music led a fascinating Explore Day on Richard Strauss, featuring excerpts from the Horn Concertos performed by Alec Frank-Gemmill. “Informative, fascinating and packed with insights.” (Participant, December 2016).

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WINNERS OF THE NOEA SCOTLAND TRIBUTE AWARD 2016!

–––––– At an Awards Ceremony in Bath on 24 November 2016, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra

was awarded the National Outdoor Event Association (NOEA) Scotland Tribute Award for The Virgin Money Fireworks Concert, which was on 29 August 2016 in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh. The judges described the Fireworks Concert, which is produced by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and promoted by the Edinburgh International Festival as “simply outstanding”.

Speaking from the Awards Ceremony, Scottish Chamber Orchestra Concerts & Projects Manager Tammo Schuelke said, “The Virgin Money Fireworks Concert is artistically exceptional and as innovative and progressive now as it was 35 years ago when this annual event started. We are indebted to our many partners who help

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make this event such a success and in particular to Historic Environment Scotland for enabling us to use Edinburgh Castle – a live army base as well as Scotland’s most popular visitor attraction – to set off live fireworks synchronised to the Orchestra performance.

Thank you very much to the NOEA for recognising all that goes into making this event the successful annual milestone it is.”

The Virgin Money Fireworks Concert beat stiff competition from Glamis Proms (PDF Productions), the Royal Highland Show – Royal Highland Society and Glasgow Summer Sessions.There were a record-breaking number of entries for the awards this year and judges said the quality was superb so being shortlisted “was an achievement in itself ”, according to NOEA chief executive Susan Tanner.

The Virgin Money Fireworks Concert (Scottish Chamber Orchestra) was also nominated for Best Practice, Event Innovation of the Year, and Event of the Year Awards.

The date for the 2017 Virgin Money Fireworks Concert will be announced in March 2017.

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SECOND INTERVIEW J DOUGLAS HOME Do you have a pre-concert routine when attending a concert?

I mostly come directly from home to the concert hall to get there from 7pm. I do quite a lot of homework for concerts too, listening to recordings I have of the pieces I am about to hear… I was a History graduate and it’s also the history of orchestras that I’m interested in. I have given a number of talks about various orchestras at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Most recently I gave one on the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.

What is it you value about the SCO that made you want to support us?

Over the years, it’s been the superlative quality of the playing and the conductors and soloists you have been able to attract. Another thing has been the way the Orchestra has been able to communicate with its audience and particularly, as a Patron, having the opportunity to talk to players, which I like. I look upon a concert evening as a package including all the people that I meet and the sociability of it all. I am also giving money to a number of arts organisations in my will, including the SCO, because you all have given me such great pleasure and I would like people to continue enjoying lovely concerts after I’m gone. Mainly, it’s just for the love of the thing and the hopes that people will enjoy it in the future.

What is your most memorable SCO moment?

I suppose my most memorable SCO moment would be the Beethoven cycle Sir Charles Mackerras did at the Festival. It was in a chamber style, not big band Beethoven as I call it, and just gives you more clarity and an extra dimension. Sir Charles was using the latest critical edition of the Beethoven symphonies and conducted them considerably faster than how they used to be performed. The recording of those performances is something I would recommend.

–––––– Douglas is a regular face at our Edinburgh concerts, having been coming since we started in 1974. He is a SCO Patron, a full season subscriber and a proud owner of a large collection of recordings.

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SUMMER TOUR DATES 2017 –––––– DATE Thursday 8 June Friday 9 June Saturday 10 June Friday 23 June Saturday 24 June Tuesday 27 June Wednesday 28 June Thursday 29 June Thursday 20 July Friday 21 July Saturday 22 July Thursday 27 July Friday 28 July Saturday 29 July Wednesday 13 September Thursday 14 September Friday 15 September Saturday 16 September

ORCHESTRA FULL FULL FULL FULL FULL Winds Winds Winds Strings Strings Strings FULL FULL FULL FULL FULL FULL FULL

VENUE 1. Callander 2. Thurso 3. Findhorn 4. Langholm 5. Blair Castle 6. Fyvie Castle 7. Banchory 8. East Neuk Festival 9. Shetland 9. Shetland 9. Shetland 10. Stirling Castle 11. Fraserburgh 12. Aberdeen 13. Strathpeffer 14. St Andrews 15. Selkirk 16. Linlithgow

9

2

11 6

3

13

12 7

5 14 1 10

8 16 15 4

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RECENT RECORDINGS ancient ways of life, with words from ‘The Well’ by George Mackay Brown. “…a superb performance, confirming this as one of Maxwell Davies’ most beautiful and moving inspirations.” Penguin Guide to Compact Discs Sir Peter Maxwell Davies features prominently in our new recordings list with one new album and three re-releases.

He was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Gold Medal, the highest accolade the Society can bestow, shortly before his death in March 2016.

The new album, recorded in September 2015, includes the substantial concert overture Ebb of Winter which was commissioned to celebrate the SCO’s 40th Anniversary; the flamboyant party piece An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise and two works for solo guitar tenderly performed by the Scottish performer Sean Shibe including Farewell to Stromness which must be one of the most beautiful pieces of contemporary music. The album has recently been in the Top 30 Classical Charts and Gramophone Magazine commented, “For a single-disc introduction to the many voices of Max, look no further.”

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A Celebration of Scotland This perennial best-selling album, includes Kinloche his Fantassie, Seven Songs Home, Dances from the ‘Two Fiddlers’, Jimmack the Postie, Renaissance Scottish Dances and the moving Lullabye for Lucy. It also includes a poignant version of Farewell to Stromness, this time performed on piano.

We originally released this album in 1989 with vocal contributions from the choir of St Mary’s Cathedral.

Strathclyde Concertos No 1 for Oboe and No 2 for Cello.

These two concertos have finally been re-released after many years’ absence from the catalogue.

Into the Labyrinth was written in 1983, for tenor Neil Mackie and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. It is a symphonic song-cycle which ponders the influence of modern times on

Cellist William Conway, for whom the Cello Concerto was written, reminded us in recent concerts in Glasgow and Edinburgh of the, expressive singing qualities of this dark, lyrical work. When it was first performed in 1989, the concerto evoked comparisons with Elgar’s.

–––––– All recordings are available to purchase at the SCO merchandise desk.

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Poppy Love “I love the image of the poppies, and I love Beethoven Symphony No 7, but what is the connection?”

This has been a common question about our closing concert of this season, and here is the reason behind the image we chose to promote this concert.

Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony was premiered in Vienna on December 8, 1813. The concert was billed as a benefit for Austrian and Bavarian soldiers wounded in the Battle of Hanau. This battle was fought on 30-31 October 1813 between Karl Philipp von Wrede’s Austro-Bavarian corps and Napoleon’s retreating French during the War of the Sixth Coalition.

The concert was a gala affair, with many of Vienna’s celebrity musicians, including Hummel, Spohr, Salieri, Meyerbeer and Moscheles recruited to play percussion. In Beethoven’s address to the participants, he said, “We are moved by nothing but pure patriotism and the joyful sacrifice of our powers for those who have sacrificed so much for us.”

Although the poppy became a symbol of

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remembrance after World War One, it was during the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century that the link between poppies and battlefields was made.

Fields that were barren before battle, exploded with blood-red flowers after the fighting ended.

So whether you are a newcomer to Beethoven Symphony No 7, or have a nostalgic connection to it through your own performances, previous concerts or favourite recordings, or perhaps you discovered it by watching the film The King’s Speech, please, in Beethoven’s words, spare a thought for “those who have sacrificed so much for us”. We hope the poppies remind you of these words.

–––––– Beethoven Symphony No 7 Brahms Double Concerto 11 & 12 May in Edinburgh and Glasgow The Glasgow concert is proudly sponsored by

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Big Ears, Little Ears on Tour

Since 2011, babies and toddlers have experienced the joy and excitement of live music at Big Ears, Little Ears concerts around Scotland. The concerts feature a small ensemble of SCO musicians who perform short, accessible programmes of classical and popular repertoire, interspersed with spoken introductions. The concerts are intimate and informal, and include opportunities for the audience to meet the players and see the instruments up close. Big Ears, Little Ears concerts take place at venues ranging from city centre museums and galleries to village halls and community centres around the country, including the National Museum of Scotland, Wester Hailes Education Centre and the Byre Theatre, St Andrews.

SCO Big Ears, Little Ears concerts have proved extremely popular so in 2015 we embarked on our first tour, taking the concerts to rural and remote parts of Scotland. Our first tour featured a string quartet - David Chadwick, Sarah Bevan-Baker, Brian Schiele and Eric de Wit - performing in Dingwall, Tain and Balintore. The venues were very excited about hosting our quartet and all six concerts were fully booked. The audience reaction, from both little ones and grown-ups, was fantastic, with people commenting –

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“I enjoyed being able to experience something different with my daughter. The music was fantastic and she was mesmerised! Was lovely seeing the older kids having fun as well.”

“Thank you very much for coming up to Dingwall, lovely to have something like this locally.”

Following the success of this Highland tour, in 2016 Big Ears, Little Ears toured to the north east, visiting Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Whitehills near Banff. These concerts were performed by a wind trio – Alison Mitchell, William Stafford and Alison Green – who played in churches and village halls. Our audiences included large groups from local nurseries as well as individual family groups, including a tiny baby with mum, dad and a very proud grandmother, who commented. “I was thrilled this event was taking place in my village when my grandson happened to be staying. It was such a delight!”

Audiences take great pleasure from these concerts and our SCO musicians thoroughly enjoy being able to share their music with young audiences in rural areas. William Stafford, a regular Big Ears,

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Little Ears performer, said “It is always a joy to take part in the Big Ears, Little Ears tours. I particularly enjoy the relaxed and friendly concert atmosphere where our music seems to be appreciated by big ones and little ones alike.”

–––––– Our Big Ears, Little Ears 2017 tour will see our wind trio perform in Alness (Monday 13 March), Elgin (Tuesday 14 March) and Grantown-on-Spey (Wednesday 15 March). We will also be holding Big Ears, Little Ears concerts in Blairgowrie (Saturday 28 January) and St Andrews (Friday 10 February).

For more information and to book tickets, please visit www.sco.org.uk.

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- PART ONE THE ADVENTURES OF SU-A LEE

Su-a Lee in Nepal

www.sualee.com

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My 30-day epic adventure in Nepal

by Su-a Lee I had no internet for the whole time (except on the last day), so now I’m going to attempt to summarise my “pushed to the limits” adventure as succinctly as I can! Pull up a chair, and pour yourself a cuppa!

When I first started planning this trip over Christmas 2015, I knew that I didn’t want to go with a group. I also knew that I didn’t want to do a typical tourist trek.

But I did want a Sherpa guide and a cultural experience. The contact I’d been given for this specialist advice was a friend of a friend who has a trekking company in Canada. He leads treks regularly in Nepal.

By a remarkable stroke of luck, he was turning 50, and was celebrating by creating his own “dream trek” to explore the remote high-altitude Dolpo region. It would involve 5

It was certainly becoming more of an adventure by the minute and I readily embraced it...

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or 6 mountain passes over 15,000ft and remote access, possibly by helicopter, though certainly by small planes. His dates fitted mine like a glove and he offered for me to accompany him. His dream trek had become my dream come true!

Having the luxury of leaving all the logistics to him, all that I had to do, was get in training and organise my personal equipment.

But it all became far less straightforward when, just a fortnight before my departure to meet him in Kathmandu, circumstances beyond his control forced him to pull out! Imagine my panic!

He assured me he would still take care of me remotely...and certainly offered all his help and expertise.

He also offered me his team of Sherpa, cook and porter/yak/horse to be able to continue with the original plan of going to the Dolpo region without him.

It was certainly becoming more of an adventure by the minute and I readily embraced it...

At least, until we discovered that solo trekking is not permitted in

the Dolpo region. Now this news was truly gutting.

But with the help of his trekking agents in Kathmandu, with just days to go, they put together an exploratory trek of the Ganesh Himal region for me. It was purposefuly off the tourist track.

The day before departure, I bought a ukelele and a penny whistle, and on arrival in Kathmandu, I also bought a saw – now I was ready for my Himalayan adventure!

What I wasn’t ready for, was being picked up the following morning from my hotel in Kathmandu at 7am by a team of 7 people!

I couldn’t believe it! A driver, a Sherpa guide, a cook, plus five porters! I felt like royalty! There were 9 of us all crammed into a single Land Rover with so much gear stuffed in and strapped on, that I thought we would topple over! I actually couldn’t believe we would need so much stuff, but nothing was ever wasted and everything was fully appreciated (and recycled!).

In fact we restocked several times.

Many meals were also made from foraged goodies in the jungle! These boys can EAT! And they made me

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eat too! I doubled or tripled my average food consumption each day.

The sights, sounds and smells of Kathmandu make a feast in itself, let alone the journey into the mountains with a mid-morning stop for daal bhat (daily fayre).

But as we got progressively higher and into the mountains, it also got progressively more hair-raising!

In an attempt to climb as much of the first mountain by vehicle as possible, our driver put the Land Rover through an assault course which I never thought possible.

The gradient was so steep, we were mainly in first gear. The path was heavily rutted, and full of rocks, not to mention on a narrow ledge.

I was on the side nearest the deathdefying drop. I have to admit that at one point, I closed my eyes and conjured up as many Nepalese gods as I could, and offered them my prayers. At several points up this hill, when it seemed we could go no further, due to a landslide and rocks barring our way, everyone would jump out and start shifting the guilty boulders! At another point, we just plain drove through a landslide that had become a torrential river! It was like being in a Raiders of the Lost Ark movie! (dated reference!)

This was just the journey to the starting point... I haven’t even begun to describe my trek, and

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can’t really give you a blow by blow account of every day this month, so I’ll try to summarise here...

Heights ranged from 2,900ft to 16,400ft, very often with climbs or descents of up to 7,000ft of altitude difference in a single day (not counting the ups and downs within that!). I had to do a lot of “digging deep”. But however much I felt I was suffering, I know that my team of porters suffered far more, and the grace and cheeriness with which they carried themselves and their almighty loads, gave me a huge amount of courage, not to mention respect.

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Not a single day went by without rain (until the very final one!); sometimes it was torrential and unrelenting, with days of flash floods in pretty steep terrain which was terrifying to negotiate.

Camping every day when everything was wet through was draining, but this made every fire we built all the more warmly appreciated!

I certainly hadn’t expected so much of the trekking to be done in the steep jungle. In fact, I just hadn’t been quite mentally prepared for the relentlessness of inclines. Scale has a different meaning in the Himalayas. I have certainly learned how to soldier on... and on, and on.

One aspect that I was completely unprepared for, both mentally and physically, was the fact there were leeches. Zillions of them. It will be a lasting memory of the journey.

Maybe because I hadn’t expected them, maybe because I’ve never experienced them before, or maybe simply because there are armies of leeches everywhere! The jungles, rivers and grasses are leech infested.

As I became more expert at spotting them, I could see them craning like snake charmers on rocks, blades of grass, and horizontally from bushes, latching onto you as you brush past.

Often you couldn’t stop, because during the time it took to clear them from your body and boots, you would actually gain more leeches than you could get rid of!

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The sights, sounds and smells of Kathmandu make a feast in itself

It turns out that this summer Nepal didn’t have much of a monsoon.

Perhaps the Gods were saving the rains and thunderstorms for September! That’s also one good reason why the trekking season doesn’t normally kick off until October. I’ve never experienced rains and storms like it...more dangerously, negotiating steep uphill jungle in flash flood situations. And have I mentioned that leeches love the rain?!

My exceptional Sherpa team and I looked like the war-wounded each day, boots, socks and trousers filled with blood. The tenacious critters not only crucified my ankles and calves, but they managed to climb up my legs and suck blood from my thighs, stomach, neck, hands and wrists and even overnight on my face! I also shared my tent with a mouse one night!

The temperature range was fairly extreme... from freezing in a down sleeping bag wearing almost every item of thermal, silk, wool

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and down clothing I possessed, to sitting as still as possible in

also how much joy they find in camaraderie and triumphing over the elements. I was constantly inspired by them and learned so much from them all.

t-shirt and underwear, yet still literally dripping with sweat. The difference was very much altitude related.

Man Bahardur, the Sherpa guide, is one of the most uncannily intuitive people I have met. He could sense ailments in me, that I swear were not outwardly visible. He could always spot monkeys, in distant trees or rocks, and interesting birds or insects. It earned him my nickname for him of “Eagle Eyes”.

I felt he always wanted the best for me.

If it wasn’t the dreaded leeches, it was the mosquitos! They did some fairly substantial feeding on me too... despite dousing myself in citronella!

On the music front, I managed to teach myself one basic chord sequence on the ukelele, which I improvised various songs to – good campfire material. And also learned a couple of Nepalese folk songs which I also transferred onto the penny whistle and musical saw.

These went down a treat with the local villagers.

One of the original reasons for choosing Nepal, out of all the places in the world that I might spend my month of September, was because of the horrific earthquake that had happened a year before.

This last minute replacement expedition had us walking right through the epicentre, and we saw incredible evidence of it, from major landslides to huge crevasses which have since appeared. The humanitarian aid that was clearly visible was really heart-warming. It actually brought me to tears to see

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various plaques from individual sponsors, as well as tarpaulins everywhere, bearing the names of numerous world charities.

Ultimately, the most memorable part of the trip for me, was the quality and character of my Sherpa team. It often took my breath away to see how much they suffer, and how lightly they wear it, yet

Then there was our wonderful cook, Kumar, who has such a passion for everything that he does. Calmly going about everything, with huge gusto and bold moves, yet with sensitivity and attention to detail. A dab hand with his machete, he would bring down trees for firewood, as well as fashioning strong staffs to beat out new paths through the jungle for us all.

I never tired of watching him cook and will certainly be trying out some of his dishes at home.

The youngest member of the team was Bikram (aged 19), who attended to me personally, carrying my excess stuff that I didn’t carry in my daily pack, such as tent and sleeping stuff. He brought me washing water and tea in the

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morning and was so lovely. We spent some enjoyable afternoons chatting about his life and dreams, as well as sharing his favourite Nepalese songs which I translated onto penny whistle. He is studying computer science and he’s so bright, I’m sure he will go far.

Sandeep, a tall and slender man, with beautiful deep wells for eyes.

He certainly was much stronger than he looked, and the most affectionate of souls. He walked the whole way in flip flops. On our toughest day, he took a pretty deep fall off a slippery fallen trunk from a huge landslide. We were all very relieved when he reappeared with only minor scratches.

It was Nima who went down into the ravine after him. Nima is hardy as hell, and absolutely at home in the mountains, his natural habitat and he just gets on with it all. What a legend!

Maila, my smiling Buddha, such a strong and steady man. Always smiling and ever ready to help. He had a fondness for climbing trees and collecting mushrooms. He was a great support in some pretty frightening climbs, and he managed to do it all in a pair of wellies!

My biggest hero was Oh Suk, who on the day of the first monsoon

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floods, carried me (still wearing my backpack) across several flash flood rivers which I found mildly terrifying. He is so strong… everything seems effortless to him.

Very experienced, he has been to Everest Camp 2, over 23,000ft high and slept in a sleeping bag on ice, outside without a tent! Hardcore and super cool.

One of our hardest days, involved an intense and terrifying clamber up and around a very steep and exposed jungle ravine where one slip would have been fatal.

Oh Suk and Maila had dropped their huge loads and come back for me. Maila insisted on taking my pack, and Oh Suk took my hand, and they literally man-handled me at great speed as I clutched at every possible root or branch that would keep me grounded. We were like feral creatures on a rabid search for safety! When we finally reached a slightly less precarious place, the adrenaline that had been coursing so violently through my body seemed to well up in the form of tears. We all felt it, and were just glad to be alive.

Ultimately, the most memorable part of the trip for me, was the quality and character of my Sherpa team It was only on the very final day, that we had our first full day of sunshine this whole month.

A welcome relief to finally dry our clothes, boots and tents, in readiness for our 7 hour drive home the next day in the pouring rain again!

That night (the last night), I invited them all out to dinner in Kathmandu, to a restaurant of their choice. We all had steak, chips and ketchup, washed down with large beers…unintentionally, they were gently nudging me back towards western society. I was a somewhat reluctant follower, and now that I am back home, I am reaching for my rice cooker and lentils.

–––––– Read more from SCO Cellist Su-a Lee at www.sualee.com

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Sir James MacMillan As part of this month-long celebration, we present two major MacMillan premieres – Concertino for Horn and Strings (World Premiere) and Stabat Mater (Scottish Premiere)

This March, in partnership with the BBC SSO, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Glasgow Life, is an exciting proliferation of performances

Our celebration culminates in MacMillan’s Stabat Mater for chorus and string orchestra, where we are thrilled to be joined by conductor Harry

celebrating new compositions by one of Scotland’s most successful contemporary composers – Sir James MacMillan. As part of this month-long celebration, we present two major premieres - Concertino for Horn and Strings (World Premiere) and Stabat Mater (Scottish Premiere).

Christophers and his widely-acclaimed choir, The Sixteen. Here is what MacMillan has to say on the piece:

Our superb Principal Horn, Alec Frank-Gemmill is the soloist for the Concertino arrangement of the composer’s thrillingly theatrical Horn Quintet. It’s an opportunity to hear the full extent of the capabilities of the french horn – an instrument that MacMillan cherishes from his time spent playing in brass ensembles as a young musician.

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“The text is a 13th-century hymn meditating on the suffering of Mary, the mother of God, as she stands at the foot of the cross. Stabat Mater Dolorosa (“The grieving mother stood … at the foot of the Cross”) – these are the first words of a long poem, 20 stanzas in full, whose subject is Mary as she beholds her dying son. This is a kind of ultimate, spiritual Kindertotenlied (a song on the death of a child). The poem goes beyond mere description. It invites the reader and the listener to partake in the mother’s grief as a path to grace, and as part of a believer’s spiritual journey. I also quote the Stabat Mater at

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the beginning of my opera Inés de Castro, where the Latin text provides an anxious underlay to a choral scene where the Portuguese people are gathering for prayer under the looming threat of war with the Spanish. So there are twin aspects to this 13th century hymn: on the one hand the very human relationship of parent and child and, on the other, Mary as an intercessor between Man and God.” Sir James MacMillan will take to the stage in the first half of this concert to direct Tryst – a 1989 SCO commission which has since been performed to great effect all over the world.

Inspired by a love poem of the same title by William Souter, the piece demonstrates highly effective treatment of one very simple melody. It is a melody that MacMillan strongly associates with commitment, intimacy, faith and love, but it is also saturated with a sadness as if all these things are about to expire.

–––––– Prior to our Glasgow performance of the Horn Concertino, students from Royal Conservatoire of Scotland will perform a pre-concert recital.

We also invite you to hear the composer discuss this work and his relationship with the SCO, alongside Svend Brown at both our Edinburgh and Glasgow performances of Stabat Mater.

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Macmillan’s Stabat Mater 23-24 March Edinburgh and Glasgow

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YOUR ORCHESTRA, YOUR SAY...

–––––– 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.

–––––– The gauntlet has been thrown down.... Who's next to take up the #mannequinchallenge?

Any takers Edinburgh International Festival, Hebrides Ensemble, #SCOChorus, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Ensemble, Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland?

SCO (Facebook)

@SCOmusic were on fire tonight [Maxwell Davies] and I think @Rumongamba might have had some whisky in his porridge this morning.

Julie Robertson @JuJuDollie

You [Peter Whelan, Principal Bassoon, and Alison Green, Sub Principal Bassoon] need to get your own show! I’m thinking the new Mel and Sue for when Bake Off moves to Channel 4!

[Watch the interview with our delightful bassoon duo on SCO’s YouTube or Facebook page] Al Asdair (Facebook)

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We always knew @keyboardkris’s Mozart would be fantastic, but tonight’s unsung @SCOmusic hero was @DuncanWardMusic - more please!

Anthony Mudge @awmudge

We thoroughly enjoyed the wind soloists’ concert last Sunday. It was also good to see the students (students? Who would have guessed?) being so warmly encouraged by the professionals. It was, for us, the perfect culmination of a week in Edinburgh… Best wishes to a fine band.

Mr and Mrs Philips, Chamber Sunday attenders, Customer Email

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 Share your experience on Twitter @SCOmusic Share your experience on Instagram @scottishchamberorchestra #mySCO

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THROUGH THE EYES OF...

Matthew Hardy Principal Timpanist You’ve been involved in several SCO projects over the past year, what have been your main highlights?

There have been two SCO Connect projects that have really stand out for me. The legacy residency at Sunnyside Primary School, Glasgow was special because we not only worked with older students to devise their own original workshop material, also helped them deliver the sessions to younger students. Seeing the 10-11 year olds offering their skills so openly to younger students was inspirational, as was watching their journey through the project as they grew in confidence. I also really enjoyed Masterworks. Not only were we working with an awesome piece (Gabriel Prokofiev: Concerto for Turntable and Orchestra) but Aisling and I also spent five days working with secondary school music students from the Borders. The work was incredibly exhausting but immensely satisfying and it was great to see students not only freely compose, but also work so well with their peers.

If you weren’t a professional musician, what occupation would you have picked?

I loved studying science at school and completed my A levels in Chemistry, Physics, Maths and Music. I actually managed to get a place in on the Tonmeister Sound Recording and Acoustic Design course at Surrey University. It sounded fascinating but I think deep down I always knew I would rather be performing. When I was lucky enough to gain a place at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, I decided to go and try my hand at hitting things for a living instead! I also

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haven’t ruled out being a primary school teacher at some point in my life, as I love working with little ones. Children are like sponges in the way they absorb information and I find working with them incredibly rewarding.

2016 has been an eventful year. What have been your stand out moments and what are you most looking forward to in 2017?

The world has certainly limped to the end of 2016 after a very eventful year and it’s at times like this I feel very thankful to be in a profession that ultimately aims to bring joy to others and also ourselves. For the SCO, my 2016 highlight has to be our 16/17 season opener of Mozart Symphonies; the most beautiful music directed so eloquently by Robin Ticciati. Music aside, Leicester City defying all odds to win the Premiership, England rugby not losing a game all season and the Olympics and Paralympics, which never cease to blow my mind. This year we have our European tour to look forward to which always brings the best out of the Orchestra (and we get to eat some awesome food!). We will be working alongside a host of new and old faces and I live in hope that the world may just calm down a little bit! Oh, and I’m getting married… happy days!

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HEAR US IN CONCERT

Diary: Jan-April Venues:

Edinburgh Glasgow Aberdeen

25-27 January 7.30pm

18-19 February Various Times

23-26 February Various Times

PIRES PLAYS MOZART PIANO CONCERTOS

SCO FAMILY CONCERTS STAN AND MABEL

MOZART CORONATION MASS

ROBIN TICCIATI Conductor

GEOFFREY PATERSON Conductor CHRIS JARVIS Narrator

RICHARD EGARR Conductor SCO CHORUS

Perth St Andrews Ayr

Dumfries Inverness

2-4 March 7.30pm

9-11 March 7.30pm

14 March 6pm

BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO 2

THE PARIS CONCERT

ANDREW MANZE Conductor ALEC FRANK-GEMMILL Horn

LAURENCE CUMMINGS Conductor SCO WIND SOLOISTS

WIDER CONNECTIONS: MUSIC AND RELIGION

23-24 March 7.30pm

26 March 3pm

31 March-2 April 7.30pm

MACMILLAN’S STABAT MATER

CHAMBER SUNDAY CONCERT

SCHUMANN SYMPHONY NO 2

HARRY CHRISTOPHERS, SIR JAMES MACMILLAN Conductors THE SIXTEEN

SCO Soloists

PHILIPPE HERREWEGHE Conductor MARTIN HELMCHEN Piano

6-7 April 7.30pm

12 April 5.30pm

19-21 April 7.30pm

SCHUMANN SYMPHONY NO 3 ‘RHENISH’

EARLY EVENING RECITAL: COMPOSER FOCUS ON JEREMY THURLOW

BEETHOVEN THE ‘EROICA’

EMMANUEL KRIVINE Conductor BERTRAND CHAMAYOU Piano

ALEXANDRE BLOCH Conductor JEAN-GUIHEN QUEYRAS Cello

4 Royal Terrace Edinburgh EH7 5AB telephone: 0131 557 6800 email: info@sco.org.uk www.sco.org.uk

–––––

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is a charity registered in Scotland No. SC015039 Company registration No. SC75079

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