Seek the Light – Season 2122 – Programme Note

Sponsored and match funded by

SEEK THE LIGHT 10 – 11 Mar 2022

SCO.ORG.UK

PROGRAMME

Season 2021/22

SEEK THE LIGHT

Sponsored and match funded by

* Please note that this is a change to the previously advertised programme.

Thursday 10 March, 7.30pm The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh Friday 11 March, 7.30pm City Halls, Glasgow Both halves of the concert will be played without a break

Beethoven Symphony No 4: Adagio* Polwart / Murphy Seek the Light (The 4 movements will be interspersed throughout this evening's concert) (World Premiere – Scottish Chamber Orchestra commission)

Polwart / Murphy You Know Where You Are (from Seek the Light) Tarrodi Birds of Paradise Polwart / Murphy The Night Mare (from Seek the Light) Tüür Insula Deserta Interval of 20 minutes

Polwart / Murphy A Love Too Loud (from Seek the Light) Vasks Violin Concerto 'Distant Light' Polwart / Murphy Sleep Now (from Seek the Light) Hugo Ticciati* Violin / Director Karine Polwart Singer

This performance will be recorded for the ‘Radio 3 in Concert’ series, due for broadcast on 1 April 2022.

Karine Polwart

4 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5AB +44 (0)131 557 6800 | info@sco.org.uk | sco.org.uk

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

Company registration No. SC075079.

Thank You

FUNDING PARTNERS ––––– The SCO is extremely grateful to the Scottish Government and to The City of Edinburgh Council for their continued support, and we would like to thank Dunard Fund for the foresight and understanding which their Trustees showed by supporting us through the exceptional gifts they granted in 2020 and 2021. We are also indebted to our Business Partners, all of the charitable trusts, foundations and lottery funders which support our projects, and the very many individuals who give financial support to our work and who enable us to do so much. Thank you.

Core Funder

Benefactor

Local Authority

Creative Learning Partner

Business Partners

Key Funders

Delivered by

Thank You

SCO DONORS Diamond

Gold

Malcolm and Avril Gourlay

William and Elizabeth Berry

James and Felicity Ivory

Lord Matthew Clarke

Norman and Christine Lessels

Caroline Denison-Pender

Clair and Vincent Ryan

David and Sheila Ferrier

Alan and Sue Warner

Chris and Claire Fletcher Louise D Fortune

Platinum

James Friend

Eric G Anderson

Judith and David Halkerston

David Caldwell in memory of Ann

Ian Hutton

Tom and Alison Cunningham

David Kerr

Andrew and Kirsty Desson

Gordon Kirk

John and Jane Griffiths

Robert Mackay and Philip Whitley

J Douglas Home

Roy and Svend McEwan-Brown

Audrey Hopkins

June Miller

Dr and Mrs Peter Jackson

Alan Moat

Dr Daniel Lamont

James F Muirhead

Chris and Gill Masters

John and Liz Murphy

Duncan and Una McGhie

Alison and Stephen Rawles

Anne-Marie McQueen

Mr and Mrs J Reid

Patrick and Susan Prenter

Andrew Robinson

George Ritchie

Hilary E Ross

Martin and Mairi Ritchie

Ian S Swanson

Elaine Ross

John-Paul and Joanna Temperley

George Rubienski

Anne Usher

Jill and Brian Sandford

Catherine Wilson

Michael and Elizabeth Sudlow

Neil and Philippa Woodcock

Robert and Elizabeth Turcan

G M Wright

Tom and Natalie Usher

Bruce and Lynda Wyer

Anny and Bobby White Finlay and Lynn Williamson Ruth Woodburn

Silver Roy Alexander Joseph I Anderson Pamela Andrews and Alan Norton Dr Peter Armit William Armstrong Fiona and Neil Ballantyne Joseph and Patricia Banks Timothy Barnes and Janet Sidaway The Batsleer Family Jack Bogle Jane Borland Jane and Michael Boyle Mary Brady Elizabeth Brittin John Brownlie Laura Buist Robert Burns Sheila Colvin

Dr William Fortescue Jeanette Gilchrist

Robert Duncan

David Gilmour

Gavin McCrone

Dr David Grant

Michael McGarvie

Andrew Hadden J Martin Haldane Ronnie and Ann Hanna Ruth Hannah Robin Harding Roderick Hart Norman Hazelton

Brian Miller James and Helen Moir Alistair Montgomerie Margaret Mortimer and Ken Jobling Andrew Murchison Hugh and Gillian Nimmo

Ron and Evelynne Hill

David and Tanya Parker

Phyll and Wren Hoskyns-Abrahall

Hilary and Bruce Patrick

Dianne Howieson

Maggie Peatfield

Clephane Hume

Alastair Reid

Tim and Anna Ingold

Fiona Reith

David and Pamela Jenkins

Alan Robertson

Catherine Johnstone

Olivia Robinson

Sir Raymond and Lady Johnstone

Catherine Steel

Julie and Julian Keanie

Lorn and Camilla Cowie

Marty Kehoe

Lord and Lady Cullen of Whitekirk

Professor Christopher and

Adam and Lesley Cumming

James McClure in memory of

Mrs Alison Kelnar

Gillian Stewart Ian Szymanski Marion Thomson Douglas and Sandra Tweddle

Jo and Christine Danbolt

Dr and Mrs Ian Laing

Dr Wilma Dickson

Janey and Barrie Lambie

Sylvia Dow

Graham and Elma Leisk

James Dunbar-Nasmith

Geoff Lewis

C S Weir

Dr and Mrs Alan Falconer

Dorothy A Lunt

Bill Welsh

Sheila Ferguson

Vincent Macaulay

Roderick Wylie

Dr James W E Forrester

Isobel and Alan MacGillivary

Margaretha Walker James Wastle

––––– We believe the thrill of live orchestral music should be accessible to everyone, so we aim to keep the price of concert tickets as fair as possible. However, even if a performance were completely sold out, we would not cover the presentation costs.

We are indebted to everyone acknowledged here who gives philanthropic gifts to the SCO of £300 or greater each year, as well as those who prefer to remain anonymous. We are also incredibly thankful to the many individuals not listed who are kind enough to support the Orchestra financially, whether that is regularly or on an ad hoc basis. Every single donation makes a difference and we are truly grateful.

Become a regular donor, from as little as £5 a month, by contacting Mary Clayton on 0131 478 8369 or mary.clayton@sco.org.uk

Thank You

PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR'S CIRCLE ––––– Our Principal Conductor’s Circle is made up of individuals who share the SCO’s vision to bring the joy of music to as many people as possible. These individuals are a special part of our musical family, and their commitment and generosity benefit us all – musicians, audiences and creative learning participants alike. We would like to extend our grateful thanks to them for playing such a key part in the future of the SCO. American Development Fund Erik Lars Hansen and Vanessa C L Chang Kenneth and Martha Barker Creative Learning Fund Claire and Mark Urquhart David and Maria Cumming International Touring Fund Gavin and Kate Gemmell

Visiting Artists Fund Colin and Sue Buchan Claire and Anthony Tait Anne and Matthew Richards Productions Fund The Usher Family Annual Fund James and Patricia Cook Dr Caroline N Hahn

CHAIR SPONSORS Conductor Emeritus Joseph Swensen Donald and Louise MacDonald

Cello Eric de Wit Jasmine Macquaker Charitable Fund

Chorus Director Gregory Batsleer Anne McFarlane

Principal Oboe Robin Williams Hedley G Wright

Viola Steve King Sir Ewan and Lady Brown

Principal Clarinet Maximiliano Martín Stuart and Alison Paul

Principal Cello Philip Higham The Thomas Family

Principal Timpani Louise Goodwin Geoff and Mary Ball

Cello Donald Gillan Professor Sue Lightman

Our Musicians

YOUR ORCHESTRA First Violin Hugo Ticciati* Ruth Crouch Adela Bratu Kana Kawashima Fiona Alexander Amira Bedrush-McDonald Sarah Bevan-Baker Ruth Slater Second Violin Marcus Barcham Stevens Gordon Bragg Katrina Lee Rachel Spencer Gillian Risi Lorna McLaren Viola Fiona Winning Felix Tanner Brian Schiele Steve King Cello Philip Higham Su-a Lee Donald Gillan Eric de Wit Bass Nikita Naumov Adrian Bornet

Information correct at the time of going to print

Flute André Cebrián Emma Roche

* Sadly, due to family circumstances Pekka Kuusisto will no longer be able to join the SCO for his planned Residency in March. Pekka was due

Piccolo Emma Roche

to direct/perform three programmes with the Orchestra: New York Counterpoint (6 Mar), Seek The

Oboe Robin Williams Katherine Bryer

Light (10/11 Mar) and America, The Beautiful (16/17/18 Mar). Our thoughts are with Pekka and his family at this difficult time.

Bass Clarinet William Stafford

We are grateful that violinist/director Hugo Ticciati has agreed to step

Clarinet Maximiliano Martín William Stafford

in for Pekka for the entirety of the Residency. Hugo is an acclaimed violinist, leader and conductor and

Bassoon Cerys Ambrose-Evans Alison Green Horn Nick Mooney Harry Johnstone Trumpet Peter Franks Shaun Harrold Timpani Tom Hunter Percussion Iain Sandilands Technical Cues Samuel McLellan

has a huge passion for contemporary, non-western and traditional music alike and we hugely appreciate him joining us for these three exciting projects at such short notice.

Adrian Bornet Sub-Principal Double Bass

W H AT YO U ARE ABOUT TO HEAR Polwart / Murphy Seek the Light (World Premiere – Scottish Chamber Orchestra commission) (2022) You Know Where You Are The Night Mare

––––– The stellar compass of migrating birds, the mythic birth of constellations, and the passing of winter are amongst the inspirations behind Seek the Light, a new work by singer-songwriter and folk artist, Karine Polwart and composer and sound designer, Pippa Murphy. Looking upwards and outwards to the living planet and beyond, they weave together song and spoken word in a series of four meditations on light and darkness, wrought in a spirit of awe, reverence and solace.

A Love Too Loud Sleep Now

Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphony No 4: Adagio (1807) Tarrodi (b 1981) Birds of Paradise (2008) Tüür (b 1959) Insula Deserta (1989) Vasks (b 1946) Violin Concerto 'Distant Light' (1996/7) Andante – Cadenza 1 Cantabile Mosso – Cadenza 2 Cantabile Agitato – Cadenza 3 – Tempo di Valse Andante

Seek the Light forms the glistening thread that connects all the music in this wideranging concert, conceived originally as a collaboration between the exceptional Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto, and Polwart and Murphy. In Pekka’s absence, we’re delighted to welcome the equally charismatic violinist Hugo Ticciati, who will play/direct all the works in the programme alongside Karine and the SCO. The concert opens with a belated tribute to Beethoven, whose 250th birthday celebrations in 2020 were rather overshadowed by the arrival of the pandemic. Nestling between the revolutionary heroism of his Third and the turmoil of his Fifth, Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony gets somewhat overlooked, but it’s a work of great enchantment, delight and charm, written intentionally to be distinctively different from its neighbours. Its slow second movement has generated quite a bit of speculation: its accompaniment figure sounds very much like a heartbeat, and the yearning melody that begins in the violins might lead you to think it’s a statement of amorous intent.

xxx

Looking upwards and outwards to the living planet and beyond, they weave together song and spoken word in a series of four meditations on light and darkness, wrought in a spirit of awe, reverence and solace.

Karine Polwart

Accordingly, Beethoven weaves through some of his most delicate orchestral writing, before the timpani get their moment to shine just before the close.

The epic seasonal journeys of birds depend on their embodied knowledge of geomagnetism, topography, air currents and light, as well as celestial observations.

Polwart and Murphy’s You Know Where You Are marvels at the way in which migrating birds orientate themselves to Polaris, The Pole (or North) Star, around which the Earth appears to rotate.

Climate change, intensive agriculture, urban structures and light pollution have interrupted these evolved rhythms, causing dramatic declines in many familiar songbird populations in recent decades.

Swedish composer Andrea Tarrodi evokes the shimmering heat of the rainforest, and the dazzling courtship displays and uncanny calls of one of nature’s most exquisite creatures in her string concerto, Birds of Paradise. Its swirling clamour and uncanny mimetic motifs are inspired by an episode of the BBC’s celebrated nature documentary series Planet Earth, narrated by David Attenborough.

If flight, colour and light infuse Tarrodi’s piece, then Polwart and Murphy turn next to darkness. Few of us in Scotland experience the wonder and depth of a truly dark night sky. Yet throughout history, it has been pivotal to our sense of ourselves. We have navigated by stars, structured our seasonal and religious

Ludwig van Beethoven

Andrea Tarrodi

calendar by solar, lunar and stellar cycles, dreamt beneath, and been awed by, the celestial realm.

indigenous tales are largely lost. What abides are references to Roman gods and Greek myths, by which we continue to describe much of the night sky today.

We have also feared the dark.

All human cultures across time and space have told stories about how the visible

In the Northern hemisphere, Cassiopeia is one of the most readily identifiable constellations - a huge, scrawled ‘W’ that appears to circuit The Pole Star. A Love Too Loud re-tells the Greek myth from the perspective of Cassiopeia herself, Queen of Ethiopia (in Ancient Greece, this encompassed modern-day Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan). As mother of Andromeda, Cassiopeia is said to have offended the gods by boasting of her daughter’s beauty. For this vanity, she is, upon her death, thrown to the heavens

stars and planets came to be. Scotland’s

by Zeus, in a curse of perpetual humiliation

But what if we have more to fear from unceasing light than from darkness? The Night Mare explores this possibility in the form of contemporary ballad mythmaking.

Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tüür’s Insula Deserta maintains an air of arid uncertainty, closing the first set on a note of anxiety.

Erkki-Sven Tüür

Pēteris Vasks

that sees her spend half the night on her head, clinging to the underside of Polaris.

Perhaps she didn’t deserve it?

And it is to the skyward realm of stars and birds that Polwart and Murphy return in their final song. In Gaelic folklore, the dark of the winter months is the domain of the Cailleach, ‘the old woman’, whilst the light of spring and summer belongs to Brìde, or Brigit, incorporated into Christian canonry as St Bride. Brìde is associated with the oystercatcher (in Gaelic, brìdean - ‘Bride’s bird’ or gille-brìde -‘servant of Bride’) and with both the lark and the linnet (from the Latin genus linaria). Sleep Now is a lullaby sung at the threshold between darkness and light, death and new life. We, along with Hugo and the orchestra, offer you a warm invitation here to join us at this close, “singing in the dark”.

Much of the work of Pēteris Vasks is informed by Latvian folklore, history and political identity, and reflects on complex, shifting human relationships with the natural world. It is also profoundly spiritual.

Hugo Ticciati has previously performed and recorded Vasks’ string concerto Distant Light with his Stockholm-based O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra. Infused with a sense of both loss and hope, Vasks himself says of his work, “My intention is to provide food for the soul, and this is what I preach in my works … Distant Light is nostalgia with a touch of tragedy. Childhood memories but also the glittering stars millions of light years away”.

© David Kettle

Sleep Now is a lullaby sung at the threshold between darkness and light, death and new life.

We, along with Hugo and the orchestra, offer you a warm invitation here to join us at this close, “singing in the dark”.

Pippa Murphy

1. sleep now, sleep now mother of my mother sleep now, sleep now night has come

3. sleep now, sleep now all the stars are shining sleep now, sleep now birds are in your room

linaria, linaria the lark and the linnet linaria, linaria singing in the dark

linaria, linaria the lark and the linnet linaria, linaria singing in the dark

2. sleep now, sleep now throw the windows open sleep now, sleep now call the shadows in linaria, linaria the lark and the linnet linaria, linaria singing in the dark

SPECIAL THANKS FROM KARINE AND PIPPA Mark Whyles Stephen Deazley Hebridean Dark Skies Festival Jonathan Hargreaves Joey O’Neill

Director / Violin HUGO T I C C I AT I

––––– As violinist, leader and conductor, Hugo Ticciati imbibes all possible forms of creativity, whether it be performing world premieres in the most prestigious venues around the world, improvising with monks in India, or devising innovative programmes for O/Modernt Orchestra and Festival which he founded in 2011. Alongside his passion to discover and learn from the music of previous epochs and non-western traditions, Hugo embraces the world of contemporary music. To date, over forty works have been written for and dedicated to him by a host of eminent composers, including Erkki-Sven Tüür, Pēteris Vasks, Victoria Borisova-Ollas, Albert Schnelzer and Dobrinka Tabakova.

Being the Artistic Director of O/Modernt Orchestra, Hugo collaborates regularly with Kremerata Baltica, Manchester Camerata, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and Orchestra da Camera di Perugia.

Most recently, he has been invited to work with Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra and Vienna Chamber Orchestra.

Gaining a growing reputation for his innovative and adventurous programming, Hugo is frequently asked to devise and present concerts and festivals with a unique twist. This has led to ongoing collaborations with Wigmore Hall and Kings Place in London. Pursuing his passion for chamber music, Hugo has developed special artistic partnerships with members of the O/Modernt Soloists as well as other internationally renowned artists, notably Evelyn Glennie, Anne Sofie von Otter, Nils Landgren, Steven Isserlis, Angela Hewitt and Olli Mustonen.

Hugo frequently gives master-classes and lectures on music-related subjects both at Scandinavia’s leading specialist music school Lilla Akademien, where he holds the post of Deputy Artistic Director, and other educational institutions around the world.

Singer / Songwriter K ARINE POLWART –––––

Composer / Sound designer PIPPA MURPHY ––––– Folk singer, songwriter and theatre-maker, Karine Polwart is a seven-times winner at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Her work encompasses traditional song and oral storytelling, contemporary songwriting and spoken word, cross-genre collaborations and thematic multi-art-form projects. Much of Karine’s writing is rooted in folklore, place, social history, and scientific and philosophical curiosity. She is currently elected to the Senate of the Ivors Academy, the advocacy body for UK composers, songwriters and producers.

Award-winning composer and sound designer, Pippa Murphy is renowned for her stylistic breadth, depth and originality as well as her unique cross-disciplinary understanding of storytelling and creative collaboration. She has scored for TV, film, concert halls & theatres. Pippa studied classical violin, piano and percussion from an early age and has a PhD in composition from the University of Birmingham.

As a composition team, Polwart and Murphy collaborated first on Wind Resistance, Polwart’s acclaimed one woman show for The Lyceum Theatre and Edinburgh International Festival (2016), and on the subsequent album project, A Pocket of Wind Resistance (2017), which won a New Music Scotland Award and was shortlisted for Scottish Album of the Year. They collaborated with SCO at The King’s Theatre, Glasgow during Celtic Connections 2019, and with the BBC SSO for both Celtic Connections and Proms in the Park 2017. As a composer and librettist team, they have written together for Mahogany Opera and Glasgow School of Art Choir’s Composeher project. As cocreators, they are currently Artists in Residence at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Kindly supported by

SCO American Development Fund

Hugo Ticciati Director / Violin* *Please note that this is a change from previously advertised

AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUL 16 - 18 Mar, 7.30pm St Andrews | Edinburgh | Glasgow

18 and Under FREE

SCO.ORG.UK Company Registration Number: SC075079. A charity registered in Scotland No. SC015039.

BE PART OF OUR FUTURE A warm welcome to everyone who has recently joined our family of donors, and a big thank you to everyone who is helping to secure our future.

Monthly or annual contributions from our donors make a real difference to the SCO’s ability to budget and plan ahead with more confidence. In these extraordinarily challenging times, your support is more valuable than ever.

For more information on how you can become a regular donor, please get in touch with Mary Clayton on 0131 478 8369 or email mary.clayton@sco.org.uk.

SCO.ORG.UK/SUPPORT-US The SCO is a charity registered in Scotland No SC015039.