Previous performance: Out and About concert with David Danzmayr, opening Arbroath’s Webster Theatre in 2008
Royal Scottish National Orchestra is embarking on its most geographically ambitious residential endeavour in the UK – Out and About in Shetland – five days of rehearsals and performances, education and community activities, and workshops and master classes across the Islands from Thursday 1 to Monday 5 March 2012.
Since 2004 Scotland’s national orchestra has been committed to its Out and About programme - annual, week-long residencies in areas of the country which are not frequently visited by a national performing arts organisation.
For the programme 70 RSNO musicians will journey from the orchestra’s base in Glasgow to the archipelago and integrate with the local communities by learning, creating and performing music.
The RSNO has been preparing for this trip for well over a year. In 2011 the RSNO commissioned Shetland-born composer and award-winning traditional fiddler Chris Stout to compose a substantial work for orchestra which will serve as the centrepiece of the Orchestra’s Sunday evening concert.
The award-winning traditional musician and composer said: “I'm delighted that the RSNO will be visiting Shetland. It's a nice feeling to know that the excitement and anticipation felt by the visiting musicians will be shared by the local community.
“This project allows musicians to share ideas on a huge scale and I’m certain everyone will come out of it feeling energised and fulfilled.”
Stout also wrote a motif which has been used as the starting point of a composition and performance project, driven by collaboration between RSNO and Shetland musicians.
Four groups from the RSNO visited the Islands last October and made contact with a number of Shetland-based traditional musicians, armed with his “musical kernel”. Since the initial visit the four groups have worked together with Stout in Shetland, in Glasgow and online, producing four distinct works inspired by his original melody.
He added: “It is this sense of sharing knowledge which has been the main inspiration behind my piece Tingaholm. Although it exists as a complete work it stays true to the tradition that I have been brought up with.
“It is open to the interpretation of some of the finest musicians in Shetland, in collaboration with members of the RSNO. I can't wait to hear the results!”
On Friday 2nd March the four ensembles will perform their new works as well as traditional tunes and contributions from the RSNO musicians at separate locations in Shetland’s outer isles, each marking geographic points of the compass; Unst (Baltasound Junior High School), Out Skerries (Skerries Junior High School), Foula (Primary School) and Fair Isle (Primary School). They will perform concerts connected via live video link to each other as well as transmitted live to the Garrison Theatre, Lerwick for the enjoyment of those in Shetland’s capital.
Other events on during the five days of Out and About in Shetland include: the RSNO Brass Quintet presenting Bigton Brass Concert; RSNO Violin Paul Medd performing a solo recital in the Long Room of the historic Busta House Hotel; Friday RSNO Leader James Clark will provide master classes for local young string players before they join the RSNO to perform at St Columba’s Church, Lerwick; and the RSNO returning to its symphonic proportions for The Sunday Symphony on 4th March – for the Orchestra’s 21st anniversary since its last full performance in the town.
Ellen Thomson, director of education and community partnerships for RSNO, said: “Bringing together two fantastic musical traditions was the source of inspiration for the RSNO’s Out and About week in Shetland and I am delighted that we’ve been able to do this in such a creative way.
“This project brings with it the usual RSNO ingredients, full orchestral concerts, inspirational music making for young people, tailor-made community workshops and small-scale performances as well as collaboration with some of Shetland’s finest musicians.”
Shetland arts director Gwilym Gibbons said: “This is a hugely ambitious and exciting project and one that has been a long term ambition of Shetland Arts and the RSNO. I am delighted that Shetland Arts and RSNO are working in partnership to bring the orchestra to Shetland.
“It is very rare for a full symphony orchestra to commit to overcoming the enormous logistical challenge of getting to an island location like ours, let alone head out to our own outer isles of Fair Isle, Outer Skerries, Foula and Unst."
- For more information on the activities of the RSNO during Out and About in Shetland go to rsno.org.uk or contact Shetland Box Office on 01595 745555 orshetlandboxoffice.org.
