This April, the Cumnock Tryst will present a special one-off event featuring two icons of the Scottish and global music scene, Sir James MacMillan and Dame Evelyn Glennie.
Following a day of workshops featuring Sir James and Dame Evelyn, the pair will join members of CentreStage, Kilmarnock, Solar Bear Theatre Company, along with young people from across Ayrshire for an evening of music and conversation set against the backdrop of Dumfries House.
Entirely free and open to those of all ages, there will be a British Sign Language interpreter on hand throughout the evening, ensuing that not a moment of either music or conversation is missed by either hearing or hearing-impaired performers or members of the audience.
Sir James MacMillan said, “We are so excited to welcome Dame Evelyn Glennie to East Ayrshire, for a truly unique day of workshops and improvisation sessions, following an evening showing our audience what we have achieved over the course of the day. I am also really excited to have the opportunity to work once again with members of CentreStage, Kilmarnock and Solar Bear Theatre Company, both of whom are made up of incredibly talented and dedicated young people.”
Evelyn grew up in rural Aberdeenshire and became profoundly deaf at a young age, yet she went on to fulfill her ambition of being the first full time solo percussionist in the world. This April she will discuss her journey with Sir James recalling inspirational individuals and life changing experiences – not least her electrifying BBC Proms performance of his percussion concerto Veni, Veni, Emmanuel in 1992 that should give inspiration to all young people in the room.
The event will also be an opportunity for Sir James to announce the programme for this year’s highly anticipated Cumnock Tryst music festival which is set to be the most pluralist it has ever been, with everything from jazz nights to the powerful chorus numbers for which the festival has become known, set to take the stages of towns across Cumnock in 2022.
For more information visit https://www.thecumnocktryst.com/
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 