Scottish Ensemble (SE) will perform in some of Scotland’s most atmospheric venues this December, surrounded by soft flickering candlelight, with the return of their annual Concerts by Candlelight tour.
From Cathedrals to Kirks and during the dates 1st to the 8th December, the ensemble will visit some of the country’s finest venues across six Scottish cities: Aberdeen, Inverness, Perth, Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow. A staple of the Scottish festive calendar, Concerts by Candlelight offers an intimate evening framed by candlelight and a performance set to both inspire and uplift.
This year’s unique programme, curated by SE’s Artistic Director Jonathan Morton, will feature a wide range of musical voices, including Thomas Ades, Caroline Shaw, J.S. Bach, Edmund Finnis, Errolyn Wallen, Elizabeth Maconchy, Witold Lutoskawski, and Sally Norris.
These individual pieces have been shaped by Jonathan into journey of musical discovery featuring a prologue and epilogue by Pēteris Vasks and with Jane Atkins as soloist, which will allow audiences to enjoy a free-flowing sequence of music over the 75-minute performance.
Artistic Director of SE Jonathan Morton said “We are thrilled to announce the return of Concerts by Candlelight this winter. Programming them has become a real pleasure for me, not least because of the warm and enthusiastic responses we’ve received from our audiences over the years. We know times are tough and we continue to be incredibly grateful to everyone coming with us on these often-adventurous sonic journeys – and we don’t for one moment take it for granted.”
Tickets are available from
Listings information
Thursday 1st December
St. Machar’s Cathedral, Aberdeen
7.30pm
Friday 2nd December
Inverness Cathedral, Inverness
7.30pm
Saturday 3rd December
St John’s Kirk, Perth
7.30pm
Tuesday 6th December
Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh
7.30pm
Wednesday 7th December
Caird Hall, Dundee
7.30pm
Thursday 8th December
Wellington Church, Glasgow
7.30pm
Concerts by Candlelight programme
J.S. Bach
movements II and III from Violin Concerto in A minor
Pēteris Vasks
movements I and IV from Concerto for Viola and String Orchestra
Elizabeth Maconchy
Scherzo from Music for Strings
Witold Lutosławski
movement II from Five Folk Melodies
Caroline Shaw
Entr’acte
Caroline Shaw The Beech Tree from Plan & Elevation
Edmund Finnis
movements II and IV from String Quartet no.2
Sally Norris
40 24 20 10
Thomas Adès
O Albion from Arcadiana
Errollyn Wallen movement I from Photography
Pieces featured in this year’s concert can be found through the Spotify playlist on the website.
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 