Category Archives: Music

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra brings a new programme of jazz master Duke Ellington’s music, In an Ellington Mood, to the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh on Sunday 10th December as part of the ensemble’s latest tour. The music of Ellington and his co-writer, Billy Strayhorn has become one of the SNJO’s specialisms and has earnedContinue reading “On-song SNJO Bring Authentic Ellington Sound to the Queen’s Hall”

Award-winning Irish singer Christine Tobin pays her first visit to Scotland in almost ten years when she and her partner, guitarist Phil Robson play duo concerts in Greenock, Linlithgow and Perth from 30th November to 2nd December. One of the most distinctive voices on the European jazz scene and both a strikingly inventive composer and a notablyContinue reading “Christine Tobin Makes Overdue Return to Scotland”

During St Mary’s Music School’s 50th Anniversary Year, John Cameron acted as interim Director of Music and, following an outstanding year’s work, the Board has offered him the role on a permanent basis. Confirmed formally as Director of Music, John Cameron will hold responsibility for all music activities at the school, ensuring musical excellence isContinue reading “St Mary’s Music School Announces New Director of Music and Artistic Director”

Jayde Records (Jayde 008) Released 27th October 2023 Light Streams is the follow-up to the enthusiastically received debut album by Cork-born, Hertfordshire-based pianist John Donegan’s Irish Sextet, Shadows Linger. A musician of huge experience – he has played with jazz luminaries Art Blakey, Art Farmer, Barney Kessel and Greg Abate as well as the world class Irish guitaristContinue reading “John Donegan The Irish Sextet: Light Streams”

This November, Edinburgh Fruitmarket Gallery presents their first festival of new music featuring commissions and performances from some of the leading radical and experimental composers, musicians and improvisors working today. They are brought together in the context of deep time to explore ideas of time and temporality; stasis and movement; provocation and play; ritual andContinue reading “Fruitmarket’s Festival of New Music, Deep Time, Announced”

A former Edinburgh musician has lent his musical know-how to the Royal New Zealand Air Force and earned an honorary rank in the process.  Drummer John Rae, who led the ground-breaking jazz group the John Rae Collective in the 1980s and went on to win awards for his jazz-folk band Celtic Feet, has produced theContinue reading “Scottish Drummer Flies High with Royal New Zealand Air Force”

The Lammermuir Festival, whose programme was met with great acclaim and was  cited as one of its most successful, was met with the shock news of finding out just days before its opening that Creative Scotland was not supporting its 14th festival, having invested in the event for thirteen years. Losing the cultural funder’s supportContinue reading “Open Letter in Support of Lammermuir Festival Funding Sent to Creative Scotland”

Andrew Trinick is to be the new Chief Executive of Dunedin Consort.   He will take up the role on 1 December 2023, arriving from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (SSO) where he is Head of Artistic Planning and Production. At the BBC SSO Andrew has been responsible for artistic planning for the main concert season,Continue reading “Andrew Trinick to be new Chief Executive of Dunedin Consort”

Grammy-winning pianist-composer Geoffrey Keezer joins the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra on a three-date Scottish tour from 29th September to 1st October, with concerts in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Under the banner of The Art of Arranging, Keezer will guide the Orchestra through his unique, new treatments of jazz classics by saxophonists Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and WayneContinue reading “Grammy-winning Pianist Joins SNJO on Tour”

The heroic laoidhean, that formed a central part of traditional Gaelic culture in the later Middle Ages, will be brought back to life in the National Library of Scotland (NLS) on Saturday 23rd September. The reinterpreted Gaelic heroic lays or laoidhean are the result of a remarkable collaboration of  talented traditional Gaelic singer from SouthContinue reading “Gaelic Ossianic Ballads to Be Performed at National Library of Scotland”