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Vivaldi’s Four Seasons followed by Glass’s The American Seasons, with original violinist Robert McDuffie. Part of minimal. Edinburgh FREE Live Music Now: Duende National Museum of Scotland, Chambers St, 0300 123 6789. 3.15pm. A mix of classical music and tango. Fright Night with Faust Usher Hall, Lothian Rd, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £10–£12. FW Murnau’s silent classic accompanied by the Usher Hall’s very own organ. Rose Street Ensemble St Mary’s RC Cathedral, York Pl, 07719 702 265. 7.30pm. £12 (£6). James Lowe conducts, with organ, flute and tenor soloists. Scottish Chamber Orchestra: New Babylon The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk St, 668 2019. 7.30pm. £9.50–£28. Early film music by Saint-Saëns and Shostakovich, plus Gordon Kerry’s Flute Concerto ‘Captain Flinders’ Musick’. Sunday 30 Glasgow FREE Kelvingrove Sunday Organ Recitals Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. 3–3.45pm. See Sun 23. Orchestra of Scottish Opera St Andrews in the Square, 1 St Andrews
Square, 559 5902. 3pm. £12 (£9). Works by Rossini, Wagner, Mozart and Schubert, with guest soprano Shuna Scott Sendall.
✽✽ FREE Bang On A Can: NY Sampler 2 Glasgow Royal Concert
Hall, 2 Sauchiehall St, 353 8000. 4pm. New music from New York, plus Glass’s 1968 minimalist classic Two Pages. Booking essential. Part of minimal. Red Note Ensemble: 1000 Airplanes On The Roof Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall St, 353 8000. 6pm. £15. Philip Glass’ drama about alien abduction. Part of minimal. Glasgow Orchestral Society Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew St, 332 5057. 7.30pm. £10 (£7). The amateur orchestra plays works by Harper and Sibelius. Eric Dunlea conducts. Brian Eno’s Music for Airports Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 8.15pm. £15. Brian Eno’s ambient classic, performed by Bang On A Can and Red Note Ensemble. See feature, page 81. Edinburgh FREE St Giles’ at Six: Nenthorn Baroque Ensemble St Giles’ Cathedral, Royal Mile, 226 0673. 6pm. A programme of Mozart and Haydn, with soloist Elizabeth Dooner (flute).
PREVIEW GAELIC LANGUAGE POEMS SONGS OF SEALS CCA, Glasgow, Wed 26 Oct
We all love to see their inquisitive friendly faces around many of Scotland’s coastal waters, but how many people have heard seals singing? Can they actually sing? According to the Canadian composer with the wonderfully apt name of Emily Doolittle, indeed they can. Whether or not there is the mutual understanding achieved by her fictional namesake, the world famous Dr Dolittle, is still not quite proven, but if Scottish seals do sing, it might be as well to communicate with them in Gaelic, the language of much of the rich tradition of folklore that surrounds them. In commissioning Emily Doolittle to write a new piece for children’s choir
and instrumental ensemble, Glasgow-based Paragon Ensemble are delighted with Songs of Seals, a series of Gaelic poems by bilingual writer Rody Gorman based on the sea and its magical inhabitants. ‘Emily and Rody have come up with a remarkable piece for Paragon. It really captures the mysterious relationship between human beings and seals,’ says Ninian Perry, creative director of Paragon. The children, who all come from Voice Factory, Glasgow City Council’s vocal education project for primary-aged children throughout the city, are not only learning music through the new piece, but Gaelic too. ‘Emily, who hails from Nova Scotia, has taken her inspiration from the
music of these intriguing creatures of the sea,’ says Perry. Apparently, among all the mammals in the world, the seal’s larynx is the one that is closest to a human’s. Reports of their singing are not uncommon, although the plaintive, almost mournful sounds they make are unlikely to land any lucrative recording contracts. (Carol Main)
Monday 31
Glasgow Brass Showcase Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 1pm. £7 (£5). Students from the Brass department display their virtuosity. The Lydia de Rosa Singers House for an Art Lover, Bellahouston Park, 10 Dumbreck Rd, 353 4776. 7pm. £10. ‘Songs from the Time of Mackintosh’. Edinburgh London Haydn Quartet The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7.45pm. £12–£21 (£11–£19). The string quartet plays an all-Haydn programme.
Tuesday 1
Glasgow FREE Glasgow University Chapel Choir Glasgow University Chapel, University Ave, 330 4092. 6pm. Choral performance of Pizzetti’s Messa di Requiem, conducted by James Grossmith. St Vincent Baroque Chamber Orchestra House for an Art Lover, Bellahouston Park, 10 Dumbreck Rd, 353 4776. 7pm. £10. Baroque classical music. Part of Mary’s Meals Festival of the Arts.
Edinburgh FREE Lunchtime Concert Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh University, Bristo Sq, 650 2427. 1.10pm. Performances by music students. Wednesday 2
Glasgow Virtuosi Recital House for an Art Lover, Bellahouston Park, 10 Dumbreck Road, 353 4776. 2pm. £10. Featuring guitar, flute, clarsach, piano and violin. Part of Mary’s Meals Festival of the Arts.
Thursday 3
Glasgow Jamie MacDougall and Julia Lynch Westbourne Music, 7 West George St, 649 5347. 12.45pm. £8 (£7; children £4). Presenter/ singer MacDougall gives a recital, with Julia Lynch (piano). FREE Music in the University: Daniel’s Beard Glasgow University Concert Hall, University Avenue, 330 4092. 1.10–2pm. Works by Hutchings and Dohnanyi. BBC SSO: Volkov Conducts Sibelius City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £10–£23. Works by Debussy and Julian Anderson, followed by Sibelius’ rousing Symphony No 2. Edinburgh Primrose Piano Quartet Brunton Theatre, Ladywell Way, Musselburgh, 665 2240. 7pm. £13.75 (£11.75). Classical favourites with a twist. Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Master Pianist – Robert Levin The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 7.30pm. £9.50–£28. Expect searching and dynamic performances of Mozart’s Divertimento K138, Schubert’s Symphony No 3 and more.
Friday 4
Glasgow Big Guitar Weekend 2011 Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew St, 332 5057. Times vary. £46–£63 for all ten events (25% off). Celebrating the most popular instrument ever? With concerts and a weekend course. Paul Galbraith Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew St, 332 5057. 1pm. £10.50 (£7.50). Scottish-born guitarist. Part of Big Guitar Weekend. Royal Conservatoire Student Platform Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 5057. 6.30pm. £7 (£5). A showcase for some of the Conservatoire’s outstanding students. Agnew and McAllister Duo Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew
CLASSICAL Music
HITLIST THE BEST CLASSICAL & OPERA
Scottish Opera: The Barber of Seville A revival of Sir Thomas Allen’s delightful 2007 production (above) of the Rossini favourite. Great cast with Claire Booth singing Rosina, Thomas Walker as the Count and the dynamic young Finn, Ville Rusanen, as Figaro. Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Fri 21, Sun 23, Tue 25, Thu 27 & Sat 29 Oct; Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 15, Thu 17&Sat 19 Nov. AM: sound theatricals They build success upon success and now JAM return to Edinburgh with a feast of Scottish contemporary music for choir, soloists, brass quintet and organ. Youthful voices of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and St Andrews universities come together under the baton of Michael Bawtree. St Cuthbert’s Church, Edinburgh, Fri 21 Oct.
The China Project Exploring the blend of Scottish and Chinese musical cultures, with traditional music from both countries and featuring a new commission by Scottish composer Jim Sutherland. The traditional Chinese instruments of the Silk String Quartet join with double bass, played by virtuoso Emma Smith. See preview, page 105. The Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Fri 4 Nov; Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, Sat 5 Nov.
Street, 332 5057. 7.30pm. £10.50 (£7.50). Aisling Agnew (flute) and Matthew McAllister (guitar) play specially commissioned works. Part of Big Guitar Weekend. Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Master Pianist – Robert Levin City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. 7.30pm. £12–£26. See Thu 3. Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh University Singers Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh University, Bristo Sq, 650 2427. 1.10pm. John Kitchen conducts Britten’s Hymn to St Cecilia and works by Byrd and Purcell. The China Project The Bongo Club, Moray House, 37 Holyrood Rd, 558 7604. 7.30pm. £10 (£8; students £5). An intriguing collaboration between London- based Silk String Quartet, a group of Chinese musicians using traditional Chinese instruments, and Scottish double bass player Emma Smith. Over 18s only.
Saturday 5
Glasgow Specialist Music Schools Lunchtime Concert Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew St, 332 5057. 1.15pm. £7 (£5). Showcase of some of talented young musicians. Royal Conservatoire Student Platform Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, See Fri 4. 20 Oct–17 Nov 2011 THE LIST 107