Published: 12 Sep 2023
Ludic Inventions, one of 20 world premieres at the festival
The acclaimed new music incubator, sound, announced the full line up for its 2023 festival. Running from 25 – 29 October, the festival will see a wide range of concert, performances, workshops, exhibitions and events and features 20 World Premieres.
The 2023 festival opens with the Scottish performances in the Northern Connection project. An international collaboration, Northern Connection is a new partnership between Scotland (sound, Red Note Ensemble and Scottish Music Centre); Finland (Music Finland, MusicaNova Festival and defunensemble) and Norway (Music Norway, Ultima Festival and Ensemble Temporum) in which each nation is represented by a composer, an ensemble, a national music organisation and a festival. An open call for compositions in 2022 led to three commissions each of which would be premiered at one of the participating music festivals. soundfestival will host the Word Premiere of Flaskepost by Norwegian composer Tine Surel Lange, which will be performed by the festival’s Associate Ensemble, Red Note. Flaskepost (which means message in a bottle) is inspired by the ocean between Scotland and Lofoten, and the fact that if you threw something in the ocean in Scotland, chances are – due to the ocean currents - it would end up in Lofoten.
Other works to be showcased in the 2023 festival include pieces from composers Stuart Macrae, Ben Lunn, Rylan Gleave and Elaine Mitchener written for pianist Rolf Hind during the Covid Lock Down; new works for Heather Roche (clarinet) and Eva Zollner (accordionist); Plain Air, James Weeks piece which sets passages of Nan Shepherd’s evocative text The Living Mountain; Christopher Fox’s Earth & Sea (to be performed by GBSR duo); and new pieces by Michel Bonaventure and Richard Craig which will be premiered by Michel on the organ with Richard on flute.
Running throughout the 2023 festival will be a programme of choral events. The Con Anima Chamber Choir make a welcome return to sound performing in one for the festival’s four Spotlight gigs, which showcase works by new and emerging Scottish composers. Meanwhile, making their sound debut will be the Chamber Choir of Ireland led by acclaimed singer and conductor Paul Hiller (Hilliard Ensemble, Theatre of Voices). Their programme will feature Dave Fennessy’s Letter to Michael, Rhona Clark’s Requiem and Cassandra Miller’s The City, Full of People. Members of the two ensembles will then come together with the public for a community singing day led by composer and director of EXAUDI, James Weeks, working on pieces including Judith Weir’s My Guardian Angel.
sound’s work with children and young people has been an important element of its festivals over the years. A highlight of the 2023 festival will be a new work, Flock. Following the success of Aeolian, sound, Red Note and installation artist, Kathy Hinde, come together again in this work commissioned specially for children aged 4 – 8. An interactive piece, Flock encourages the youngsters to get involved in the performance playing on a range of newly-invented and playful instruments. The 2023 festival will also see compositions created by the young people who participated in the Go Compose workshops earlier in October showcased by Ruth Morley (flute), Fiona Winning (Viola) and Tom Hunter (percussion), and the ever-popular family promenade concert will once again take place in the Maritime Museum.
The later evening performances (8.30pm) will include the World Premiere of Obfuscation featuring Gill Russell (visual artist), Fraser Fifield (multi-instrumentalist/composer) and Pete Stollery (composer); Nichola Scrutton’s Night Vision performed by Louise Montgomery, Nerea Bello, Belle Jones and celebrated actor, Alison Peebles, and the World Premiere of Ludic Inventions – a collaborative performance of piano, film and live visuals created by Colin Riley (composer), Agnese Toniutti (piano), Sabina Covarrubias (live video) and Kristijonas Dirse (film). Meanwhile a soundsession event will include improvisation by members of the Chamber Choir of Ireland with other festival performers.
“We are delighted this year to welcome many of our long-term friends and partners along with some new contributors,” says sound Director, Fiona Robertson. “We are particularly pleased to premiere a new work by Norwegian composer Tine Surel Lange as part of our Northern Connection project, which has brought together composers, performers and festivals in Scotland, Finland and Norway. This project is an important commitment to international collaboration showcasing talented musicians and composers as well as festivals which are championing new music.
“Our own commitment to supporting emerging and established composers, and giving them a platform to show their work, also continues in our spotlight gigs which are programmed across the festival.”
“A few years ago we featured the remarkable Aeolian, and Red Note and ourselves were keen to commission a new piece inspired by the beauty and imagination that went into it, but one that was specifically for younger people. This new interactive piece brings together the combined creative forces of Kathy Hinde and Red Note Ensemble from the original project,” she adds.
“The Covid pandemic interrupted our plans, but this year we can finally premiere “Flock”. Written with children aged 4-8 in mind, the piece encourages them to get involved in the performance using some fascinating instruments created especially for the piece. It promises to be quite the experience!”
Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland said: “This year’s soundfestival promises to amaze, engage, challenge and inspire audiences with an array of new music created by some of the boldest musicians, composers and ensembles in the country. This is where ground-breaking ideas come out to play, rewriting the musical rulebook and setting the bar to a different level. And as one of Scotland’s gateways to the Nordic countries, Aberdeen and the north-east is the perfect location for Northern Connection, a truly collaborative meeting of minds that highlights Scotland’s innovative role at the forefront of international music-making.”
Tickets for the festival are now on sale
soundfestival is made possible with the generous support of: Creative Scotland Lottery, PRS Foundation TDP, Aberdeen City Council, Radcliffe Trust, Fenton Arts Trust, Hugh Fraser Foundation, Witherby Publishing Group, Hinrichsen Foundation, Vaughan Williams Foundation, William Syson Foundation, Educational Institute of Scotland, Aberdeen Endowments Trust and David and June Gordon Memorial Trust.
Media Partner: BBC Radio 3.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
sound is a new music incubator based in north-east Scotland encouraging new music creation and discovery. We run the annual soundfestival, as well as year-round activity supporting a wide range of composers, engaging with local communities and providing educational opportunities.
soundaims to give composers the opportunity to experiment, develop and create new works, and to have these works performed and heard. We encourage audiences of all ages and backgrounds to experience all kinds of new music and cross-art form experimentation. We are strongly influenced by our geographic location, covering both urban areas and remote rural communities, and respond to its specificities and gaps in provision. We often work closely with local arts and other community organisations to share ideas and deliver joint activity to the benefit of the local area.
Lesley Booth
M: 0779 941 4474
