New Heights of Creativity in our 2023 Summer Programme
Chief Executive Thursa Sanderson shares highlights of this summer’s memorable Create Programme
Call of the Mountains
Clare Johnston’s Collaboration with Eegeru Ensemble, Kazakhstan – ‘An extraordinary multi-cultural union’ [Jim Gilchrist, The Scotsman]
Multi-talented composer, technologist and music educator Clare Johnston has been nurturing a link with the contemporary Kazakh ensemble Eegeru since 2021. She became fascinated by how they incorporate traditional Kazakh instruments into their sound including the ancient shamanic Kyl Kobyz played by Satkozy Mukhtar, which has its own distinctive voice recreating animal and nature sounds.
In turn, Eegeru Ensemble’s director Raushan Jumaniyazova, artistic director Sanzhar Baiterekov and players recognised Clare’s innovative approach to the use of digital technologies for disabled musicians such as iPads with the Thumbjam app – https://thumbjam.com. As well as learning how they could develop this approach in Kazakhstan, they also responded to the need for these new instruments to have a repertoire for their own distinctive voices. The collaboration led to the creation of a new piece ‘Call of the Mountains’ for Eegeru and the iPad Ensemble premiered at a Concert of the same name at the Queen’s Hall on 27th August as a final flourish to the Edinburgh Festival.
Explaining the reason for working with Eegeru in particular in an interview with the BBC’s Travelling Folk, Clare says:
‘I was really pleased to work with people that were super open to work with all sorts of score types. I often write stuff that’s more to do with motion and how [players] interact with the instrument. I like people’s personality to come through in a way that’s more akin to the folk approach that wanders in and out of improv and scored music’.
The Call of the Mountains Concert also included new work by the Digital Orchestra and Chris Jacquin as well as contemporary works by Kazakh, Uzbek and other composers including Ben Lunn, our Associate Composer.
New Music Scotland Award Winner for ECHOES
A day of fascinating discussions on Equalities, Diversity & Inclusion at the New Music Scotland conference on 1st September was followed by the glittering Awards Ceremony hosted by Susanna Eastburn MBE at the CCA in Glasgow. With Ben Lunn and our wonderful partners Hebrides Ensemble, we were delighted to win the Award for New Music Project for our Echoes Concert in June which featured the work of 9 disabled composers.
New Music Scotland is the Scottish network of music creators, promoters and ensembles dedicated to the support of innovative and experimental contemporary music – https://newmusicscotland.co.uk.
