Ear to the Ground Scotland

Neil Tomas Smith: Stop Motion Music

In this episode we caught up with Neil Tòmas Smith and discussed his upcoming album Stop Motion Music. The CD has been several years in the making and features musicians from across genres including Carla Rees on flutes and Delia Stevens on percussion, as well as harpist Esther Swift, cellists Duncan Strachan and Justyna Jablonska and jazz drummer Simon Roth.

Neil is fascinated by the connections between sound, space and movement and with each new piece, takes the chance to explore something new, leading to a diverse range of work.

Track List:

Stop Motion Music

Scaffold For Simon

Manual

The Music Lesson

Progressions Of Memory

Ear to the Ground keeps you in the loop with interviews and gig alerts from Scotland’s top-notch composers.

Hosted by Aileen Sweeney and Ben Eames.

Sound edited by Mia Eames.

Website Links:

https://www.eartothegroundscotland.com/

https://ntsmusic.co.uk/

Gemma McGregor: Music and Tales from Orkney

Gemma McGregor is a freelance composer, performer and curator from Orkney, whose music has been described as polystylistic, whilst crossing the boundaries of musical genres. Gemma has been writing music with a sense of place either by referencing sounds from the environment, history or dialect poetry. Gemma plays Orkney traditional music and has researched its links with Norwegian music. Much of her music contains references to speech rhythms and a strong connection to Norn, the lost language of Orkney.

In this episode we chat about Gemma's collaboration with Nordic Viola on their Sagas and Seascapes, as well as previous instrumental and vocal works.

With special thanks to performers:

A Slaughter of Ravens

Jože Kotar and Luca Ferrini

Carry His Relics

Katherine Wren and Gemma McGregor

Love Was His Meaning

Godolphin School Girls Choir and Katie Salomon (Harp)

Ear to the Ground keeps you in the loop with interviews and gig alerts from Scotland’s top-notch composers.

Hosted by Aileen Sweeney and Ben Eames.

Sound edited by Mia Eames.

Website Links:

https://www.eartothegroundscotland.com/

https://gemmamcgregor.com/

 

Gareth Williams: Seduced into Singing

Gareth Williams is a composer and songwriter making work that ranges from opera, theatre and songwriting to chamber and orchestral music. His compositions seek to find new relationships, participants, collaborators and audiences for new opera, music theatre, and song, to shed light on stories and communities that have been overlooked, and to explore ideas of vulnerability in vocal writing. He has created three award-winning operas NOISE opera since 2012, each one bringing a new collaborator to the genre, from the patrons of Glasgow's oldest bar, the Shetland fiddler Chris Stout and the Scottish indie band, Admiral Fallow. Gareth has recently written Rubble with librettist Johnny McKnight, a new opera for Scottish Opera is being premiered in July 2022.

 

Music featured:

Rubble

Rocking Horse Winner

The Song from the last page of Lanark

 

Ear to the Ground keeps you in the loop with interviews and gig alerts from Scotland’s top-notch composers.

Hosted by Aileen Sweeney and Ben Eames.

Sound edited by Mia Eames.

 

Website Links:

https://www.eartothegroundscotland.com/

https://www.garethwilliamsmusic.com/

Fergus Hall: Hydrophones, Henderson and a Jellyfish Rave

In this episode we chat to Fergus Hall about everything from composing with hydrophone recordings, Hamish Henderson's poetry and jellyfish raves!

Fergus is a composer and musician from the west of Scotland whose creative practice is focused around how a musician can act as a creative facilitator. This stems from Fergus’ interests in jazz and traditional music practices which often blur the distinction between composer and performer.

As a composer, he has been commissioned by Glasgow New Music Expedition, Nevis Ensemble, Sound and Music, Making Music UK and An Tobar.

A new album of string music recorded in collaboration with Sequoia is due to be released this summer.

 

With special thanks to performers

On Sonorous Seas

Lea Shaw - Voice

Crossing the Simeto

Sequoia

Jellyfish Music

Long Green Jaws

Ear to the Ground keeps you in the loop with interviews and gig alerts from Scotland’s top-notch composers.

Hosted by Aileen Sweeney and Ben Eames.

Sound edited by Mia Eames.

 

Website Links:

https://www.eartothegroundscotland.com/

https://www.fergushallmusic.com/

Stuart MacRae: Ursa Minor

Born in Inverness in 1976, Stuart MacRae has established himself as one of the most distinctive of contemporary composers. Stuart’s music has been performed at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the BBC Proms and the Edinburgh International Festival, by ensembles including the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Ensemble and London Sinfonietta. Often inspired by aspects of natural landscape, Stuarts music draws on various strands of European modernism including the music of Stravinsky, Carter, Xenakis and most significantly, Maxwell Davies.

 

I am Prometheus

Ursa Minor

Cladonia bellidiflora

Dark Liquid

With special thanks to performers:

Hebrides Ensemble

 

Ear to the Ground keeps you in the loop with interviews and gig alerts from Scotland’s top-notch composers.

Hosted by Aileen Sweeney and Ben Eames.

Sound edited by Mia Eames.

Website Links:

https://www.eartothegroundscotland.com/

https://stuartmacrae.com

 

Rūta Vitkauskaitė: Konnakol, Canntaireach and Collaborative Composing

Rūta Vitkauskaitė is a composer, performer and curator whose work in music crosses
conventional boundaries. She studied at the Lithuanian Academy of Music before moving to
London to complete her PhD at The Royal Academy of Music. Her music has been described as
'resembling natural forces - seemingly unorganised and chaotic forces sticking together a highly dynamic, vital and unpredictable whole, always generating an active emotion'.

While living in the UK, ​Rūta has developed an interest in music education and is currently initiator of CoMA, Contemporary Music for All, Glasgow branch.

 

Daina apie medį, upę, jūrą ir žemę (Song about the tree, river, sea and earth)

Chrysalis
Lithuanian National Orchestra and Jude Carlton

Canntaireachd
Joanna Nicholson (Bass Clarinet) - Part of Modern Chants Project

 

Ear to the Ground keeps you in the loop with interviews and gig alerts from Scotland’s top-notch composers.

Hosted by Aileen Sweeney and Ben Eames.

Sound edited by Mia Eames.

Website Links:

https://www.eartothegroundscotland.com/

https://rutavitkauskaite.weebly.com/

 

Janet Beat: Pioneering Knob Twiddler

Janet Beat is a composer living in Scotland whose impressive career spans back to the late 1950’s. She is widely considered to be a pioneer of electronic music in Britain and in 2019, Janet was the first person to be awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by Scottish Women Inventing Music, a collection of music creators and industry professionals pushing for gender equality in the music industry. Now at 83, her music has been officially released for the first time with her debut album “Pioneering Knob Twiddler”.

 

Dancing on Moonbeams

Lighthouses Waltz

Echoes from Bali

A Willow Swept by Rain

Piangam

 

Ear to the Ground keeps you in the loop with interviews and gig alerts from Scotland’s top-notch composers.

Hosted by Aileen Sweeney and Ben Eames.

Sound edited by Mia Eames.

Website Links:

https://www.eartothegroundscotland.com/

 

 

 

Rufus Isabel Elliot: Voices, Feelings and Unspoken Words

In this episode we caught up with Rufus Isabel Elliot who told us about OVER/AT, a trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse music-making world, as well as telling us about upcoming releases of Rufus's own music.

Rufus is a composer and musician from Tower Hamlets, based now near Gairloch. In the last couple of years, Rufus has worked with the likes of Sound Festival Scotland, Red Note Ensemble, Magnetic North, and the Nevis Ensemble, with whom it was composer-in-residence in 2019. Current projects include a new album with composer/violinist Harry Gorski-Brown, and a new longer-form vocal piece with Scots traditional singer Josie Vallely.

Rufus produces OVER / AT, which encompasses live touring projects, recording projects, workshops, online learning resources, and more. The first OVER / AT E.P. was released in March – FOLKS' SONGS, and OVER / AT #1 was shortlisted for a Scottish Award for New Music.

With special thanks to performers:

Are We?
Malin Lewis

PASS
Harry Gorski-Brown

Achilles Lyre
Andrew Herrington

Ear to the Ground keeps you in the loop with interviews and gig alerts from Scotland’s top-notch composers.

Hosted by Aileen Sweeney and Ben Eames.

Sound edited by Mia Eames.

Website Links:

https://www.ambf.co.uk/

https://www.ambf.co.uk/over-at

https://www.eartothegroundscotland.com/

 

Matthew Whiteside: On Doing It Yourself

In this episode we chat to composer, collaborator, sound designer and concert producer Matthew Whiteside.

As a composer, Matthew has received international performances by ensembles and performers such as the RTÉ NSO, Red Note Ensemble, the Aurea Quartet, Pauline Kim Harris and Diagenesis Duo at venues such as New York University, Dublin’s National Concert Hall, Glasgow City Halls, Salem Artworks in New York and the Belfast International Festival at Queen’s.

Most recently Matthew's piece Night Thoughts was shortlisted for a Scottish New Music Award 2021 for Large Ensemble (Sponsored by PRS).

As well as being a composer, Matthew is also founder and programme of the The Night With... a concert series featuring interesting music in informal spaces. In 2020 The Night With... won the SMIA Award for Creative Programming at the Scottish Awards for New Music as well as winning the Award for Recording of New Music at the awards in 2021 for The Night With... Live Vol. One album.

With special thanks to performers:

Night Thoughts
Crash Ensemble

Mesmerism (Written by Paul Mac, Arranged by Jessica Wells)
Ensemble Offspring

Quartet No. 6
Aurea Quartet

Well, Well, Well
Red Note Ensemble

Ear to the Ground keeps you in the loop with interviews and gig alerts from Scotland’s top-notch composers.

Hosted by Aileen Sweeney and Ben Eames.

Sound edited by Mia Eames.

Website Links:

https://www.matthewwhiteside.co.uk/

http://thenightwith.com/

https://www.eartothegroundscotland.com/

 

Ailie Robertson: Revealing Hidden Sound Worlds

In this episode we chat about to Ailie about her recent success at the Scottish Awards for New Music where her piece Skydance won the 'Dorico Award for Solo Work' (sponsored by Steinberg). We also discuss field recordings, motherhood, and a very squeaky gate!

Ailie is a multi-award winning composer, performer and creative curator whose work crosses the boundaries of traditional and contemporary music.

Winner of the ‘Achievement in New Music’ prize at the inaugural New Music Scotland Awards, Ailie has received commissions, awards, and residences from the PRS Foundation Creative Scotland, Enterprise Music Scotland, the CCA, Culture Ireland, Celtic Connections, EIFF, and CALQ Montreal. Recent commissions include pieces for the 2019 BBC Proms, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sound Festival, the Riot Ensemble, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Bang on a Can, the Dunedin Consort, and the Glasgow School of Art Choir.

With special thanks to performers:

Skydance - for Cello
Louise McMonagle (Cello)

1 in 4 - for Vocal Trio
EXAUDI

Dun Shith - for Double Bass and Electronics
Will Yaeger (Double Bass)

Ear to the Ground keeps you in the loop with interviews and gig alerts from Scotland’s top-notch composers.

Hosted by Aileen Sweeney and Ben Eames.

Sound edited by Mia Eames.

Website Links:

https://www.ailierobertson.com/

https://www.eartothegroundscotland.com/