Left cold by Nordic Nights

DOING WHAT comes naturally is a phrase that can easily be adopted by the Scottish Ensemble.

From the baroque to the ultra contemporary, the ease with which they impart the most difficult music — rhythmically or in notation — leaves them in a class of their own when it comes to string music.

However, their main ability is to take a work that ticks few if any boxes and turn it into something eminently listenable, but even the charm and eloquence of artistic director Jonathan Morton and the ensemble’s prowess is stretched when it comes to music by the young Dane Christian Winther Christensen.

His Pre-Air, a commission by the Ensemble, left me completely cold which was quite fitting bearing in mind Nordic Nights was the title of their concert in St John’s Kirk, Perth.

To be honest, the only thing that struck me about this work was the number of sounds you can get out of a stringed instrument without actually playing it.

The rest of first half, with works by Sibelius, Grieg and Rautavaara, was more my cup of tea, with glorious harmonies and luscious melodies dominating.

Morton’s decision to mix everything up was an unusual one, but it meant any discomfort felt through Christensen was eased by the friendly sounds of Grieg’s Holberg Suite or Rautavaara. It was a blistering performance with some excellent solo work.