The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
IT HITS THE RIGHT NOTE
Sound Festival returns to venues across Aberdeen this month. Philippa Gerrard checks out what’s on offer
Consider yourself a music fan? Well, Sound Festival’s got you covered. Returning for its 15th year, the festival is a celebration of all things musical, from contemporary classics to electro-acoustic and everything in between.
Featuring both leading Scottish and international musicians, the event brings together a wide range of musical styles in a selection of concerts, talks, workshops and installations.
Continuing its series on endangered orchestral instruments, this year the oboe takes centre stage with new commissions being performed by two of the UK’s most exciting oboists, Christopher Redgate and James Turnbull.
Other confirmed artists include composers Ailie Robertson and Laura Bowler, the Diotima Quartet from France, Calefax Reed Quintet from The Netherlands and Fabiana Galante of Argentina.
“We are really excited for this year’s festival to get started,” said Fiona Robertson, Sound Festival’s director.
“When we started off 15 years ago it was just me running around organising pretty much everything.
“And there wasn’t much in the way of new music up here either, which made it all the more important to hold a festival like this.
“But as the years have gone on we have gradually expanded and begun attracting musicians from not just Scotland but around the UK and the rest of the world.”
The festival begins today, October 24, and runs until November 4, with concerts and events taking place at venues throughout the city.
“All the events are within a 10-day window and mostly concentrated over the two weekends which fall either side,” explained Fiona.
“I’m particularly looking forward to seeing Ailie Robertson’s composition, Motherhood.
“It’s based on recordings of women talking about becoming a mum in both positive and negative light.
“She recorded voices from all over Scotland in places like the maternity wing at Aberdeen Royal Infirmity.
“It’s a piece which has been specially commissioned for the Sound Festival so we are really excited to have the public hear it.”
Fiona’s other top pick from the festival is We Need To Talk, which sees two cellists, one from Scotland and one from France, come together at The Lemon Tree to share their experience of music and language in their respective countries.
“This one isn’t just a musical performance, there is text, movement and drama too,” said Fiona, “as it’s not just about the cellists but about the relationship between the two countries.”
The Lemon Tree will also see Aberdeen’s newest music ensemble, Any Enemy, present new works by three young composers from the north-east.
“They are brilliant,” said Fiona, “the composers are young but very talented.
“And the name, Any Enemy, clever.
“It comes from their official name, North East New Music Ensemble which abbreviates to NENME.”
Other names performing throughout the festival include oboist Nicholas Daniel, vocal ensembles EXAUDI, choir Tutti Voices and more.
“It was really important to us to have lots of different performers in lots of different venues around the city,” Fiona said.
“As well as The Lemon Tree, we are using the Big Sky Café in the Music Hall, St Machar Cathedral, The Art Gallery, Phoenix Hall at Newton Dee and the media unit at Woodside among others.
“All ages are welcome along too and we have a few family productions going on where young children are more than welcome to attend.”
● The Aberdeen Sound Festival begins today and runs until November 4 at various venues throughout the city. For full programme details see sound-scotland.co.uk is