Red Note

Go Compose! Sharing Session at Soundfestival 2021
2021-10-19 17:00 - 18:00 (Europe/London) | Anatomy Rooms, Shoe Lane, Aberdeen, AB10 1AL
Having spent time developing their skills in composition with the help of professional composers Karen Power and Joe Duddell, these young composers have been guided through the process of writing a piece of music from start to finish for the alto flute, percussion and double bass. At the end of this course, Red Note and sound present a showcase of their works.
Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, alto flute
Tom Hunter, percussion
Iain Crawford, double bass
Supported by Aberdeen Endowments Trust, David and June Gordon Memorial Trust, Gannochy Trust, Hugh Fraser Foundation, The Witherby Publishing Group Charitable Trust and EIS Education Committee.
*Go Compose! is a collaboration between sound and Red Note.

Red Note at soundfestival 2021
2021-10-22 18:00 - 19:00 | Queen’s Cross Church, Albyn Pl, Aberdeen, AB10 1YN, United Kingdom
In partnership with sound, Red Note perform 3 premiers at soundfestival 2021.
Ailie Robertson’s Unfurl forms a continuation of her PhD studies into microtonality and the harp, taking inspiration from Erv Wilson’s 1965 organisation of the overtone series as a logarithmic spiral. The piece is anti-narrative and anti-developmental in form, simply housing the tonal material, which consists of the first 80 partials of the overtone series. Expressivity comes from the simple aligning of tones, one to another, as the harmonic space progressively expands towards the fundamental.
In addition to this is Edwin Hillier’s new work 37 Otago Street. The ‘ghost sign’ at 37 Otago Street became a familiar sight on Hillier’s daily lockdown walk through Glasgow. Revisiting this image with routine, almost ritual, he became fascinated by its complexity and changeability: its disparate elements enhanced, recoloured, embroidered by the light, affected by the time of day and year. When captured on camera, zoomed in and examined – a method famously employed on the streets of Chicago by ‘abstract expressionist photographer’ Aaron Siskind in the 1950s – the sign betrays an intricate and heavily textured inner world. Inspired by Hillier’s daily encounters with the street mural, 37 Otago Street offers several perspectives on what becomes a familiar, even nostalgic, timbral palette. Glimpses of ghostly lettering and flecks of crimson-hued paint emerge in the fragile ensemble textures and concrete sonorities of the auxiliary instruments. Shifting from foreground to background, fractured musical images are interwoven and drawn into focus as we pass them by.
Finally, Luke Styles presents his trio Five Phase Sphere. The trio presents 5 phases of music for this specific combination of instruments. The resonance of these 3 instruments together, their low frequencies and their combined musical potentials are all stimuli for each phase. Across each phase are musical links, but together, as five points of music they form a sphere of material, in the composer’s imagination
Ailie Robertson Unfurl (World Premiere)*
Edwin Hillier 37 Otago Street (World Premiere)**
Luke Styles Five Phase Sphere (World Premiere)***
Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, flute
Will White, clarinet
Daniel Pioro, violin
Tom Hankey, viola
Robert Irvine, cello
Iain Crawford, double bass
Ailie Robertson Harp
William Cole Conductor
* Co-commissioned by sound, Red Note Ensemble and hcmf//
** Co-commissioned by sound and Red Note Ensemble
*** Co-commissioned by sound, hcmf//, Red Note Ensemble and Ask Duets

sub mari.
2021-11-04 20:00 - 21:00 | Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, Perth, Scotland, PH1 5HZ, United Kingdom
As the COP26 summit takes place in Glasgow, Red Note’s latest commission brings together a collaborative multi-media commission by Chilean composer / double-bassist Manuel Figueroa-Bolvarán and Red Note’s Weston-Jerwood Creative Fellow, Scottish-based Martina Corsini, that highlights the contrasting scarcity and abundance of water in Chile and Scotland.
Chile has a very severe water scarcity, exacerbated by land-management practices due to the production of food (including avocados) for export. This, contrasting with a potentially dangerous water abundance here in Scotland, allows the composers to explore the character of water in both places in relation to the environmental crisis, and has inspired them to create a new multi-media artistic work that is both powerful and direct, with a clear message for us all.
Manuel Figueroa-Bolvarán has developed an extensive and multifaceted career focused on performance, composing and arts education. He has been recognized as a cultural ambassador in Chile and abroad, traveling across the Americas and over 20 countries. As composer, Manuel had written music for radio dramas, stage plays, short films and cinema adaptations. He has also premiered music for orchestra, including solo concertos, ballet and opera. Manuel is constantly working across many fields, from digital design to orchestral conducting; from classical to rock music. As a crossover artist, Manuel has performed across the Americas and Europe, recorded for several artists in Latin America and Europe, including Latin Grammys awarded albums and in collaboration with performing arts from different fields.
Martina Corsini joined the team as Creative Music Maker for a year-long Fellowship thanks to the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries. From a young age Martina developed her passion for music, studying piano, singing, playing the guitar and the cajon. In her teenage years, she formed an acoustic duo with the guitarist Joshua De Loa and played in multiple venues such as Auditorium Parco della Musica for the community project ‘Play Music Stop Violence’. In Scotland, Martina studied at UWS, completing a Degree in Commercial Music and Masters in Songwriting. During this time she developed her knowledge in the music industry, working as tour manager for the Eurogig and as director, project manager and tour manager for Keep Music aLive – an experience for young bands across Europe.
Please note, this event is for our Perth concert ONLY. For our Glasgow concert, click here.
Martina Corsini and Manuel Figueroa-Bolvaran sub mari.
Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, flute
Joanna Nicholson, clarinet
Tom Hunter, percussion
Malcolm MacFarlane, electric guitar
Emil Chakalov, violin 1
Tom Hankey, violin 2
Fiona Winning, viola
Robert Irvine, cello
Iain Crawford, double bass
Herminda Quintraleo Voice
Coro Allegro (directed by Francisco Espinoza) Chilean Choir
Levenmouth Academy Choir (directed by Alison Fleming) Scottish Youth Choir
Cristian Andres Tapia Aracena Film Producer

sub mari.
2021-11-08 18:00 - 18:45 | Wellington Church, 77 Southpark Ave, Glasgow, G12 8LE, United Kingdom
As the COP26 summit takes place in Glasgow, Red Note’s latest commission brings together a collaborative multi-media commission by Chilean composer / double-bassist Manuel Figueroa-Bolvarán and Red Note’s Weston-Jerwood Creative Fellow, Scottish-based Martina Corsini, that highlights the contrasting scarcity and abundance of water in Chile and Scotland.
Chile has a very severe water scarcity, exacerbated by land-management practices due to the production of food (including avocados) for export. This, contrasting with a potentially dangerous water abundance here in Scotland, allows the composers to explore the character of water in both places in relation to the environmental crisis, and has inspired them to create a new multi-media artistic work that is both powerful and direct, with a clear message for us all.
Please note, this event is for our Glasgow concert ONLY. For our Perth concert, click here.

Manuel Figueroa-Bolvarán has developed an extensive and multifaceted career focused on performance, composing and arts education. He has been recognized as a cultural ambassador in Chile and abroad, traveling across the Americas and over 20 countries. As composer, Manuel had written music for radio dramas, stage plays, short films and cinema adaptations. He has also premiered music for orchestra, including solo concertos, ballet and opera. Manuel is constantly working across many fields, from digital design to orchestral conducting; from classical to rock music. As a crossover artist, Manuel has performed across the Americas and Europe, recorded for several artists in Latin America and Europe, including Latin Grammys awarded albums and in collaboration with performing arts from different fields.
Martina Corsini joined the team as Creative Music Maker for a year-long Fellowship thanks to the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries. From a young age Martina developed her passion for music, studying piano, singing, playing the guitar and the cajon. In her teenage years, she formed an acoustic duo with the guitarist Joshua De Loa and played in multiple venues such as Auditorium Parco della Musica for the community project ‘Play Music Stop Violence’. In Scotland, Martina studied at UWS, completing a Degree in Commercial Music and Masters in Songwriting. During this time she developed her knowledge in the music industry, working as tour manager for the Eurogig and as director, project manager and tour manager for Keep Music aLive – an experience for young bands across Europe.
Martina Corsini and Manuel Figueroa-Bolvaran sub mari.
Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, flute
Joanna Nicholson, clarinet
Tom Hunter, percussion
Malcolm MacFarlane, electric guitar
Emil Chakalov, violin 1
Tom Hankey, violin 2
Fiona Winning, viola
Robert Irvine, cello
Iain Crawford, double bass
Herminda Quintraleo Voice
Coro Allegro (directed by Francisco Espinoza) Chilean Choir
Levenmouth Academy Choir (directed by Alison Fleming) Scottish Youth Choir
Cristian Andres Tapia Aracena Film Producer
Presented in collaboration with Music in the University and The Dear Green Bothy, a collaborative cultural programme from the University of Glasgow’s College of Arts, showcasing creative and critical responses to climate emergency.
Post concert: We would really appericate your feedback from our concert. As part of The Dear Green Bothy, please fill out this evaluation form here.

sub mari. Concert and Livestream from St Andrews
2021-11-09 15:00 - 15:45 | Laidlaw Music Centre, University of St Andrews, Queen's Terrace, St Andrews, KY16 9QF, United Kingdom
As the COP26 summit takes place in Glasgow, Red Note’s latest commission brings together a collaborative multi-media commission by Chilean composer / double-bassist Manuel Figueroa-Bolvarán and Red Note’s Weston-Jerwood Creative Fellow, Scottish-based Martina Corsini, that highlights the contrasting scarcity and abundance of water in Chile and Scotland.
Chile has a very severe water scarcity, exacerbated by land-management practices due to the production of food (including avocados) for export. This, contrasting with a potentially dangerous water abundance here in Scotland, allows the composers to explore the character of water in both places in relation to the environmental crisis, and has inspired them to create a new multi-media artistic work that is both powerful and direct, with a clear message for us all.
Manuel Figueroa-Bolvarán has developed an extensive and multifaceted career focused on performance, composing and arts education. He has been recognized as a cultural ambassador in Chile and abroad, traveling across the Americas and over 20 countries. As composer, Manuel had written music for radio dramas, stage plays, short films and cinema adaptations. He has also premiered music for orchestra, including solo concertos, ballet and opera. Manuel is constantly working across many fields, from digital design to orchestral conducting; from classical to rock music. As a crossover artist, Manuel has performed across the Americas and Europe, recorded for several artists in Latin America and Europe, including Latin Grammys awarded albums and in collaboration with performing arts from different fields.
Martina Corsini joined the team as Creative Music Maker for a year-long Fellowship thanks to the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries. From a young age Martina developed her passion for music, studying piano, singing, playing the guitar and the cajon. In her teenage years, she formed an acoustic duo with the guitarist Joshua De Loa and played in multiple venues such as Auditorium Parco della Musica for the community project ‘Play Music Stop Violence’. In Scotland, Martina studied at UWS, completing a Degree in Commercial Music and Masters in Songwriting. During this time she developed her knowledge in the music industry, working as tour manager for the Eurogig and as director, project manager and tour manager for Keep Music aLive – an experience for young bands across Europe.
Join us at Laidlaw Music Centre, St Andrews for a small performance of sub mari. or catch it online at the same time as a livestream. Links to livestream to be provided at a later date.
Please note, this event is for our livestream with St Andrews ONLY. For our Perth and Glasgow concerts, click here.
Martina Corsini and Manuel Figueroa-Bolvaran sub mari.
Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, flute
Joanna Nicholson, clarinet
Tom Hunter, percussion
Malcolm MacFarlane, electric guitar
Emil Chakalov, violin 1
Tom Hankey, violin 2
Fiona Winning, viola
Robert Irvine, cello
Iain Crawford, double bass
Herminda Quintraleo Voice
Coro Allegro (directed by Francisco Espinoza) Chilean Choir
Levenmouth Academy Choir (directed by Alison Fleming) Scottish Youth Choir
Cristian Andres Tapia Aracena Film Producer

Presented in collaboration with University of St Andrews Music Centre.

Red Note at hcmf//
2021-11-19 13:00 - 14:00 | Huddersfield Town Hall, Corporation Street, Huddersfield, England, HD1 2TA, United Kingdom
Red Note has been a prominent purveyor of James Dillon’s work for the last decade, bringing premieres of his large-scale works to the festival in 2013, and then again in 2017. Our continuous relationship with the composer is palpable: performing his seemingly insurmountable music with poise, carrying it carefully while also conveying its fragile breaking point. In this concert, we deliver the world premiere of his immense new work Emblemata: Carnival.
Red Note delivers Dillon’s new composition alongside music from Luke Styles, who describes his new piece Five Phase Sphere as ‘abstract, with no programme whatsoever’. Written more for the instrumentation it uses than for any narrative reason, it comes from a place of unbridled intuition, focusing on resonances and combinations. Its title is a candid explanation of the material: five phases, musically connected, orbiting in a sphere. Red Note completes the programme with a new work from emerging Scottish composer Aileen Sweeney, an accordionist who uses her folk roots as a vessel for protesting the growing social inequalities in our environment.
hcmf// is an annual, international festival of contemporary and new music, taking place over 10 days and consisting of approximately 50 events – including concerts, music-theatre, dance, multi-media, talks and film – with a related Learning and Participation programme devised and implemented to reflect the artistic programme and respond to regional need.
James Dillon EMBLEMATA: Carnival (World Premiere)
Luke Styles Five Phase Sphere (UK Premiere)*
Aileen Sweeney The Land Under the Wave (World Premiere)
Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, flute
Will White, clarinet
Tom Hunter, percussion
Simon Smith, piano
David Alberman, violin
Tom Hankey, viola
Robert Irvine, cello
Iain Crawford, double bass
Geoffrey Paterson Conductor
*co-commissioned by sound, Red Note Ensemble, Ask Duets and hcmf//

Red Note at The Night With...
2022-03-23 20:00 - 21:30 | Summerhall, Summerhall Pl., Edinburgh, EH9 1QH, United Kingdom
The Night With… is a charity based in Glasgow presenting salon style concerts of interesting music in intimate, informal venues across Scotland and further afield. Run by Matthew Whiteside, it provides development and commissioning opportunities for young and emerging composers.
Red Note returns to The Night With… with concerts in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and Aberdeen. Please refer to each individual event page for tickets at each location.
Rufus Isabel Elliot The way we cupped our hands (and how the water ran through our fingers and down to the sea)* (World Premiere)
Witold Lutoslawski String Quartet
George Crumb Black Angels
Caroline Shaw Valencia
Red Note Ensemble
Jackie Shave, Violin 1
Tom Hankey, Violin 2
Fiona Winning, Viola
Robert Irvine, Cello
In partnership with The Night With…
*co-commissioned by Red Note Ensemble and The Night With…

Red Note at The Night With...
2022-03-24 20:00 - 21:30 | Stereo, 22 Renfield Ln, Glasgow, G2 5AR

Red Note at The Night With...
2022-03-25 20:00 - 21:30 | The Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT1 2LA, United Kingdom

Red Note at The Night With...
2022-03-27 20:00 - 21:30 | Belmont Filmhouse, 49 Belmont Street, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB10 1JS

13 Vices - New Music Biennial
2022-04-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Draper’s Hall, Coventry Bayley Lane, Coventry, CV1 5RN, United Kingdom
For ensemble, improvisers, conductor & voice, 13 Vices melts boundaries between theatre, poetry & contemporary music. Exploring the weird, humorous, dark & exotic world of contemporary vices, it is the creation of pioneering compositional voices – Brian Irvine & Jennifer Walshe.
First performed in 2015, the seed was planted many years before when Brian chanced upon sculptures by Mihail Chemiakin in Moscow. The collection of slightly grotesque figures, each representing a particular adult vice that is damaging to children was the springboard to the project, which would eventually become, in Brian’s words, “a wonderfully messy, chopped up, beautiful, bewitching cocktail of the best people making the best sounds and is a project that myself, collaborator Jennifer (Walshe) and all the gang and very proud of!”.
13 Vices is truly some of the most imaginative and exhilarating music around and Red Note Ensemble is delighted to perform alongside Paul Dunmall, Paul Rogers, & Mark Sanders. This piece that will stick with you.
Red Note Ensemble
Jackie Shave, Violin
Tom Hankey, Viola
Robert Irvine, Cello
New Music Biennial is a PRS Foundation and Southbank Centre initiative. Presented in partnership with Coventry UK City of Culture, BBC Radio 3 and NMC Recordings with support from Arts Council of England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Suitable for all ages. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult 18+.
Image credit: Moving on Music

Red Note at Plug 2022
2022-04-26 19:30 - 21:00 | Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom
PLUG is the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s festival of contemporary music, all about showcasing original compositions by the students. As Contemporary Ensemble, Red Note will be playing and recording new works by five student composers:
Katrin Klose – Piano Concerto
Siobhan Dyson – Chapter Two
Jo Strike – Unreasonable Music
Pablo Martinez – The boys who became stars
Michael Maftean – 2394, 36mg
Zeo Fawcett – Shed
Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, flute
Timothy Orpen, clarinet
Tom Hunter, percussion
Simon Smith, piano
Colin Scobie, violin
Robert Irvine, cello
Iain Crawford, double bass
Marianna Abrahamyan Piano
Stephanie Lamprea Voice
Rylan Gleave Voice
RCS Conductors – Leverhulme Fellowship Conductors*
*Red Note Ensemble and RCS are supported by the Leverhulme Trust

The Good Company Tour - Lerwick
2022-06-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Mareel, Arts Development Agency, North Ness House, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0WQ, United Kingdom
Come and join us as we perform some of our favourite music, from Aileen Sweeney to Philip Glass, from John Tavener to Shostakovich. A varied programme for all tastes, from the well-known to the very new, brought to you in warm and sparkling style on a summer’s day by Red Note’s very fine musicians.

The ensemble will tour the Highlands and Islands in Scotland from Wednesday 22nd to Wednesday 29th June 2022.

Witold Lutoslawski String Quartet

Thomas Adès ‘O Albion’ from ArcadianaDmitri Shostakovich String Quartet No 7 Philip Glass String Quartet No 2 ‘Company’

Aileen Sweeney CeilidhTraditional Sønderho Bridal Trilogy
John Tavener The Lamb

Red Note Ensemble
Jackie Shave, Violin 1
Tom Hankey, Violin 2
Fiona Winning, Viola
Robert Irvine, Cello

This concert is supported by Scotland On Tour

The Good Company Tour - Harris
2022-06-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Mission House, Harris, Finsbay, Isle of Harris, HS3 3JD, United Kingdom
Come and join us as we perform some of our favourite music, from Aileen Sweeney to Philip Glass, from John Taverner to Shostakovich. A varied programme for all tastes, from the well-known to the very new, brought to you in warm and sparkling style on a summer’s day by Red Note’s very fine musicians.

The ensemble will tour the Highlands and Islands in Scotland from Wednesday 22nd to Wednesday 29th June 2022.

Witold Lutoslawski String Quartet

Thomas Adès ‘O Albion’ from ArcadianaDmitri Shostakovich String Quartet No 7 Philip Glass String Quartet No 2 ‘Company’

Aileen Sweeney CeilidhTraditional Sønderho Bridal Trilogy
John Tavener The Lamb

Red Note Ensemble
Jackie Shave, Violin 1
Tom Hankey, Violin 2
Fiona Winning, Viola
Robert Irvine, Cello
This concert is supported by Scotland On Tour

The Good Company Tour - Poolewe CANCELLED
2022-06-25 19:30 - 21:00 | Poolewe Village Hall, Poolewe, Ross-shire, IV22 2LD, United Kingdom

The Good Company Tour - Skye CANCELLED
2022-06-27 19:30 - 21:00 | St Mary’s Church, 25 Viewfield Place, Portree, Isle of Skye, IV51 9HB, United Kingdom
Announcement: Due to unforeseen circumstances, it’s with deep regret that we have to announce the cancellation or the rest of our Good Company tour. We were very excited to meet you all and come to you with an amazing programme of music and we are all very upset by this turn of events.

We are very sorry that we won’t be able to continue the tour but rest assured that we will be back in the future!

If you have booked a ticket for this concert we will get in touch with you soon. We thank you for your understanding.

—

Come and join us as we perform some of our favourite music, from Aileen Sweeney to Philip Glass, from John Tavener to Shostakovich. A varied programme for all tastes, from the well-known to the very new, brought to you in warm and sparkling style on a summer’s day by Red Note’s very fine musicians.

The ensemble will tour the Highlands and Islands in Scotland from Wednesday 22nd to Wednesday 29th June 2022.

Witold Lutoslawski String Quartet

Thomas Adès ‘O Albion’ from ArcadianaDmitri Shostakovich String Quartet No 7 Philip Glass String Quartet No 2 ‘Company’

Aileen Sweeney CeilidhTraditional Sønderho Bridal Trilogy
John Tavener The Lamb

Red Note Ensemble
Jackie Shave, Violin 1
Tom Hankey, Violin 2
Fiona Winning, Viola
Robert Irvine, Cello
This concert is supported by Scotland On Tour

The Good Company Tour - Arnisdale CANCELLED
2022-06-28 19:30 - 21:00 | The Ceilidh House, Arnisdale, IV40 8JH, United Kingdom
Announcement: Due to unforeseen circumstances, it’s with deep regret that we have to announce the cancellation or the rest of our Good Company tour. We were very excited to meet you all and come to you with an amazing programme of music and we are all very upset by this turn of events.

We are very sorry that we won’t be able to continue the tour but rest assured that we will be back in the future!

We thank you for your understanding.

—

Come and join us as we perform some of our favourite music, from Aileen Sweeney to Philip Glass, from John Tavener to Shostakovich. A varied programme for all tastes, from the well-known to the very new, brought to you in warm and sparkling style on a summer’s day by Red Note’s very fine musicians.

The ensemble will tour the Highlands and Islands in Scotland from Wednesday 22nd to Wednesday 29th June 2022.

Tickets available at the door £12 full price / £8 concession

Witold Lutoslawski String Quartet

Thomas Adès ‘O Albion’ from ArcadianaDmitri Shostakovich String Quartet No 7 Philip Glass String Quartet No 2 ‘Company’

Aileen Sweeney CeilidhTraditional Sønderho Bridal Trilogy
John Tavener The Lamb

Red Note Ensemble
Jackie Shave, Violin 1
Tom Hankey, Violin 2
Fiona Winning, Viola
Robert Irvine, Cello
This concert has been supported by The Touring Network

The Good Company Tour - Aberdeen CANCELLED
2022-06-29 19:30 - 21:00 | Cowdray Hall – Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen, AB10 1FQ, United Kingdom
Announcement: Due to unforeseen circumstances, it’s with deep regret that we have to announce the cancellation or the rest of our Good Company tour. We were very excited to meet you all and come to you with an amazing programme of music and we are all very upset by this turn of events.

We are very sorry that we won’t be able to continue the tour but rest assured that we will be back in the future!

If you have booked a ticket for this concert we will get in touch with you soon. We thank you for your understanding.

—

Come and join us as we perform some of our favourite music, from Aileen Sweeney to Philip Glass, from John Tavener to Shostakovich. A varied programme for all tastes, from the well-known to the very new, brought to you in warm and sparkling style on a summer’s day by Red Note’s very fine musicians.

The ensemble will tour the Highlands and Islands in Scotland from Wednesday 22nd to Wednesday 29th June 2022.

Witold Lutoslawski String Quartet

Thomas Adès ‘O Albion’ from ArcadianaDmitri Shostakovich String Quartet No 7 Philip Glass String Quartet No 2 ‘Company’

Aileen Sweeney CeilidhTraditional Sønderho Bridal Trilogy
John Tavener The Lamb

Red Note Ensemble
Jackie Shave, Violin 1
Tom Hankey, Violin 2
Fiona Winning, Viola
Robert Irvine, Cello

13 Vices - New Music Biennial
2022-07-03 18:30 - 19:30 | Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London
For ensemble, improvisers, conductor & voice, 13 Vices melts boundaries between theatre, poetry & contemporary music. Exploring the weird, humorous, dark & exotic world of contemporary vices, it is the creation of pioneering compositional voices – Brian Irvine & Jennifer Walshe.
First performed in 2015, the seed was planted many years before when Brian chanced upon sculptures by Mihail Chemiakin in Moscow. The collection of slightly grotesque figures, each representing a particular adult vice that is damaging to children was the springboard to the project, which would eventually become, in Brian’s words, “a wonderfully messy, chopped up, beautiful, bewitching cocktail of the best people making the best sounds and is a project that myself, collaborator Jennifer (Walshe) and all the gang and very proud of!”.
13 Vices is truly some of the most imaginative and exhilarating music around and Red Note Ensemble is delighted to perform alongside Paul Dunmall, Paul Rogers, & Mark Sanders. This piece that will stick with you.
Red Note Ensemble
Jackie Shave, Violin
Tom Hankey, Viola
Robert Irvine, Cello
New Music Biennial is a PRS Foundation and Southbank Centre initiative.
For ages 11+
Image credit: Moving on Music

Red Note at Lammermuir Festival 2022
2022-09-15 15:00 - 16:00 | The Big Shed, Goshen Farm Steading, Musselburgh, EH21 8JL
Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet is based on a recorded loop of a homeless man singing. For more than 50 years its emotional impact on audiences has been extraordinarily powerful.
We will perform this stunning work in a specially-arranged, intimate and moving chamber-scale version during the 2022 Lammermuir Festival at the Big Shed in Musselburgh, on Thursday 15th September, 3pm.
“…this contemporary music still resonates with diverse audiences after more than four decades.”
Limelight
The Lammermuir Festival was born of a conviction that historic architecture and beautiful landscape together can create an ideal environment in which to experience great music-making. The Festival was established to bring the finest musicians together with local people and visitors in celebration of music in towns and villages nestling between the Lammermuir Hills and the sea.
Red Note Ensemble
Mark O’Keeffe, Trumpet
Andy Saunders, Horn
Tom Hunter, Percussion
Donald Grant, Violin 1
George Smith, Violin 2
Helena Rose, Violin 3
Fiona Winning, Viola
Robert Irvine, Cello 1
Duncan Strachan, Cello 2
Iain Crawford, Double Bass

Red Note at sound festival 2022 - Aber Dîn by Zad Moultaka
2022-10-26 19:00 - 20:00 | Cowdray Hall – Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen, AB10 1FQ, United Kingdom
Written for and performed by the combined forces of Red Note and France’s Percussions Claviers de Lyon, Franco-Lebanese composer and visual artist Zad Moultaka’s new work, Aber Dîn, takes audiences on a delirious audio-visual journey inspired by Jules Verne’s novel Backwards to Britain.

Percussions Claviers de Lyon

Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, flute
Tim Lines, clarinet
Mark O’Keeffe, trumpet
Jackie Shave, violin
Robert Irvine, cello

Zad Moultaka Conductor

Co-commissioned by sound, Red Note Ensemble and Percussions Claviers de Lyon.
Supported by Diaphonique, Franco-British fund for classical contemporary music.

Noisy Nights at Sound
2022-10-26 21:00 - 22:30 | Anatomy Rooms, Shoe Lane, Aberdeen, AB10 1AL
After two years doing it online, we are finally back live and for our first event we have partnered with sound to perform at the 2022 sound festival. Three Red Note musicians will perform 8 short new 5-minute works selected from the open call.
The concert will be held at the Anatomy Rooms in Aberdeen, on Wednesday 26th October, 9pm.
Following our call for scores, we are looking forward to presenting 8 new compositions:
Naomi McGillivray We Grow Accustomed to the Dark
Candra Bangun Setyawan Uni-SOno
Kristain Rasmussen Polarisation
Máté Szigeti Her Absence will not Alter me: An Air Upon a Ground
Erin Thomson Flux
Harrison Reeves-Smith Reindeer Panel
Andrew Fowler along a brittle edge
Oliver Frost I arrived at the shore of a winding river
Red Note Ensemble
Fiona Winning, viola
Iain Crawford, double bass
Tom Hunter, vibraphone
John Harris Conductor
Red Note and sound are PRS Foundation Talent Development Partners.

Composer Development Concert - sound festival 2022
2022-10-30 11:00 - 12:00 | Anatomy Rooms, Shoe Lane, Aberdeen, AB10 1AL
We are delighted to announce that five Scotland-based composers have been selected to participate in a development opportunity where they will work alongside Fiona Winning (viola) and Stephanie Lamprea (voice) and a composer mentor to develop new works to be performed at this year’s soundfestival!The composers are Jessica MacIsaac, Thomas Metcalf and Semay Wu.

They will showcase their work during a concert on Sunday 30th October at 11am at the Anatomy Rooms in Aberdeen (no advance booking required).

Red Note Ensemble
Fiona Winning, viola
Stephanie Lamprea Voice

This development opportunity is part of the soundcreators programme which focuses on nurturing creative talent, and is organised in partnership with sound and Red Note.

Red Note at RCS Emerging Conductors Concert
2022-11-04 19:30 - 21:00 | Stevenson Hall, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB, United Kingdom
After a week of masterclasses and workshops under the guidance of Visiting Professor Martyn Brabbins, Leverhulme Conducting Fellow Emilie Godden and five MMus conducting students present a performance of Julian Anderson’s ‘Van Gogh Blue’, premiered in 2015.
Each of the conductors will also direct the premiere of a short transcription or composition they have created especially for this occasion.
Julian Anderson Van Gogh Blue
***
Johann Sebastian Bach (arr. Michael Riley) Prelude No.4 in D Major, BWV 925
Magnus Plejdrup Dance Suite
Dmitri Shostakovich (arr. Emilie Godden) Prelude No.22 in G minor, Op.34
Claude Debussy (arr. Oliver Cope) Voiles
Claude Debussy (arr. Peggy Wu) General Lavine
Claude Debussy (arr. Vincent Wiguna) Hommage à S. Pickwick Esq. P.P.M.P.C
Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, flute / piccolo
Heather Roche, clarinet
Will White, bass clarinet
Paul Boyes, bassoon
Andy Saunders, horn
Gabriella Dall’Olio, harp
Tom Hankey, viola
Robert Irvine, cello
Iain Crawford, double bass

Noisy Nights at Glad Café Glasgow
2022-11-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Glad Café, 1006A Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow, G41 2HG, United Kingdom
Noisy Nights provide an outlet to hear emerging new musical ideas and voices. Join us at the Glad Café for an informal night of new music. Three Red Note musicians will perform 10 short new works selected from an open call (details to apply here: https://www.rednoteensemble.com/event/noisy-nights-2022-in-glasgow-call-for-scores/)..

There is even a chance to take part in the gig with our 10 minutes composer challenge, where you’ll be able to create a quick sketch on the spot and have it played by our musicians.
The concert will be held at the Glad Café in Glasgow, on Monday 7th November, 7pm. Tickets are free but booking is required.
Barry Paul Horrell La Folia
David Roche The Church
Jacquelyn Hazle Hours
Luke ‘Luca’ Cockayne Optimistic Timekeeping
Rebecca Frances Stale Connections
Taner Kemirtlek Glad Cafe
Thomas Djønne Triplex
Tom Hawkins Chromatic Explosions
Tsz To Lo Hexagonal Buzzing

Red Note Ensemble
Paul Bosworth, trumpet
Fiona Winning, viola
Robert Irvine, cello

John Harris Conductor

Red Note at hcmf// 2022
2022-11-20 12:00 - 13:00 | Phipps Hall, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH
Úna Monaghan is a harper, composer, researcher and sound artist from Belfast, working with experimental and improvised sound, and with live electronics, from a traditional Irish music background. Her recent work has combined traditional music with bronze sculpture, sound art and movement sensors. She has been commissioned by hcmf// and Red Note Ensemble to create a new piece, Notwithstanding, that will be premiered at hcmf// 2022. It is for solo harp, electronics and ensemble.
In Ann Cleare’s Dysmorphia II, the three instruments adopt warped versions of each other as if they are different sides of the same brain, looking at and interpreting the same world but unable to form a consensus on their vision of it. This is an obsessive, distorted world in which every compositional parameter is saturated in the idea of dysmorphia – timbral, harmonic, formal, rhythmic, and dynamic dysmorphia with each parameter frantically searching for the difference between reality and perception.
Nick Roth’s Flocking III, meanwhile, explores the mechanisms of an emergent system in which individual components can be perceived to express themselves as a group. Nature offers many spectacular examples of this type of behaviour, of which perhaps the most beautiful is the flocking of birds in flight.

Úna Monaghan Notwithstanding (World Premiere)*
Ann Cleare Dysmorphia II (World Premiere of trio edition)
Nick Roth Flocking III (UK Premiere)
Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, flute / piccolo
Will White, clarinet / bass clarinet
Jackie Shave, violin
Tom Hankey, viola
Robert Irvine, cello
Iain Crawford, double bass
Tom Hunter, percussion
Úna Monaghan harp
Nick Roth soprano / tenor saxophones
Geoffrey Paterson conductor
*co-commissioned by hcmf// & Red Note Ensemble

Methil Makes Music
2023-02-06 18:00 - 19:00 | Scotland
“Methil Makes Music” is a community sharing jointly organised by Levenmouth Academy, Methilhill Primary School and Red Note Ensemble, which will be held on Monday 6th February at 6pm at Levenmouth Academy School Hall.

The performance will feature new compositions from Levenmouth Academy pupils created as part of Red Note’s New Music Makers programme. Over the course of five sessions, three Red Note musicians and composer Oli Searle have worked with pupils at Levenmouth Academy to explore and create new music. The sharing will showcase the compositions from those pupils.

The performance will also feature three songs performed by Methilhill Primary Schools P1 and P4 and Red Note Ensemble. Those songs are the result of a long term involvement of Red Note Ensemble with Methilhill Primary School. Composer Oli Searle has been working for the past months with the school and pupils on the songs that will be performed during the evening.

We are very proud to be able to share the work of all the pupils and communities involved in those projects!

Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, Flute
Alex South, Clarinet
Robert Irvine, Cello
*Please note: this performance is not on sale to the general public.

RCS PLUG 2023 - with Nicholas McCarthy
2023-05-12 13:00 - 14:00 | Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom
PLUG is the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s festival of contemporary music, all about showcasing original compositions by the students. As Contemporary Ensemble, Red Note will be playing works by five student composers with guest pianist Nicholas McCarthy:
Ben Lunn history needs…
Jamie Westoby Wandering Song
Rebecca Edwards Maintaining Energy
Amy Stewart Apricity
Junqi Wan Stimmen des Kreuzwegs
Red Note Ensemble
Colin Scobie, Violin 1
George Smith, Violin 2
Fiona Winning, Viola
Duncan Strachan, Cello
Iain Crawford, Double Bass
Nicholas McCarthy Piano

Noisy Nights at Glad Cafe Glasgow
2023-05-16 19:30 - 21:30 | Glad Café, 1006A Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow, G41 2HG, United Kingdom
Noisy Nights provide an outlet to hear emerging new musical ideas and voices. Join us at the Glad Cafe for an informal night of new music. Three Red Note musicians will perform up to 8 short new works selected from an open call.

There is even a chance to take part in the gig with our 10 minutes composer challenge, where you’ll be able to create a quick sketch on the spot and have it played by our musicians.
The concert will be held at the Glad Cafe in Glasgow, on Tuesday 16th May, 7.30pm. Tickets are free but booking is required.
Cecilia Muylaert Refractions
Clara-Jane Maunder Pathways
Giuliano Comoglio Act II
Joshua Thorpe May Tree Breeze
Michael Maftean Menace
Mingdu Li Ghost Particles – Neutrinos
Murray Nicholl Shattered Pieces
Stephen Chase Trio3

Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, flute
Robert Irvine, cello
Tom Hunter, percussion

John Harris Conductor

McEwen Concert at the University of Glasgow
2023-06-08 20:00 - 21:00 | Glasgow University Concert Hall, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
McEwen commission recipient composer Colin Broom is premiering his new work at the McEwen concert on Thursday 8th June, 8pm along with an all-Glasgow programme of living composers.
Colin Broom The Big Freeze (World Premiere)
Jane Stanley Suite
Bill Sweeney Òran-Buidheachas
Eddie McGuire Euphoria
Kevin Leomo patterns of shadows
Red Note Ensemble
Ruth Morley, flute/alto
Tim Lines, clarinet/bass clarinet
Andy Saunders, horn
Simon Johnson, trombone
Tom Hunter, percussion
Simon Smith, piano
Jackie Shave, violin
Robert Irvine, cello
Iain Crawford, double bass
Simon Proust, conductor
