Almanac: Part 1 (Emergence)
2026-06-13 12:50 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | Boat of Garten Community Hall, Boat of Garten Community Hall, Boat of Garten, PH24 3BL, United Kingdom
Almanac: Part 1 (Emergence)

Boat of Garten Community Hall, Saturday 13 June 2026
Almanac is a new large-scale project by composer Thomas Butler, commissioned by Red Note Ensemble, using contemporary musical performance to mark events in the natural world.
Across four seasonal, immersive works presented in locations throughout Scotland over 12 months, the project brings together ensemble, voice, electronics and field recording to explore ecological cycles, seasonal change, and the disruption of natural rhythms in a time of climate crisis.
Almanac: Part 1 (Emergence)
The first chapter of Almanac focuses on the emergence of dragonflies and damselflies as they transition from water to air. This new performance combines live music with flute, clarinet, viola and percussion, and field recordings to trace this moment of transformation, shaped by ecological research and the surrounding landscape.
Each ticket includes
• A guided site visit to a nearby bog with an RSPB guide to observe dragonflies and damselflies (transport provided by bus)
• A live performance of Emergence
• A Q&A with composer Thomas Butler

Important information
• Please note the site visit involves uneven terrain and is unfortunately not suitable for wheelchair users or those with limited mobility*
• Please arrive at least 10 minutes in advance as transport to the site will leave sharp
• Sturdy footwear and weather appropriate clothing is recommended
• Each performance is limited to 20 audience members
• Please be advised that in the event of severe weather, the site visit may be cancelled and we will offer an indoor alternative
*If you are unable to attend the site visit but wish to experience the performance and Q&A, or if you have any access questions, please contact us: admin@rednoteensemble.com
Performance schedule
Please select one of the following timed sessions when booking:
Concert 1
Site visit (including transport): 12:50–13:45
Performance + Q&A: 14:00–14:45
Concert 2
Site visit (including transport): 14:00–14:55
Performance + Q&A: 15:10–15:55
Concert 3
Site visit (including transport): 15:10–16:05
Performance + Q&A: 16:15–17:00
Tickets
£15 (£10 Concession for those under 26 years of age)
Advance booking required
The Almanac cycle is kindly supported by the Vaughan Williams Foundation.
For more information and tickets click HERE.

Call For Tuba Players
2026-08-02
REGISTER HERE
We’re inviting tubists, along with players of sousaphone, euphonium, baritone, Wagner tuba and tenor horn, to join us for this extraordinary large-scale performance.
Written by pioneering American composer Anthony Braxton, Composition No. 19 (For 100 Tubas) is a bold and immersive work that transforms the tuba into a vast collective instrument. With layers of sustained sound, shifting textures and powerful spatial effects, the piece creates an experience that is as much about atmosphere and resonance as it is about performance.
Written in the 1970s, the score was lost for many years before eventually being rediscovered and receiving its first performance in New York in 2006. This September, Red Note Ensemble brings this remarkable work to Lammermuir Festival in a special outdoor performance at Amisfield Walled Garden.

Braxton’s score is written for four marching tuba bands of 25 players, each with its own conductor, moving through the space as the performance unfolds. Surrounded by the garden walls and the open evening sky, audiences and performers will experience a constantly shifting landscape of sound as tubas of every shape and size — from euphoniums to sousaphones — create rich, resonant textures across the site.
The work is very rarely presented, making this a special opportunity to take part in one of Braxton’s most ambitious ensemble pieces alongside brass players from across Scotland and beyond.
It’s a joyful, collaborative piece: immersive, surprising and unlike anything else.
Most importantly, it’s open to players of all experience levels. The music is approachable, and Red Note will provide all the materials you need in advance.
If you play tuba — or euphonium, baritone, tenor horn, Wagner tuba or sousaphone — we’d love you to join us for this unique performance. Come and be part of an unforgettable evening of music as twilight falls over one of East Lothian’s most beautiful spaces.
The performance will take place in the beautiful Amisfield Walled Garden, around 30 minutes from Edinburgh, on Saturday 19 September 2026, as part of Lammermuir Festival.

Please note that this is a voluntary and unpaid opportunity, and unfortunately we cannot provide travel support to participants, so we encourage local players to apply.

We are looking for people who are:

Tuba, Sousaphone, Euphonium, Baritone, Wagner tuba or Tenor horn players
At any level of experience (amateur, student or professional)
Aged 16 or over
Available on Saturday 19 September 2026 from 13:00 until 19:30 for the rehearsal and performance.

We’d love to have you with us.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 2ND AUGUST
REGISTER HERE

100 Tubas at Amisfield
2026-09-19 18:00 - 19:30 | Amisfield Garden, Haddington, EH41 3TE
Gathering 100 tuba players together for a performance of Anthony Braxton’s legendary Composition No 19 interspersed with heraldic brass fanfares this unique performance – part concert, part ritual – will make the walls of the garden reverberate with deep, evocative sounds as the sun dips below the horizon.
Audiences will be transported by coach from Haddington town centre.
This concert is dedicated to the memory of John Wallace.

Almanac: Part 2 (Songflight)
2026-09-26 18:45 - 21:00 | Logie Coldstone Village Hall, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, AB34 5PQ, United Kingdom
Almanac: Part 2 (Songflight)
Logie Coldstone Village Hall, Saturday 26th September, 18:45
Red Note presents Almanac, a new large-scale project by composer Thomas Butler, using contemporary music performance to mark events in the natural world.
Across four immersive seasonal works presented in locations throughout Scotland over 12 months, the project brings together ensemble, voice, electronics and field recording to explore ecological cycles, seasonal change and our changing relationship with the natural world.
Almanac: Part 2 (Songflight)
Presented in association with sound, the second chapter of Almanac explores the nocturnal world of pipistrelle bats during the autumn mating season. Pipistrelle bats are an important indicator species, helping us understand the health of ecosystems across wetlands, woodland and urban environments.
Inspired by the bats’ distinctive songflights — repeated routes of flight and calling performed after dark — Songflight combines live music for flute, clarinet, viola and percussion with electronics to create an atmospheric performance shaped by sound, movement and the surrounding landscape. Presented in darkness and in close connection with the site, Songflight invites audiences into an immersive encounter with one of Scotland’s most fascinating nocturnal species.
The evening will begin with a bat walk, led in partnership with NatureScot, before returning to Logie Coldstone Hall for a performance by Red Note Ensemble followed by a post-concert Q&A with composer Thomas Butler.
Parking is located at Logie Coldstone Village Hall. We will provide a shuttle bus from Logie Coldstone Hall to the Muir of Dinnet Nature Reserve for the bat walk.
Each ticket includes
• A guided bat walk with NatureScot
• A live performance of Songflight
• A Q&A with composer Thomas Butler
Important information
• Parking for the event is at Logie Coldstone Hall. We are providing a shuttle service to the Nature Reserve so please arrive at least 10 minutes in advance as transport to the site will leave at 18:45 sharp.
• Sturdy footwear and weather appropriate clothing is recommended
• Please be advised that in the event of severe weather, the Bat walk may be cancelled and we will offer an indoor alternative.
• A videographer will be in attendance during the event. If you would prefer not to appear in any footage, please let a member of the team know.
If you have any access questions for this event, please contact us: admin@rednoteensemble.com
Tickets are available on the door but due to the limited places we strongly recommend advance booking.
Performance schedule
Bat Walk (including transport): 18:45–20:00
Performance + Q&A: 20:15–21:00
Tickets
£15 (£10 Concession & FREE for under 26 years of age)
Advance booking recommended.
For more information and tickets click HERE.
The Almanac cycle is kindly supported by the Vaughan Williams Foundation.
