MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards: Jim Sutherland

Congratulations to JIm Sutherland who have been nominated in Composer of the Year sponsored by PRS for Music in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2014. Vote now!

We asked JIm Sutherland of JIm Sutherland the following questions.

Tell us about yourself
Jim’s influence as a composer and producer is evident across the Scottish music scene. He is particularly associated with cross cultural and cross genre work on projects such as Struileag: Children of the Smoke, which featured the voices of; Allan MacDonald, Fiona MacKenzie, Kathleen MacInnes, Brian Ó hEadhra, Joy Dunlop, Calum Barker, Alasdair Whyte, Rachel Newton and David McCallum

“Struileag Children of the Smoke is a watershed moment in Gaelic music”: Margaret Mary Murray: Head of BBC Alba

Children of the Smoke, a live Gaelic show, premiered to 5000 people during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014. The live show was signature element of the Homecoming Scotland programme, while the live stream enjoyed nearly 2000 international viewers. Composer and Artistic Director Jim Sutherland worked with 25 commissioned Gaelic poets and 20 musicians and singers to create the score for the spectacular 60 minute show.

Struileag is an international Gaelic arts initiative, led by Jim that highlights the importance of indigenous languages to the concept of home and belonging. The project delivers: a touring show that will tour during 2015/16, a TV arts programme that will be aired on Christmas eve on BBC Alba, a book of poetry, a CD of music and an engaged, international, online community. www.struileag.com .

Other music commissions in 2013 include
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Derry UK capital of Culture 2013:

The piece was presented by Scottish Culture Secretary Fiona Hislop to the Mayor of the City and the Taoiseach and the music underscored the ceremonial opening of Derry as UK capital of culture. This ceremony, written by Frank Cottrell Boyce was attended by an audience of 30,000 people. The piece, composed in collaboration with Allan MacDonald incorporated 15th century Gaelic texts, incorporated a reconstruction of the Carnyx a 2000 year old bronze instrument discovered in ancient peat bog and featured the voices of the ‘red monks’.

Marseille European Capital of Culture 2013:
‘The Pillars of Hercules’; a commission to celebrate Marseilles as European capital of culture 2013, composed to be performed by a 40 piece, Mediterranean rim orchestra with musicians from all around the Med, including North African and Turkish bagpipers and percussionists.

Why are you involved in Scottish music?
I don’t have a choice really I am completely obsessed with music and I have been involved in Scottish music and culture most of my working life. I love our broad, inclusive folk music scene and am proud to be able to give something back to the culture that has given me so much.

Any particular career highlights?
Jim has been involved in the Scottish music scene for the whole of his professional life. From early days with the Easy Club, Jim was writing new tunes, some of which, such as the Easy Club reel have found their way into the tradition generating variations all over the Celtic music world.
He has performed and recorded with such luminaries as Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Mumford and sons and the Shotts and Dykehead pipe band. His influence as a producer is wide he has produced more than 80 Albums covering a wide range of genre including Shooglenifty, Aberfeldy and Salsa Celtica as well as film and TV score recordings which includes producing two songs for the OSCAR winning Disney feature ‘Brave’
La Banda Europa;
La Banda Europa is a 35 piece band each of who play instruments that are indigenous to their country of origin. Jim put the band together over the winter of 2006 ready for its first performance in Gateshead as an antidote to the BNP lead St Georges day celebrations. La Banda Europa is a potent symbol of people from different backgrounds and cultures can come together in common purpose, united by music.
Jim also composes the music for the ensemble which has toured internationally and collaborated with, amongst others, the Vienna boys Choir. See more at www.labandaeuropa.com

What are your plans for the future?
I am currently working on two long term projects which explores how cultures collide, and another about illicit stills in the Scottish landscape.

Buy a ticket for the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 13th December in Inverness Leisure, start time 7pm. You’ll have a great time!