Cairn Valley Song Cycle is a very special set of songs newly commissioned by Moniaive Festival Village as part of their Creative Places Award. Ten UK composers, some local, some internationally acclaimed, explore their response to the beautiful landscape of the Cairn Valley and the changing sense of community and home, through the ages.
Local composers include Lucy Harper, Wendy Stuart and Kate Howard, who look at themes covering recent flooding in Moniaive, the mass movement of people and the sanctuary of home. Others from further afield include Megan Henderson, a member of Northern Harmony, who performed in Moniaive as part of a UK tour several years ago. She was inspired by the sense of community formed, as touring musicians travel from place to place. Ali Burns uses excerpts from Rumer Godden’s “The Doll’s House” to help Tottie and Mr Plantaganet to find a home. Local poet Roddy Fairley’s work inspired Mel Thorne to ponder on the local landscape and Penny Stone discusses our relationship to the land and community. Helen Chadwick uses an interview with local artist Andy Goldsworthy to discuss the Lowland Clearances.
When accompanied with beautiful new musical compositions from Wendy Stewart and Stuart MacPherson and film collated by Emily Parnell Tryon, this will be part of the finale to the Moniaive Festival Village project and a triumphant celebration of our village community and surroundings. It will also mark the 10th anniversary of Cairn Chorus.
The Song Cycle will be performed in Moniaive on Saturday 27 May, 7.30pm in St Ninians Church and then as part of the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival in the spectacular setting of the Crichton Church, Dumfries on Saturday 6 June.
The concert in Dumfries will bring together Cairn Chorus and the Scottish Ensemble for collaborations on many of the songs as well as an additional response to the themes of the Song Cycle by the Ensemble.
Following Cairn Chorus’ collaboration with award winning Songs of Separation last year, the choir are on the top of their game. Around 60 members travel across the region to rehearse with the choir, attracted by the warm community spirit, exceptional leadership by Kate Howard and the fantastically eclectic repertoire.
Keep an eye on the website for news of how rehearsals are coming along and for ticket information as it is released.
Saturday 27 May – St Ninians Church, Moniaive
Saturday 3 June – Easterbrook hall (Scottish Ensemble collaboration as part of Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival)
Follow these topics: News, Newsletter