What's On

With Aidan O'Rourke (fiddle) and Kit Downes (piano/harmonium)

Aidan O'Rourke and Kit Downes
There is no beginning

Tansy Davies
The Beginning of the World

Dave Fennessy
Hirta Rounds

Gyo¨rgy Ligeti
Ramifications

Ruth Crawford Seeger
Andante for Strings

Elemental centres around a new piece for harmonium, piano, fiddle and string orchestra by Aidan O'Rourke and Kit Downes - two musicians with an embarrassment of accolades, and a taste for musical pioneering.

There is no beginning fuses the visceral energy and haunting beauty of Aidan's traditional Celtic roots with wisps of jazz, folk, ambient and classical. Surrounding it will come a clutch of contemporary works that speak to us of all things elemental ' space, silence, waves and air ' intertwined with melodies which echo an ancient Scotland.

The piece - and the performance - are inspired by Edwin Morgan's 1984 poem Slate, generally accepted as a love letter to a politically- and environmentally-battered Scotland. Through music, SE, Aidan and Kit will explore themes of time, change and transformation, particularly in relation to our nation and our world; entities that, as with music, are subject to the constant processes of time. Through sound, they'll conjure thoughts of the past, present and future of the land we all share ' as well as creating a space to contemplate it. Join the musicians before the event for an SE Blether: a free pre-concert talk at 6.45pm.

Aidan O'Rourke is a fiddler, producer and award-winning composer who has pioneered a new sound in folk music and redefined traditional forms. As well as performing with his band Lau - who have won Best Group at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards an unprecedented four times - Aidan performs as a solo artist, finding new ways of articulating the tradition.

Kit Downes is a pianist, organist and harmonium player. He has toured the world performing on various keyboard instruments with his own bands - ENEMY, Troyka, Elt and Vyamanikal - as well as artists such as Squarepusher, Thomas Strønen and Django Bates, and collaborated with film-makers, video game developers and classical composers. A BBC Jazz Award winner, Kit has also been nominated for a Mercury Music Award. Amongst their many collaborations and solo projects, Kit and Aidan perform together as a duo.

Scottish Ensemble (SE) is Scotland's pioneering string orchestra; a collective of outstanding musicians, championing music for strings across Scotland, the UK and the world. Celebrating 50 years, across its 2019/20 Anniversary Season SE presents thought-provoking programmes and events that cross genres, styles, musical periods and art forms to shed new light on classical music - and the many ways it can be shared.

Tickets:
Standard - £14
Under 26's - £12.50
Student - £7
Unwaged - £5(must show evidence of receiving jobseekers allowance)
Under 16's - Free (U16's must be accompanied by a paying adult)
Carers - Free(must be booked with paying disabled patron)

Dundee City Box Office: tel 01382 434940
Telephone transaction fee £1.50
www.dundeebox.co.uk
Online transaction fee £2.50.

Information published by Leisure and Culture Dundee.