• A three-movement concerto composed by Sally Beamish for fiddle, Scottish harp and string orchestra premiered by Chris Stout & Catriona McKay with the Scottish Ensemble

  Compact Disc (CD)

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  Dynamic duo sound sensation: 'Sonically exquisite’The Guardian
  
  Catriona McKay & Chris Stout BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Best Duo 2018
  
  SEAVAIGERS
  
  A three-movement concerto for fiddle, Scottish harp and string orchestra.
  
  Composer Sally Beamish brings together Catriona McKay’s Scottish harp and Chris Stout’s Shetland fiddle with the Scottish Ensemble to create music which reflects the anticipation, fear, comradeship and adventure of sea voyaging.
   
  Seavaigers 19.51 composed by Sally Beamish
  1.    Storm 07.18
  2.    Lament 06.21
  3.    Haven 06.12
  
  
  "thrilling…lyricism and fire…delicate restraint and furious gusto…music that wore its ambition and complexity brilliantly lightly, creating a seamless mesh between folk and contemporary classical stylings.” The Scotsman 2012
  
  
  Seavaigers is a collaboration between its composer, Sally Beamish, and two of the foremost soloists in the Celtic tradition: Chris Stout and Catriona McKay. The score leaves space for much improvisation in the solo parts, and the piece was the result of many discussions and ideas from all three.
  
  
  
  The title means ‘Seafarers’ and refers both to the seafaring people of the North Sea, and to the two soloists: Chris Stout, from Shetland, and Catriona McKay, from Dundee. The stretch of water between these two Northerly ports has claimed countless lives over the centuries, but is also one of the most beautiful and romantic seascapes in the world – home to seabirds, whales, dolphins and endless changes of light and weather. Strong emotions are always connected to dangerous journeys, and this piece reflects the anticipation, fear, comradeship and adventure of sea voyaging. The first movement, Storm, begins with a shimmering dawn over the water before launching into a reel which becomes increasingly unsettled and harmonically dark, before resolving into optimism.
  
  The Lament consists of one very simple melody, which repeats and overlaps with varying ornamentation, written and improvised.
  The solo improvisations continue as the last movement begins – Haven - steering a final exhilarated course towards home. Just before the end, the opening music returns, as if land is in sight.
  
  Seavaigers was commissioned by Celtic Connections and the Edinburgh International Harp Festival, with funding from Creative Scotland. It was first performed by Chris Stout and Catriona McKay with the Scottish Ensemble, directed by Jonathan Morton, at Celtic Connections in the Fruitmarket. Glasgow, January 2012, and at the Edinburgh International Harp Festival, April 2012. Further performances include Trondheim Kammer Musikk Festival with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra including live radio broadcast.
  
  
  
  Moder Dy 23.52 composed by Catriona McKay & Chris Stout
  1.    Moder Dy (Mother Wave) 06.55
  2.    Parting of Friends (traditional Irish harp tune from the Bunting Collection) 04.47
  3.    Sunstone 12.10
  
  Moder Dy was written specifically for this collaboration between Chris, Catriona and the Scottish Ensemble. In the piece the duo take a step back and explore how traditional sea navigation skills could give rise to a new musical direction for the duo.
  The Moder Dy appears where two currents around the north and the south of the small island of Foula come together to create an underlying swell. Experienced local seafarers detect it and use it as a guide. Regardless of tide or wind direction the Mother Wave always runs in the same direction from Foula towards the mainland of Shetland.
  
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