Sandwood: MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards 2018!

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Hands up for Trad have opened nominations for the 2018 MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards.  Celebrating excellence in traditional music, these awards honour artists, instrumentalists, composers and singer-songwriters.

This awards ceremony includes a wealth of categories that encompass all aspects of traditional music.  Be sure to take a moment to nominate your favourite acts or organisations by visiting the Scots Trad Music Awards link – click here.

The nominations include the ‘Trad Album of the Year 2018‘.  Sandwood has been included in the longlist (comprising 25 wonderful albums) for this category and it’s now up to you – the public, along with a music industry panel, to vote for a shortlist of 10 albums.  Voting is open until Sunday 14 October and the winners will be unveiled at Perth Concert Hall on 1 December 2018.

Vote now for Duncan Chisholm and Sandwood!

Thank you for your support.

Eden Court Theatre Performance:  An Treas Suaile (The Third Wave)

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On 27 January 2019, Eden Court Theatre, Inverness will host ‘An Treas Suaile’ (The Third Wave) which Duncan was commissioned to write with fellow musician Julie Fowlis.

Late on New Year’s Eve 1918, HMY Iolaire set sail from Kyle of Lochalsh carrying nearly 300 seamen home to the Isle of Lewis after the war.  The ship was lost at the entrance to Stornoway Harbour and 201 servicemen perished in one of the worst maritime disasters in modern British history.

Written to commemorate 100 years since the disaster, this is a deeply reflective audio-visual piece which has taken 12 months of research and writing.  It will feature newly composed music, traditional material and archive  recordings with onstage visuals and projected images.  The title and central concept refers to John Finlay MacLeod, who leapt overboard from the stricken Iolaire with a rope, and whose bravery saved many lives.

Full box office details are available on our Live page, here.

Wolfstone to perform at the Blas Festival 2018

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The Blas Festival, which takes place between 7 – 15 September 2018, celebrates the culture, traditional music and Gaelic in the Highlands of Scotland.

Duncan will perform with folk-rock band Wolfstone as they make a rare appearance on Highland soil when they perform in Lochinver on Friday 14 September.  For full box office details, please visit the Blas Festival website here.

Enjoy the music….

Sandwood Review / Duncan Chisholm Feature

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Twenty years ago this summer, the first issue of Penguin Eggs surfaced on the Internet.  This publication continues to be bursting with features, interviews, news and reviews from the traditional scene and the current summer special 20th Anniversary Issue (No.78) is no exception.  Read Roddy Campbell’s full review of Sandwood, accessible via the publication here, as he considers Duncan “the indisputable eminent fiddle composer of his generation“.

Duncan is also the subject of an in-depth feature interview in the August 2018 issue of The Scots Magazine.   ‘Sandwood – A Place Beyond Words’ by Cameron McNeish considers how Duncan captures an indefinable location through his music and how Duncan has “produced something quite exceptional” in his Sandwood album.  The full feature is accessible in The Scots Magazine via this link.

Duncan Chisholm Live at Egerton

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Duncan has been invited to perform at the Millenium Hall, Egerton toward the end of October 2018.  Known for its triennial summer music festival, Egerton continues to invite musicians to perform between festivals whilst promoting the arts in the Kent area.

Duncan will perform as part of a quartet including Conal McDonagh, Ali Hutton and Megan Henderson on Sunday 21 October 2018.  Please visit our Live page for box office details.

Enjoy the music….

Duncan: Live on BBC Radio 3 Breakfast

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In midsummer week, BBC Radio 3 enters one of the most potent sources of the human imagination.  Into the Forest (BBC R3 daily between 630-9am, 18 – 22 June) explores the enchantment, escape and magical danger of the forest in summer, with slow radio moments featuring the sounds of the forest, allowing time out from today’s often frenetic world.

Duncan was invited to join presenter Petroc Trelawny live from the breathtaking landscape of Glen Affric.  Having completed his lauded Strathglass Trilogy inspired by the majestic Glens of Strathfarrar, Canaich and Affric, Duncan was delighted to perform his music live on this programme which explores the cultural heritage of the last remnants of the original Caledonian Forest.

Listen again on the BBC iPlayer via this link. 

Live Event News….

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RUNRIG: THE LAST DANCE
Duncan is thrilled to be performing with Julie Fowlis at Runrig’s The Last Dance concerts in Stirling on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th August.  Duncan has been a huge fan of Runrig over their career and feels privileged to be a part of this weekend, celebrating Runrig, their music, and their legacy.

MARTYN BENNETT’S BOTHY CULTURE
Greg Lawson’s monumental orchestration of Bothy Culture, presented by The GRIT Orchestra was a roaring success at the Celtic Connections Festival earlier this year.

Duncan performed many times with Martyn Bennett while touring with Wolfstone throughout Europe and the USA. Duncan was honoured to be invited to join The GRIT Orchestra to carry on the spirit of his music for this project.  Martyn Bennett’s Bothy Culture will perform as part of the Light on the Shore Series at the Edinburgh International Festival on Tuesday 21st August 2018.  This unique performance of an epic orchestration of Martyn’s second album will be presented at the Edinburgh Playhouse.  Tickets are on sale now and full box office details are available via our Live page.

Sandwood

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Sandwood is now on general release, available to buy / stream / download, worldwide.

Please do visit our ‘Shop‘ where you can purchase the album in CD or download format.

Enjoy the music….

Live dates announced and Sandwood reviews….

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We are delighted to announce additional tour dates as Duncan presents music from the new album in venues and festivals throughout the U.K. and beyond.  Duncan and the band look forward to performing in the north of England during June 2018 in Reeth, Ulverston and Manchester.  Please see our Live page for ticket information.

Thank you to fRoots, Songlines and The Living Tradition for the glowing reviews of Sandwood; a short synopsis is available on our ‘Reviews’ page but please do visit and enjoy these publications which provide a wealth of news and features on world music.

What the press said….
Songlines World Music Magazine:  4**** stars
The Living Tradition:  “Highland music has rarely been in better hands”
fRoots:  “This is spiritual music which empathises deeply with humanity’s continuing search for transcendental beauty and enduring truth.”

New Music Commission: An Treas Suaile (The Third Wave)

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14-18 NOW have unveiled their 2018 season of extraordinary arts events focusing on WW1 Centenary Art Commissions.  This programme of events features brand new artworks by some of the world’s leading contemporary artists which will be presented during the lead up to Armistice Day 2018.

As part of this significant programme of events 14-18 NOW have co-commissioned, with An Lanntair Arts Centre, Duncan Chisholm and Julie Fowlis to deliver a production marking the centenary of the sinking of HMY Iolaire.

This new work will consider this maritime disaster, the resulting tragedy of the significant loss of life to the Hebridean Islands of Lewis and Harris, as well as reflecting on the actions of John Finlay MacLeod whose selfless acts helped save dozens of lives.

This commission will premiere at An Lanntair, Stornoway on the 9/10 November 2018.  Further details of the production will be announced soon.