Duncan Chisholm, Innes Watson, Rachel Newton, Su-a Lee

Duncan Chisholm, Innes Watson, Jarlath Henderson and Rachel Newton

Duncan Chisholm, Donald Shaw, Innes Watson, Jarlath Henderson, Su-a Lee, Hamish Napier, Rachel Newton and Lauren MacColl

Five years on from its landmark debut concert at Celtic Connections, the trailblazing Grit Orchestra, an 80-piece ensemble of folk, jazz and classical musician originally founded to perform and celebrate the late Martyn Bennett’s music, breaks yet more new ground with its first performance of newly-composed works. Supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund, six members of the orchestra have been commissioned to create new symphonic compositions inspired by the Declaration of Arbroath, ahead of its 700th anniversary in April. Also marking 15 years since Bennett’s untimely passing, the project is described by Donald Shaw as “a declaration of intent to grasp the thistle and give a sense of confidence to orchestral works from Scottish folk composers. It’s about freedom, exploration and intent.” Under the baton of founding conductor Greg Lawson, the orchestra will première pieces by multi-instrumentalist Fraser Fifield, saxophonist Paul Towndrow, fiddlers Chris Stout and Patsy Reid, harpist Catriona McKay and cellist Rudi de Groot.

This will be a unique opportunity to hear Duncan Chisholm play acoustically in the beautiful surroundings of the City Halls Recital rooms. Duncan will be accompanied by Innes Watson.

To complement their opening-night première of bespoke new cross-genre compositions, the 80-piece Grit Orchestra, a hand-picked array of Scottish folk, jazz and classical artists, revisit the music that first made them, that of the late and much-lamented Martyn Bennett.

Taking turns to sing in their own and each other’s languages, these two groups explore such common ground as the likenesses between Gaelic puirt-a-beul and Breton kan-ha-diskan (call and response songs), both forms of vocal dance music. Completing the line-up are three master musicians representing each territory: Scotland’s Duncan Chisholm (fiddle), James Ross (piano) and Jarlath Henderson (pipes, alongside Brittany’s Jonathan Dour (violin); Antoine Lahay (guitar) and Julien Stevenen (double bass).