Scottish Ensemble
Scottish Ensemble at The Stoller Hall, Manchester
About the show
Mythology and storytelling take centre stage in this ambitious cross-genre creation. The familiar sounds of a string orchestra are pulled in unfamiliar directions into a sound world shaped by drones, just intonation, and the earthly tonal spectrum of the pipes. The folklore and history of Skye comes to the fore; from traditional Gaelic waulking songs and the eerie tale of the Spòg Liath (“The grey paw”) to the phases of the moon and the landscape of Scotland’s islands.
The performance will blend live and electrically manipulated sound with specially commissioned visuals from Brìghde’s long-time collaborator Jonny Ashworth, whose bewitching films draw on the landscapes and lore of Scotland’s highlands and islands. Audiences will encounter something both deeply rooted in Scottish heritage and boldly contemporary.
The new collaboration was developed during a three-day residency on the Isle of Skye in March 2026, which culminated in a free sharing at community arts centre An Crùbh, allowing local audiences to be the first to experience the work-in-progress.
Featuring - Scottish Ensemble
The Scottish Ensemble is a tightknit band of outstanding string players from around Europe who perform regularly together under Artistic Director, Jonathan Morton. This increasingly adventurous group has an enviable reputation for innovative commissioning and programming, performing interesting and unusual pieces alongside more well-known music.
Brìghde Chaimbeul
Brìghde Chaimbeul is a Scottish bagpipe player, who plays the traditional Great Highland bagpipe and the revived Scottish smallpipes.