‘Seavaigers’ is our collaboration with leading British composer Sally Beamish. In this ‘richly cinematic’ (Irish Times) concerto Sally brought Catriona’s harp and Chris’s fiddle together with the glorious sound of the Scottish Ensemble to create music which reflects the anticipation, fear, comradeship and adventure of sea voyaging.
The concerto was premiered in 2012 and released as an album in 2013.
The second piece on the album is Moder Dy, meaning Mother Wave. The Moder Dy is a sea current which flows between the Island of Foula and the Shetland mainland. Regardless of the weather conditions or the tide Moder Dy remains constant and has been used throughout history by local sailers and fisherman to navigate their boats journey.
This became the inspiration behind our musical response to Sally’s Beamish’s Seavaigers.
1. Seavaigers: Storm - 7:20
2. Seavaigers: Lament - 6:19
3. Seavaigers: Haven - 6:13
4. Moder Dy: Mother Wave
5. Moder Dy: Parting of Friends
6: Moder Dy: Sunstone
Seavaigers CD
‘….Richly cinematic in texture, Seavaigers lures the listener into the depths of its movements, with moods of foreboding, wistfulness and poignant regret conjured in the opening Storm, Lament and Haven. The intuitive interplay between McKay and Stout exploit all the riches of their traditional roots while embracing the challenge of a classical setting. This is a rare opportunity to enjoy the points at which musical currents swell and collide, with a restraint that celebrates their unpredictability and momentum at one and the same time.’ Siobhan Long - The Irish Times
‘…Imaginative and evocative…’ Tim Woodall - The Strad Magazine