Blog Archives
The Light, the Bell & the Burden Sunday
Multi-disciplinary artist and designer Andy McGregor has teamed up with two of Scotland’s most exciting musicians, cellist Su-a Lee and fiddler/composer Donald Grant to create a compelling site-specific installation to be premiered in St Fillan’s Cave in Pittenweem at East Neuk Festival.
The Light, the Bell & the Burden explores mysteries around belief, folklore and healing through St. Fillan and the relics connected to him. Amongst these relics are eight river stones which are said to have specific healing properties; the saint’s bronze bell (known as The Bernane), also used for healing; and perhaps most curiously, the arm and hand of the saint himself (The Mayne) which is said to have glowed with light allowing the saint to write sermons in the cave and as a preserved relic, it played a part in Robert the Bruce’s success at Bannockburn.
The video will be installed inside the coastal cave where St Fillan is said to have lived as a hermit towards the end of his life (d.770AD). It features a recorded performance of The Witch of Leanachan a dramatic and haunting piece written by fiddle player/composer Donald Grant who is joined by maverick, genre-bending cellist Su-A-Lee (Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Mr McFall’s Chamber).
Commissioned by ENF with support from Event Scotland’s National Events Programme.
The Light, the Bell & the Burden
Multi-disciplinary artist and designer Andy McGregor has teamed up with two of Scotland’s most exciting musicians, cellist Su-a Lee and fiddler/composer Donald Grant to create a compelling site-specific installation to be premiered in St Fillan’s Cave in Pittenweem at East Neuk Festival.
The Light, the Bell & the Burden explores mysteries around belief, folklore and healing through St. Fillan and the relics connected to him. Amongst these relics are eight river stones which are said to have specific healing properties; the saint’s bronze bell (known as The Bernane), also used for healing; and perhaps most curiously, the arm and hand of the saint himself (The Mayne) which is said to have glowed with light allowing the saint to write sermons in the cave and as a preserved relic, it played a part in Robert the Bruce’s success at Bannockburn.
The video will be installed inside the coastal cave where St Fillan is said to have lived as a hermit towards the end of his life (d.770AD). It features a recorded performance of The Witch of Leanachan a dramatic and haunting piece written by fiddle player/composer Donald Grant who is joined by maverick, genre-bending cellist Su-A-Lee (Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Mr McFall’s Chamber).
Commissioned by ENF with support from Event Scotland’s National Events Programme.
COACH TRIP SUNDAY [SOLD OUT]
The coach trip is now sold out – but tickets for individual events on Saturday may still be available.
COACH TRIP SATURDAY [SOLD OUT]
THE COACH TRIP IS NOW SOLD OUT: PLEASE CONTACT THE BOX OFFICE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ENQUIRE ABOUT RETURNS. TICKETS FOR INDIVIDUAL EVENTS ON 28 JUNE MAY STILL BE AVAILABLE
Euan Stevenson
Euan Stevenson is a Scottish composer, arranger, pianist and songwriter. Born in Scotland to a musical family, now living in Surrey, England, Euan’s music encompasses classical, jazz, folk and pop as well as film and animation.
Euan’s music has been recorded and performed by a broad range of artists across genres including Georgia Cécile, Gabrielle Aplin and Pinchas Zukerman and by ensembles such as The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO), The English Chamber Orchestra, The Bach Choir, The BBC Big Band and BBC Concert Orchestra, The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and The Guy Barker Orchestra. His music broadcasts regularly across BBC Radio, Classic FM, Jazz FM as well as KJazz88 in the U.S.
Euan is the pianist, co-writer, arranger and M.D for jazz singer Georgia Cécile. He co-produced her debut album ‘Only The Lover Sings’ which reached no.3 in the U.K Jazz Charts, aiding her meteoric rise in 2021 as Jazz FM Act and Vocalist of the Year with performances supporting Gregory Porter at The Royal Albert Hall and subsequent headline shows including Ronnie Scott’s, Cheltenham Jazz Festival and The Blue Note, Milan.
Euan also writes for and performs with classical chamber group Earthtones Trio, featuring RSNO principal soloists Betsy Taylor (cello) and internationally acclaimed flautist Katherine Bryan. The trio recently released debut album Sound Tracks, a new suite of compositions (or film music études) written by Stevenson and inspired by his home town of Falkirk in Scotland. Global interest in the trio was sparked when Classic FM featured a video of his haunting arrangement of the ancient hymn of Advent ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’.
Amateur and professional choirs on both sides of the Atlantic perform Euan’s original choral music and he has also written and recorded solo and duo works for singers including Julia Doyle, Karla Grant and Julia Solomon. For film and TV, commissions include a classic orchestral film score for the RSNO children’s animation Yoyo and The Little Auk (featuring on BBC ALBA TV and the global educational platform Charanga Music) and (in stark contrast) an avant-garde solo piano score for BIFA Discovery Award-winning feature film, Voyageuse by May Miles Thomas. Throughout 2022/23, Euan was commissioned to arrange a number of songs for large scale orchestral and choral forces for designer Richard Quinn’s lavish shows at London Fashion Week.
In addition to accompanying some of the UK’s finest jazz singers including Anita Wardell, Pete Horsefall and the late Tina May, Euan co-leads a number of performance projects, notably the virtuosic Newton/Stevenson Jazz Piano Duo with maestro David Newton and New Focus Duo with saxophonist Konrad Wiszniewski – the latter – a light hearted performance review exploring the many traits shared by classical composers and jazz musicians. New Focus began as a nine-piece ensemble, for which Stevenson composed and arranged music for two genre-defying albums released on Whirlwind Recordings: the eponymous ‘New Focus’ (nominated for the Scottish Album of the Year Award) and ‘New Focus on Song’.
Euan is a part time lecturer at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and a highly regarded private teacher of talented alumni such as Mercury-nominated jazz pianist Fergus McCreadie and arranger Ryan Mackenzie. Away from music he is a keen tennis player and quite probably the only jazz musician to have ever beaten Andy Murray in a tennis tournament (albeit a very long time ago!)
Kathryn Tickell
Kathryn Tickell is the foremost exponent of the Northumbrian pipes; a composer, performer, educator and successful recording artist with many releases to her name, whose work is deeply rooted in the landscape and people of Northumbria.
Kathryn’s extraordinary career began with learning tunes from old shepherd friends and family, and evolved to traverse genres from jazz and global music to large-scale orchestral works. Exploring and cultivating her bountiful native heritage of Northumberland have been a constant throughout.
Kathryn has released 19 albums, releasing her first at the age of 16. Long-admired by musicians and collaborators such as Jacob Collier, Sting and The Penguin Café Orchestra, Kathryn works across many genres, creating material that is contemporary and exciting.
Kathryn has been awarded the OBE, and also the Queen’s Medal for Music for her outstanding contribution to British music; the first non-classical recipient of this award. She has twice won the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Musician of the Year.
“No one has evoked the landscape and traditions of Northumbria more affectingly than Kathryn Tickell; a champion of the Northumbrian pipes, she is steeped in the music and mythology of the north-east.” The Observer.
“An inspirational performer matching digital dexterity with sheer musicality and creativity.” Kampala Sun.
Kathryn currently tours with her band The Darkening, named after the Northumbrian word for twilight. She has gathered stellar musicians from Northumberland, Scotland and England to invoke the sounds of Ancient Northumbria.
“the band has stretched, bent, and flexed Northumbrian traditional tunes and sounds into an elastic and richly invigorating listening experience… visceral, thrilling, inspirational, and downright absorbing, with an uncanny ability to evoke history whilst keeping the sound resiliently fresh and modern.” KLOF mag.
“… a euphoric experience… edgy, dark dance-based adventures, thoughtful mystical evocations, precise virtuoso instrumental wizardry and magical, haunting soundscapes” Fatea.
Kathryn’s music makes a profound connection with audiences. She was the first folk artist to appear at the BBC Proms as a commissioned composer, curator and performer. Her acclaimed music-theatre show Northumbrian Voices toured to over 50 venues and was described by writer David Almond as “beautiful and important work.” Richard Morrison of The Times wrote: “I can’t remember feeling so exhilarated by such a match of music and landscape.” Her classical-folk quartet The Side, “an elegant, beautifully-played fusion” (The Guardian) toured extensively in the UK and Europe, including rapturously received performances at Berliner Philharmoniker, Tønder Festival Denmark and Union Chapel London. Kathryn has composed music for Royal Northern Sinfonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the National Youth Orchestra among others. She was a featured soloist in Jon Lord’s ‘Durham Concerto’
Kathryn has always been keen to support the next generation of musicians and composers. Her ‘Young Musicians Fund’ (managed by the Community Foundation) was set up to increase access to music for young people in north-east England. It has raised over £100,000 to date.
Kathryn is also a regular presenter for BBC Radio 3’s ‘Music Planet’.
Nizar Rohana, oud
Nizar Rohana is an acclaimed Palestinian Oud player, distinguished for combining virtuosity within fresh contemporary compositions while maintaining the Oud’s idiomatic language.
Born in 1975 in the village of ‘Isifya on Mount Carmel, near Haifa, Rohana grew up in a musical family, with his father playing the Oud at communal celebrations and his mother accompanying him on percussion. He began playing music early, picking up the Oud at age 12.
In 2000, Rohana graduated from the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem, where he learned Oud from Tayseer Elias and Naseem Dakwar, while concentrating on Arabic music theory and aesthetics under the mentorship of Khaled Jubran. In 2004, he completed a Master’s degree in musicology at the Hebrew University with a specialization in the songs of Umm Kulthum, composed by Muhammad al-Qasabji.
Rohana became a prominent figure in the Palestinian music scene through his various collaborations, including work with percussionist Youssef Hbeisch and singer Sanaa Moussa to explore new interpretations of Palestinian folklore. His teaching career at the Edward Said National Conservatory in Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Bethlehem further solidified his impact, eventually leading him to the role of deputy for academic affairs.
In 2008, Rohana shifted his focus to a solo career and released his debut album, Sard (Narration). His passion for innovation led him to study composition with the renowned Palestinian composer Bishara Khell in 2012. Since then, under Khell’s supervision, he has dedicated himself to crafting contemporary Oud compositions, taking inspiration from the techniques of prominent 20th-century middle-eastern composers like Tanburi Cemil Bey and Muhammad Abd al-Wahab, as well as Western composers such as Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin.
Amid the deteriorating political situation following the Second Intifada and the Iraq war, Rohana moved to Europe to advance his music career, eventually settling in the Netherlands in 2013. Shortly before his move, he formed the Nizar Rohana Trio with the late Hungarian double bassist Mátyás Szandai and French percussionist Wassim Halal, releasing the album Furat (Euphrates) in 2016.
In the Netherlands, Rohana teamed up with acclaimed bass player Tony Overwater to form the Madar Ensemble, which also featured clarinetist Maarten Ornstein, Tunisian violinist Jasser Haj Youssef, and Jordanian percussionist Nasser Salameh. Their album, Acamar, was released in May 2019.
Rohana continued his academic journey, earning a PhD in practice-led research from Leiden University’s Academy for Creative and Performing Arts in 2021. His thesis showcased new compositions for solo Oud, influenced by the improvisational styles of Egyptian music legends Muhammad al-Qasabji and Riyad al-Sunbati.
For over two decades, Rohana has performed on prestigious stages and at festivals worldwide. His extensive stage experience as both a soloist and ensemble member, covers modal, improvisational, experimental, and modern music. In addition to performing, Rohana frequently serves as a guest lecturer at institutions such as Codarts and the University of Amsterdam.
Recently, Nizar Rohana released Safa (Purity), his first album dedicated to solo oud performances, through the Australian label Worlds Within Worlds. Looking ahead, he is reimagining his trio with renowned Dutch double bass player Tony Overwater and esteemed German percussionist Ruven Ruppik, with plans to release a new album in Autumn 2025. Additionally, he is working on another project, Sujuud (Adoration), in collaboration with Iranian oud master Yasamin Shahhosseini and percussionist Ruven Ruppik, supported by the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC).
Tom Smith
Tom Smith is an award winning 26 year old saxophonist, bass clarinettist and composer from London. He was twice finalist of the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year programme in 2014 and 2016, and he has already released two albums to critical acclaim – his debut album ‘Gecko’ in 2020 (produced by Tim Garland) and his second album with Czech pianist Daniel Bulatkin ‘Drifter Days’.
Since finishing his degree at the Royal Academy of Music, he has performed and toured around the world and has brought his music to prestigious festivals and venues including the BBC Proms (Royal Albert Hall), Love Supreme Festival, Jazzinec Festival (Czech Republic), Generations Festival (Switzerland) and Luxembourg ‘Blues ‘n Jazz Rallye’.
Tom runs a number of his own bands including his trio ‘Gecko’, his Big Band and Queertet, a band celebrating the works of LGBTQI+ musicians, which sold out two headline shows at Ronnie Scott’s for London Pride 2018 with celebrated comedian Julian Clary and LGBT icons Ian Shaw and Sharon D. Clarke. With Daniel Bulatkin, Tom has also extensively toured the Czech Republic and he frequently returns to perform more concerts.
Tom has performed with many of the leading bands in the UK, including the Gareth Lockrane Big Band, Jim Mullen’s Volunteers, Resolution 88, the Jonny Mansfield Elftet, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Patchwork Jazz Orchestra, and is a regular performer at many of the clubs round London. His arrangements have been performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, Friday Night Is Music Night featuring Imelda May and Peabo Bryson, Beverley Knight, and they have also been heard on ITV’s ‘Romeo and Duet’. Tom teaches at the Junior Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAMME
Here you can download 2 different versions of the festival programme.
BROCHURE. This is the planning brochure we have mailed out to those on our postal list. [If you would like it to be mailed to you next time PLEASE SIGN UP]. When you click on the image of the cover below you can view and save a copy of the full brochure in PDF format. You can print this, email it to friends or share it on social media if you would like.
TEXT ONLY If you want all of the details and introductory copy we have put on the website, you can download and save a version of it in a simple, text only format. Click on the image below and you will be invited to do just that. The file will open as Microsoft Word, making it possible for you to format the font size and layout to suit your personal preferences.
IMPORTANT The details on this file are accurate but please be careful not to introduce inaccuracies when reformatting – this is easily done! If you are concerned that this may have happened, please compare with the details on our website pages. Since this file is editable, ONLY the details, (times, prices, programmes – everything really) on the website listings on www.eastneukfestival.com and eastneukfestival.online.red61.co.uk are accepted as official. Neither the festival nor the box office will be held liable for versions of these listings that have been edited or changed in any way following download.
