Concert for a Summer’s Night

Strathpeffer Pavilion, 16/06/26 

Scottish Ensemble, Leader and Artistic Director Jonathan Morton 

In the delightful, light-filled surroundings of The Pavilion at Strathpeffer, the Scottish Ensemble produced a programme of music for strings which was thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable. 

The Pavilion, a building commissioned by the Countess of Cromarty in 1881, really contributed to the success of the evening. The  cast iron and glass structure is one of Scotland’s finest surviving examples of a Victorian entertainment hall.  It is a beautiful space with marvellous glazing in the roof.  A real bonus was the comfortable seating and the generous leg room. 

The Ensemble of 13 used the floor of the hall rather than the stage, with U-shaped audience seating. This was a great arrangement allowing the audience to appreciate the dynamics and interplay of the instruments with a  real feeling of connection to the musicians. The concert was held just 4 days before the summer solstice, a time of year to enjoy nature at its peak with an abundance of light. Jonathan Morton, Artistic Director and Leader of the Ensemble, tried to reflect these themes in the evening’s music. 

There were some well-known works, plus some not so familiar, but Jonathan Morton gave a really clear and helpful summary of what was to come at several points in the programme. The evening was launched with Schulhoff’s ‘Five pieces for string quartet’, A mixture of jazz, dance rhythm and neo-classic, followed by Prokofiev’s ‘’Visions Fugitives’ which was a series of short sharp pieces very different from the better known ‘Peter and the Wolf’. 

Takashi Yoshimatsu’s  recent composition, ‘And Birds are Still’, was different yet again. Melancholic and simple. Birds mean many things to the composer. He saw them as “searching for new wings with which to fly from the chaotic woods /world of contemporary atonal  music.” 

I confess I was pleased to hear next the recognisable and exquisite notes of the Adagio from Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto 1, before a fascinating piece by Oliver Leith, award winning British composer, entitled ‘Honey Siren 11’. Full like drips. 

This took us to some beautiful Tchaikovsky, and an interesting piece by Jessie Montgomery called ‘Strum’, showing off the versatility of the stringed instrument and the flexibility of the players. 

Aaron Copland’s ‘Hoe-Down’ from Rodeo was an uplifting and toe-tapping conclusion, but then after loud applause from an audience who would not let them go came the encore, ‘Fear a’Bhata’, ‘The Song of the Boatman’ to tug at the heartstrings and send me humming the whole way home. 

It was an evening of endless variety and interest with the new and experimental sitting alongside the traditional and familiar, sometimes in a challenging way, all lead in a masterly fashion by Jonathan Morton. The expertise  of the musicians is indisputable and their enthusiasm is infectious. The Ensemble is known for its distinctive programming, blending works from different centuries, genres, and styles, often linked thematically. It is a joy to see how much they love their craft. Jane Atkins, viola, in particular was noticeable for her energetic and vivacious playing.  

The audience could not fail to have their wellbeing improved after such an evening with such inspiring musicians and it is no surprise to see that Scottish Ensemble have a plan afoot called ‘Music for Wellbeing’ to combine live music with guided listening and techniques to use music in your daily life. In his introduction, Jonathan Morton said the journey would be eclectic, intense and unexpected. He was not wrong, but the skill of the musicians made it a thoroughly enjoyable trip.