Scottish Ensemble: Common Sound

This was an introduction for me to Scottish Ensemble and their work. Sadly, I was rather disappointed. Initially ushered through the stage door to our socially distanced seating on steel deck arranged on stage looking out to the auditorium with music stands and changing colour LED lighting posts arranged this looked to be an interesting experience. Just the sort of experimental work I enjoy. A programme which includes Wojciech Kilar, Steve Reich to name a few would be a great return to live music.

The Iron Curtain was lowered creating a great enclosed space. The musicians of the ensemble walked onstage on cue initially following a work by Kety Fusco from a sound deck by DJ Nemone Metaxas. A good start. However, melding the over-enthusiastic and lengthy spiel from Nemone in between the accomplished playing of the ensemble totally diminished their performances. Regrettably, she possessed few stage skills, tottering loudly on heels, reading her lines from a tablet, and patronising the audience with facts which were taken straight out of an ACE handbook. Tickets had been purchased by an enthusiastic music-loving audience who patently realised the importance of live music otherwise they would have stayed at home and watched on Zoom. A few succinct words would have worked well, and ultimately the music could have taken centre stage. The players appeared to run out of energy towards the end of this lecture hour and the audience dutifully staggered off. More background on the project, the lighting concept, the choice of works and input from conductor Jonathan Morton would have been welcome. However, Bravo to the ensemble for making this awkwardly conceived project almost work.