Chris Stout, Catriona McKay and the Scottish Ensemble: Seavaigers

Musical tides coalesce in this intriguing experiment. Shetland Islander Chris Stout and Dundee harpist Catriona McKay have a well-established reputation for wide musical horizons, as members of Fiddlers Bid and as a longtime duo. Seavaigers ("Sea voyagers") is a concerto, composed by Sally Beamish, and performed with the Scottish Ensemble. 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 (and the latter's swooping fiddle lines in particular) 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. mckaystoutmusic.co.uk