4th March 2014
For release 5th March
The Cottier Chamber Project
6 - 29 June 2014
Now an established part of the UK's musical calendar, Glasgow's West End Festival will again
have The Cottier Chamber Project at the heart of the curated programme. The top Scottish
ensembles and artists come together for 43 events over a 2 week period.
The programme explores the theme of Identity, with works by composers whose national,
racial, religious or cultural identity played a defining role in their lives and careers. There are
pieces which deal with Identity on a literal level, pieces that explore the ideas of individual and
corporate identity and pieces that were inspired by the composers' search for their own
identity.
Our lunchtime series is in partnership with the University of Glasgow's Hunterian Art Gallery.
Seven different soloists will explore the solo string works of JS Bach, including his violin partitas,
sonatas and cello suites. Each of the free concerts in our Bite-Sized Bach series features a single
work.
The evening series in Cottier’s Theatre is made up of two, hour-long concerts each evening, with
a varied and eclectic mixture of groups and repertoire. The opening evening features host
ensemble Daniel's Beard and tango specialists Mr McFall's Chamber exploring the tango
repertoire from an unusual source, and the first few days also see the start of our 3-year long
Currie and Quirk Shostakovich Series - a cycle of all 15 of Shostakovich's string quartets,
performed by 5 different ensembles (Maxwell Quartet, Fejes Quartet, Daniel's Beard Strings,
Edinburgh Quartet and Glasgow String Quartet). Other opening weekend performances include
Scottish early music experts Concerto Caledonia launching their new CD and our first voyage
into the world of chamber opera, with Music Co-OPERAtive Scotland.
Two of Scotland's national companies are involved once more, with the SCO Wind Soloists and
two intriguing programmes from the RSNO chamber players. Red Note Ensemble reprise their
entertaining Improv Musicals night, there is some Commonwealth input from Enterprise Music
Scotland's High Heels and Horse Hair. We are delighted to once again have Cottier Chamber
Project favourite Alasdair Beatson and to welcome for the first time the inimitable duo of
internationally renowned violinist and cellist, Alexander Janiczek and Philip Higham. The Da
Vinci Trio return with an intriguing programme, and the 'classical' concerts are rounded off by
Jamie MacDougall in a programme that revolves around a selection of Haydn's Scottish Songs.
As well as classical chamber music, we delve into the folk and jazz worlds once more, with top
saxophonist Martin Kershaw and his quartet, the fascinating tale of The Shetland Bus from
Jenna and Bethany Reid, the melting pot of cultures that is The James Brothers, a celebration of
10 years of music-making from local favourites the Alastair Savage Trio, and a spectacular end
to the series as Moishe's Bagel raise the roof.
Our family concert this year features the first performance of a new setting of Tennyson's The
Lady of Shalott by Lenny Sayers, played by Daniel's Beard, narrated by BBC presenter Jamie
MacDougall and with the dancers of High Heart Dance Company,
There will be an In Conversation session, where several prominent arts journalists will be
discussing the directions that Scotland's cultural world might take following the referendum
vote in September, and there will also be a showing of A Late Quartet, starring Philip Seymour
Hoffman and Christopher Walken, at The Grosvenor cinema.
Two new initiatives for the West End Festival will also take place in connection with The Cottier
Chamber Project. The first is the newly established dance programme, The Cottier Dance
Project, which will be Glasgow's only professional dance festival. In this first year performances
will include a new work by High Heart Dance Company and traditional music superstars Emily
Smith, Jamie McClennan and band, and a showcase programme made up of short works by
emerging choreographers who are formerly or currently members of Scottish Ballet and Scottish
Dance Theatre. In partnership with Grosvenor cinema, there will also be screenings of several
films featuring dance.
The second is the establishment of a festival club, which will run in Siempre Bicycle Cafe. It will
be open to performers from the whole of the West End Festival with a small number of tickets
available to the public, and will be a hotspot for late night sessions and post-performance
relaxation.
As well as our regular Beard like Brahms ticket offer, this year anyone with Dmitri Eyes will be
eligible for free entry to the Currie and Quirk Shostakovich Series and there will be a loyalty
card for regular visitors. Audiences at our opening concert, featuring a new work by Gareth
Brady which reflects on the journey between Edinburgh and Glasgow, will receive a special
edition map, courtesy of concert sponsors Nicolson Maps.
For further information, please contact Andy Saunders on 07794 159214 or
andy@cottierchamberproject.com
Tickets will be on sale online from www.cottierchamberproject.com or by telephone on 0333
666 3366 (9-7 Mon-Fri, 9-5 Sat) from 5th March 2014. In-person sales will take place at our box
office in Hillhead Library, which will be open 9am-5pm Mon-Sat for the months of May and
June.
Venues:
Cottier’s Theatre: 93-95 Hyndland Street, Glasgow. G11 5PU
Hunterian Art Gallery: University of Glasgow, 82 Hillhead Street, Glasgow. G12 8QQ
St Silas Church: 69 Park Road, Glasgow. G4 9JE
Notes to Editors:
1. Now in its fourth year, we believe that The Cottier Chamber Project is the UK’s largest
chamber music festival. The groups involved are almost exclusively Scottish based, and
showcase the enormous depth and variety of chamber music making in Scotland http://www.cottierchamberproject.com
2. The ‘parent festival’ of The Cottier Chamber Project, the West End Festival is now in its
19th year, and has become Glasgow’s most popular festival. The festival runs for 4
weeks in June, with a strong focus on community arts and inclusion, running amateur
events alongside high quality professional work. http://www.westendfestival.co.uk
3. Glasgow Life and Glasgow Music are operating names of Culture and Sport Glasgow,
with the vision to inspire Glasgow’s citizens and visitors to lead richer and more active
lives through culture, sport and learning.
4. Creative Scotland is the national agency for the arts, screen and creative industries.
www.creativescotland.com
5. Enterprise Music Scotland is the body funded by Creative Scotland to support top quality
live chamber music concerts. By providing centralised services and ongoing funding and
support, EMS enables over 450 concerts per year to take place. Throughout Scotland
there are over 80 chamber music clubs, arts guilds and other voluntary organisations
who engage professional musicians to visit and perform in their local venues. Ranging
from local church halls, community spaces, schools and local concert halls, EMS helps to
facilitate access for all to live music across the whole Scottish community.
http://www.emusicscotland.co.uk
6. Funders and supporters include: Creative Scotland, Foyle Foundation, Glasgow Life,
Enterprise Music Scotland, the W.M.Mann Foundation, the Western Baths Trust,
University of Glasgow, McGlashan Trust, Currie and Quirk Opticians, Nicolson Maps and
EVM Solutions.
Copies of the Press Releases and other press materials will be available for download from
http://www.cottierchamberproject.com/press.htm