NORTHESK Parish Church in Musselburgh has been described as a “hidden gem” by a classical cellist who is due to perform there as part of The Brunton’s Edinburgh Fringe programme.
Su-a Lee will present a series of concerts from Wednesday to next Friday (August 23) at 3pm.
She performs with husband Hamish Napier and has invited two duos for the other concerts – fiddle and small pipes duo Aidan O’Rourke and Brìghde Chaimbeul, and the new fiddle and jazz piano partnership of Donald Grant and Fergus McCreadie.
Su-a Lee has been described as “one of Scotland’s most charismatic musical personalities and a classical cellist who refuses to be pigeonholed”.
She collaborates with a wide range of musicians in the fields of classical, folk and jazz.
Following her “rapturously received” concert in Musselburgh during last year’s Fringe, she was invited to curate and introduce a short series of concerts, by musicians she particularly admires, for The Brunton at Northesk Parish Church (Fringe venue 517).
South Korean-born Su-a Lee said: “It is so nice to be back by popular demand, after the really warm welcome we had last year.
“Northesk Parish Church is an absolute hidden gem, with wonderful acoustics and lovely atmosphere.
“I am delighted to be able to present some of my favourite musicians in this mini-series, of established duos and exciting new collaborations.
“Come and catch the daring innovation of Aidan O’Rourke on fiddle, paired with incredible piper Brìghde Chaimbeul (small pipes), two melodic instruments weaving beautifully together.
“Also don’t miss the mercurial and magical jazz pianist Fergus McCreadie in a brand-new collaboration with classical violinist Donald Grant, who is equally at home in the folk fiddle world and is one of the finest of his generation.”
The audience can join Aidan O’Rourke, BBC Radio 2 Folk Musician of the Year in 2014, and Brìghde Chaimbeul, winner of BBC Radio 2’s Horizon Award, on Wednesday.
Su-a Lee and her husband Hamish perform next Thursday (August 22).
Their concert features cello, wooden flute, whistle, vocals and piano, with a “special blend of traditional Scottish music, unique interpretations of classical pieces and contemporary folk compositions”.
Su-a Lee, of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, performs with Mr McFall’s Chamber.
Her debut solo album, Dialogues, was nominated for both a Scots Trad Music Award (STMA)and for the Scottish Album of the Year Award, as well as receiving the Top of the World accolade in international world music magazine Songlines.
Her husband is a Scottish folk multi-instrumentalist, educator and composer “inspired” by the heritage and nature of his native landscape, reflected in his acclaimed ‘Strathspey Trilogy’ of solo albums, The River, The Railway and The Woods (STMA Album of the Year 2020).
Donald Grant, described as “one of today’s leading Scottish fiddlers” and a member of the renowned Elias String Quartet, and pianist Fergus McCreadie, the first ever jazz pianist to join BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artists Scheme, perform next Friday.
Tickets for all three concerts are available from thebrunton.co.uk and edfringe.com.
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