Performer: Jonathan Morton

What is it about Arvo Pärt’s ‘Angel Music’ that appeals to the dying? Vanishing Point’s theatre and Scottish Ensemble’s playing combine to produce a thoughtful and poignant performance.  

Music from Vaughan Williams is contrasted with two pieces from Dobrinka Tabakova  in The Scottish Ensemble’s candlelit concert, Ascent. Senior NYOS strings swell the ranks to produce a reflective evening of richness and warmth.

Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons is used a reference in Anna Meredith’s Anno, an immersive performance by the Scottish Ensemble with surround visuals by illustrator Eleanor Meredith.

Debussy, Ravel and Fauré: turn of the century Paris. We might think of hazy perfumed music, but the richness of the Scottish Ensemble brought out a bold, vibrant and dynamic side to the French dreams.

In a big challenge, the Scottish Ensemble players were included in the choreography in a cross-arts collaboration with Andersson Dance from Sweden in an innovative performance of the Goldberg Variations.

As the December nights darken and the winter's first snowflakes fall from the sky, the Scottish Ensemble's candlelight concerts provice a welcome space for reflection at this busy time of year.