Concerto Caledonia have built a notable reputation for bringing historically important early music back into circulation, and doing it with as much a sense of danger as of style.
The Scotsman
BIOGRAPHY
Concerto Caledonia is Scotland’s baroque ensemble, specialising in the music of 18th century Scotland played on period instruments.
The group has released six CDs of its unique repertoire on Hyperion, Linn, Marquis and Delphian. These include the cantatas of John Clerk of Penicuik with Catherine Bott, songs of James Oswald, a Scottish-Italian collection ‘Mungrel Stuff’ which was a Sunday Times Record of the Year, ‘The Red Red Rose’ which includes the first recording of the original version of Burns’s most famous song, and ‘Fiddler Tam’, the symphonies and chamber music of Thomas Erskine, 6th Earl of Kellie.
In summer 2001 they gave sold-out performances of a new performing version of Allan Ramsay’s pastoral ballad opera The Gentle Shepherd at the Edinburgh International Festival. Following the recording of 'Spring Any Day Now' with Cape Breton fiddler and baroque violinist David Greenberg, which includes music by Frank Zappa and Fred Frith alongside old and new Scottish music, the group formed a touring quartet to explore the synthesis of early, traditional and contemporary music. The quartet’s work has been featured on BBC Radio 1 and WFMU.
'If you’ve never heard an 18th Century band rocking, this is your chance. Was this really a period instrument group? Director David McGuinness was almost jiving at his harpsichord ...'
The Scotsman
In 2005/6 the group made live appearances on BBC Radio 3's Late Junction, The Early Music Show, and A Bach Christmas, and their first season at Perth Concert Hall included a Burns night collaboration with songwriters Michael Marra and Karine Polwart and a Bach St John Passion with guest director Mark Padmore.
In 2007, Concerto Caledonia have appeared at the Celtic Connections festival playing dub reggae versions of Burns songs; they will continue their residency at Perth Concert Hall, they will also be resident at the St. Magnus Festival with soprano Lisa Milne, presenting programmes from Bach to Janis Joplin, and will appear at the Edinburgh International Festival in a special programme on Monteverdi with The Tiger Lillies. The group’s forthcoming album ‘Lion’, with guests Lisa Milne and Mary Ann Kennedy, will be released in May.
That a baroque ensemble should slip so comfortably into a contemporary music festival speaks volumes about Concerto Caledonia's approach to early music.
Early Music Today
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Date : January 2007