Lisa Robertson: Cànan nan Eun

Birds inform us about our environment, marking the seasons and playing their part in nature’s cycles. They inspire us in art, in folklore and in music where bird mimicry has existed worldwide throughout time. In traditional Gaelic culture there are numerous bird mimicry songs which blur the lines between birdsong, music and speech as well as rich bird-related folklore. In these times of ecological crisis, bird numbers are in decline. The tragedy affects the whole cycle and we feel the loss in countless ways.

Sierra’s Avian Mirrors and Doolittle’s Field Guide bring us into the world of accurate mimicry of birdsong with rich interplay between birds, while Bauckholt’s Doppelbelichtung presents photographically accurate transcriptions of bird calls with great intensity. Terranova’s Rainbow Dust in the Sky and Grime’s To see the Summer Sky bring us into the evocative aerial world of birds with music that is both ethereal and intense.

Ailie Robertson’s Skydance explores the joyful, emotive freedom of bird flight. Sørenson’s Wings of Spring lends a darker melancholy to the programme which leads us into reflection on the decline of bird populations and our changing relationship with our environment. Buckley’s Fiach explores Celtic folklore about the raven’s association with death and the otherworld. Robertson’s new work fèath nan eun ends the evening, exploring both accurate bird mimicry and a reflection of Gaelic folklore and song related to certain bird species while mourning their tragic decline.

Throughout the concert, the bustling hope of sunrise and the dawn chorus transitions through the heat of the day towards dusk and then darkness.