Scottish Ensemble: Bach & Blood

Inhale. Exhale. Every breath resonates and each string sings in this performance that brings together Scottish Ensemble and singers from the Chamber Choir of the National Youth Choir of Scotland. Musical voices from across the centuries are united by ritual, reflection, and transcendence. J.S. Bach’s Chaconne, famously described as “the greatest structure for solo violin that exists”, is illuminated by accompanying chorales that reveal emotional depths beneath the soloist, while Arvo Pärt’s Greater Antiphons unfolds in shimmering stillness with a sense of timeless devotion. The performance climaxes with the London premiere of David Fennessy’s Blood. A solo violin weaves and flows through haunting choral textures. Consonants are erased and vowels stretched into an emotional, primal stream of sound. What emerges is a work of profound power, where ancient chants merge with a resonating body of orchestral strings to create a startling new sonic landscape, pulsing with visceral, muscular energy. Programme Johann Sebastian Bach Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor for solo violin BWV1004 with accompanying chorales Arvo Pärt Greater Antiphons David Fennessy Blood Performers Jonathan Morton artistic director and solo violin Christopher Bell artistic director Scottish Ensemble NYCOS Chamber Choir