Fergus McCreadie

The London premiere of Flight Pass, a bold new piano-trio commission from Fergus McCreadie, commissioned by Chamber Music Scotland and Kings Place for the EFG London Jazz Festival. Known for his electrifying mix of jazz and Scottish folk, McCreadie now brings that sound into a fresh chamber setting for a one-off performance bursting with colour and storytelling.

Taking place within the EFG London Jazz Festival, this special collaboration between Kings Place, Chamber Music Scotland and Serious welcomes pianist Fergus McCreadie and his distinctive blend of jazz and Scottish folk. A Mercury-shortlisted and widely acclaimed artist, McCreadie introduces a new work for classical piano trio, Flight Pass, co-commissioned by Chamber Music Scotland and Kings Place. Inspired by the landscapes and narratives at the heart of his musical world, it marks an exciting evolution in his writing, extending his musical language into a new chamber setting while retaining the melodic clarity, rhythmic lift and storytelling that define his music.

Fergus writes:
‘The title of this work comes from one of my favourite photographs, which features a black-winged kite and two of its offspring fighting over some recently caught prey in the middle of the sky. I’ve always loved watching birds in the sky, and I loved the contrast of conflict and kinship in this photograph. That pull gave me the right feeling for giving a title to this work, which pulls and pushes in different directions over its four movements.

Each movement flows at a different pace, and I leave it to the listener to imagine how the birds and sky might match the music as it grows over the duration.’

McCreadie’s music has long been celebrated for its powerful sense of place, praised by The Times as ‘a giddying fusion of Scottish culture and jazz history.‘ Flight Pass invites audiences to experience that vivid sound world transformed within an intimate chamber setting.

About Chamber Music Scotland

Chamber Music Scotland celebrates chamber music’s tradition while exploring its future. The organisation works with chamber music performers and creators, promoters and audiences, and communities to share and experience music that represents Scotland—its people, places and culture. It has a truly national reach and offers space for artistic expression and development, alongside substantial opportunities for members of the public to engage with its work.

Its work encompasses artist residency programmes, community partnerships, the creation of new works, EDI sector development, concert series and touring funding, developmental support, as well as UK and international collaborations. It aims to cultivate an identity for chamber music in Scotland that draws on its places, people and culture, and is unique on the world stage.