For more than 60 years Melrose Music Society have been putting on concerts of the highest calibre in the Parish Church Hall of our beautiful historic town in the Scottish Borders. Over the coming twelve months, we have programmed eleven concerts by exceptionally gifted artists – some of world renown, others near the start of their careers – playing a magnificent range of pieces: no fewer than fifty-one composers will be represented, including nine women, which suggests that the old prejudices are beginning to break down.
We are excited to feature the work of ten composers who are still working, including Scotland’s two greatest living composers, James MacMillan and James Dillon, whose 75th birthday we will be celebrating next year.
We also mark Gustav Holst’s 150th anniversary this summer with two concerts, and Ravel’s next year with three concerts. I am especially thrilled to be able to
introduce works by two of my favourite, but too rarely heard, composers: Nikos Skalkottas will be represented by the plaintive melodies of his Sonatina for cello and the startlingly inventive dance rhythms of his 15 Little Variations for piano, Robert Simpson by his sublime and mysterious String Quartet No.7.
How wonderful, too, to have Beethoven’s “Pathetique” played by the great Martin Roscoe, and Mozart’s KV 542 by the Da Vinci Trio.
Download details of our summer season of three concerts celebrating Holst.
Download details of our main season of eight concerts.
We are most grateful for financial support from Creative Scotland through Chamber Music Scotland, without which we could not continue.
Martin Paterson, Chair