Chamber Symphony in C min, Piano Concerto No 1 in C min, etc

"..it would be difficult to think of an ensemble better suited to Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony..."
The Times

"CLIO GOULD'S BT Scottish Ensemble is a group of 12 highly talented string players and as such it would be difficult to think of an ensemble better suited to Shostakovich's Chamber Symphony in C minor, Op110a. The work is an arrangement, by Rudolf Barshai, of Shostakovich's bleak Eighth String Quartet, written when the composer was on the verge of suicide.
In full orchestral fig, it can seem too monumental, too universal an expression of grief, but an ensemble of 12 players is able to capitalise on the extra power without sacrificing the sense of personal suffering. The anger of the second movement is well focused in this superbly engineered recording."
The Times.

The BT Scottish Ensemble is a dynamic group of twelve string players directed from the violin by its outstanding Artistic Director, Clio Gould.

Originally formed in 1969 as the Scottish Baroque Ensemble by the violinist Leonard Friedman, the Ensemble's extensive repertoire spans from the Baroque to the present day and, under Clio Gould's direction, the group enjoys a burgeoning programme of commissions. The Ensemble has given numerous world premiere performances and commissioned works by many British composers including Craig Armstrong, Sally Beamish, D C Heath, Piers Hellawell, John Tavener and Judith Weir. The established master-pieces for strings also feature regularly in the Ensemble's programmes including the works of Mendelssohn, Grieg, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Britten and Elgar.

The Ensemble maintains a busy schedule of concerts throughout Scotland and the UK, performing regular concert series in London and the main Scottish cities. The Ensemble has toured Europe and the Americas, as well as nearer home in the Highlands of Scotland and the Hebrides Islands. Among the many distinguished soloists with whom the Ensemble has performed are Barbara Bonney, Barry Douglas, Yehudi Menuhin, Patricia Rozario and John Wallace.

In addition to its concert work, the BT Scottish Ensemble also undertakes a varied recording and broadcasting programme including radio, television and film work. In 1994 the BBC commission Seven Last Words from the Cross by the renowned Scottish composer, James MacMillan, was first performed and broadcast on BBC Television by Ensemble with the choir Cappella Nova. The Ensemble featured in the award-winning film of Follow the Moonstone, following the album of the same name, in which the work of the Norwegian composer, Henning Sommero, was the vehicle for a collaboration with the acclaimed Shetland fiddle player, Aly Bain.

The Ensemble currently records with the Glasgow based company Linn Records. To great critical acclaim, they have recently released the CD "Tears of the Angels" featuring works commissioned by the Ensemble from John Tavener. The BBC Music Magazine reported "this really is a red-hot contemporary recording". In the summer of 1999, an eagerly awaited disc of string works by Shostakovich is due for release.

In 1993 the Ensemble signed a major sponsorship deal when it entered into a partnership with BT. This partnership supports the Ensemble in its UK concert series, education work and commissioning programme and it has seen BT recognised nationally through winning several awards from the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts. In 1997 the BT Scottish Ensemble also became the first orchestra in the UK to achieve 'Investors in People' recognition.