Tears of the Angels

"An exceedingly beautiful disc that I have no hesitation in making my record of the year."
GRAMOPHONE

"Death has been John Tavener's constant muse. Usually the loss of someone close inspires a new piece; he wrote ...Depart in Peace following the death of his father, and My Gaze Is Ever Upon You in memory of a friend. Sometimes though, as with Innocence (composed in 1995), his threnody for the countless and often nameless victims of oppression, he addresses the grief provoked by war and tyranny.
Tears of the Angels, composed in the same year as Innocence, was prompted by the Balkan conflict. The piece unfolds from a weeping melody for solo violin, borne up by gentle chords, constantly reaching up into the upper harmonics, searching vainly for some meaning and consolation until the closing hymn.
Hope, comfort, even joy, is found in the "gazes" for violin and pre-recorded violin and bass drone. The moods of the sixteen episodes are varied, with allusions ranging from Vivaldi to middle Eastern music.
Eastern elements are also prominent in ...Depart In Peace, a glittering setting in Greek of the Nunc Dimittis featuring a superb performance by Patricia Rozario and more outstanding playing by Cleo Gould."
Classic CD.

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.