Saltire Society 90th Anniversary Concert

The Saltire Society is marking its 90th anniversary with a concert at St Cecilia's Hall on Saturday 14 November, from 2 pm to 4 pm. It's part of their To See Oursels commissions, a series of new works the society has been bringing together.

The main event is the world premiere of a new piece by Gemma McGregor, performed by McGregor herself alongside a Glasgow-based string quartet. It's an odd one to describe: the work was inspired by the Ness of Brodgar in Orkney, and McGregor drew on research into Orcadian and Neolithic music to write it. The performance uses replicas of ancient instruments, so it's a piece of new music played on sounds from thousands of years ago.

The rest of the programme fills out around that. There's traditional and contemporary clarsach from players in the Clarsach Society, Scottish fiddle tunes, and mezzo-soprano Joyce Byrne singing traditional Scottish songs, including Burns. The clarsach players, the fiddler Ally Douglas, and Byrne bring the afternoon back to more familiar ground after the Neolithic opening.

St Cecilia's Hall is on Niddry Street, just off the Royal Mile, and the concert runs from 2 pm to 4 pm. Tickets are £10, £5 for Saltire Society members, and free for anyone under 26 or in receipt of benefits. The hall has a lift to all areas and an accessible toilet, and assistance dogs are welcome.