PHENOTYPIC RECORDINGS SHARES FOURTH EPISODE FROM NEW PODCAST: MUSICAL MINDS AND MISSIONS (M³)
PODCAST SUMMARY
LISTEN TODAY:
BETWEEN LANDSCAPE AND LIGHT: JAMES ROSS ON SCOTTISH FOLK TRADITIONS, MEMORY, AND MUSICAL STORYTELLING
Composer James Ross joins host Sarah Cahill for a deeply personal conversation about Landscape to Light, his stunning collaboration with the Maxwell Quartet inspired by the far north of Scotland where he grew up. Drawing from Scottish folk traditions, sea legends, family history, and the haunting beauty of Caithness, Ross explores how music can express what words often cannot. From stories of fishermen lost at sea to ancient fairy folklore and the vast stillness of the Flow Country peatlands, Ross discusses the emotional and cultural roots behind his compositions and the intersection between traditional Scottish music and contemporary classical writing. He also shares insights into his creative process, working with producer Callum Malcolm, and the influence of Scottish writer Neil Gunn on the album’s vision. This episode features musical excerpts from Landscape to Light and a thoughtful discussion about tradition, storytelling, improvisation, and the power of music to hold both darkness and beauty at the same time.
ABOUT THE ALBUM
Pianist and composer James Ross is joined for this album by the internationally renowned Maxwell Quartet. Landscape to Light draws inspiration from the novelist Neil Gunn and celebrates the remarkable landscape of the North of Scotland, in particular Caithness, James’s and Gunn’s home county, taking in sea, shore, cliffs, moorland and more.
ALBUM CREDITS
Composer: James Ross
Performed by James Ross, piano & the Maxwell Quartet ~ Colin Scobie, violin; George Smith, violin; Elliott Perks, viola; Duncan Strachan, cello
Recorded in 2023 at The Hub, Edinburgh on the 10th & 11th March 2023.
Producer: Calum Malcolm
Engineer: Cameron Malcolm
Cover art: Drawing of Forsinard Hummocks in Flow Country by Magi Sinclair
Album design: Simon Roche at Bureau.ie
Supported by Creative Scotland
Liner notes: Colin MacDonald
Supported by Creative Scotland
FOR PHENOTYPIC PODCASTS
Podcast: Sarah Cahill
Podcast Producer: AJ Machado
FOR PHENOTYPIC RECORDINGS
Michael Hostetler, Founder & CEO
Stephen Prutsman, Creative Director
Cristin Canterbury Bagnall for BroadBand Collaborative, Fractional COO
Mary Paz Cubero Navarro & Aryahi Naomi Onaga, Project Managers
K. E. Sekararum, Podcast Executive Producer
Christopher Kornmann / Spit + Image, Graphic Design
THE ARTISTS
About James Ross:
James Ross is a pianist and composer whose music blends the rich tapestry of the Scottish traditions he grew up with into innovative compositions expressed in unique ways that combine Scottish folk and classical music. James’s music has been praised by audiences and critics alike: “Gorgeously compelling” (Sunday Herald); “Sublimely lyrical melodic gifts” (The Scotsman); “He will charm you, take you on daydreams, impress and take your breath away” (FolkWorld).
Ross has been featured in radio shows including NPR’s Thistle & Shamrock and the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show. Ross weaves Scotland’s musical traditions, landscape, folklore, literature, and history into beautiful and haunting compositions that spring from a deep understanding of his own roots in the north of Scotland. James has developed strong collaborations with authors to develop new work that transcends boundaries. The critically acclaimed 2019 album “These are the Hands” is a song cycle created with prolific author Alexander McCall Smith. Ross’s original musical adventure “The Boy and the Bunnet”, created with novelist James Robertson, is “a Scottish answer to Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf”.
James has a degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and a masters in traditional music from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance studying under Professor Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin. James has been a lecturer in traditional music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow for over 20 years. Jamesrossmusic.co.uk
About Maxwell Quartet:
Scotland-based Maxwell String Quartet is regarded as one of Britain's finest young string quartets, with a strong connection to their folk music heritage and a commitment to bringing together wide-ranging projects and programmes to expand the string quartet repertoire. Winner of both First Prize and Audience Prize at the 9th Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition in 2017, the Quartet has been hailed as “brilliantly fresh, unexpected and exhilarating” (The Scottish Herald) and “eloquent performers who bring the same sense of charisma and sense of adventure to their programming” (New York Times).
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Phenotypic Recordings is a media company that brings to light new music by world-class musicians and innovative composers, with a focus on music that highlights the most important issues facing the world today. Artists include Kronos Quartet, Osvaldo Golijov, Kenji Bunch, (MoVE) MoVE (Modern Violin Ensemble), W4RP and more. As another way of amplifying artistic voices, Phenotypic Recordings donates revenue from streaming and downloads to support humanitarian causes identified by the artists making the music.
For more information about Phenotypic Recordings, visit phenotypicrecordings.com
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