Isola [pronounced ee-so-la] is the thought-provoking debut album from talented string duo Sequoia. Set for release on Friday 16th September 2022, this body of work was the brainchild of Fergus Hall and combines the talent of a number of celebrated Scottish artists, including narration and poetry by Alexander McCall Smith and Hamish Henderson, with an aim of bringing contemporary Scottish classical music into the spotlight.
The music within Isola explores the tactility and fragile timbres of string instruments, shifting between melodic line and gesture, spoken word and grit. It takes influence from free improvisation and Scottish traditional music, as well as contemporary classical practices.
The album features two large works composed by Fergus Hall which were the catalyst for the entire project. Having written the pieces for string duo in 2019 and 2020, Fergus was hoping to record the tracks but later developed an idea to create a body of work encapsulating not just his own music, but that of other emerging composers from the Scottish contemporary classical music scene – including Aileen Sweeney, Rylan Gleave and Sonia Killmann.
Sequoia, adopting its name from the species of tree, is a Glasgow based string duo comprising violinist Alice Rickards and cellist Sonia Cromarty. Since launching at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe, they have firmly rooted their place in the Scottish arts scene, revealing an innate desire to use music to explore, recognise and engage with the natural world. The pair are known for championing new music by Scottish based composers; thus, an innovative and exciting collaboration was born.
Fergus Hall said: I really enjoy independently implementing creative projects like this one, and opening up opportunities to peers within the industry. Though we are all individual in our compositional voices on the album, there is a commonality to the way we approach string instruments that focuses on the grittier side of the instruments with heavy influence from folk music and free improvisation. Sequoia were the perfect fit for this album, not only because they are highly skilled musicians, but because conservation and the natural environment are a central to their musical practice, themes that are often pertinent in our work as young artists.
The title track of the record, Isola (meaning island), examines the wildlife and landscape of the deserted St Kilda Archipelago, with themes of isolation, distance, and remoteness. This sets the scene for the rest of the album with much of the music being concerned with landscape and natural phenomena but also distance, separation and the fragility of the natural world.
The track Isola was written by Fergus in collaboration with celebrated Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith. Each artist responded to the work of the other throughout the writing process; McCall Smith himself is featured in the recording, reading a poem which was inspired by – and also inspired – the music.
The other main body of work on the album, Crossing the Simeto, also features poetry. Archival recordings of poet and folklorist Hamish Henderson, obtained with the blessing of his family, are heard throughout the track, which was written by Fergus in 2019 in celebration of the centenary of Henderson’s birth.
The process of making the entire album took a number of years, with each piece of music being written at different times. Some tracks were written years before the pandemic, some just as it was starting, and some amid various lockdowns with musicians collaborating via zoom. The sense of separation brought on by these lockdowns did nothing to deter Fergus’ vision and instead enhanced the themes of isolation and vulnerability throughout the record.
The album was recorded over three and a half days at Luss Parish Church in Loch Lomond. It was recorded on site and mixed by Gus Stirrat and mastered by Geoff Allan.
Isola will be available to buy, stream and download from Friday 16 September.