James Ross & Maxwell Quartet: Landscape to Light

Apr 11

Written By Phenotypic Recordings

Full album coming June 21, 2024

RELEASE DATES

SINGLE: “The Swilkie” - April 12, 2024

SINGLE: “Landscape to Light” - May 3, 2024

SINGLE: “Grey Coast” - May 31, 2024

FULL ALBUM: Landscape to Light, June 21, 2024

Streaming Now

SINGLE: THE SWILKIE

LISTEN

ALBUM INFORMATION

COMPOSER: James Ross

TITLE: Landscape to Light

ARTISTS: James Ross, piano & Maxwell Quartet: Colin Scobie, violin; George Smith, violin; Elliott Perks, viola; Duncan Strachan, cello

RECORDED: The Hub, Edinburgh on the 10th & 11th March 2023.

CREDITS: Produced by Calum Malcolm; Engineered by 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

SUMMARY: Original compositions by Scottish composer and pianist James Ross, with the Maxwell String Quartet, which provide a rare opportunity to experience Scottish literature, folklore, and the natural beauty of Caithness and the Flow Country, through a classical music lens. The album invites listeners into Ross’ homeland of Caithness, the northernmost point in the Scottish mainland, and evokes the spectacular but fearsome power of the sea, the legends of fairy mischief passed down through generations, and the landscapes depicted by Scottish novelist, Neil Gunn.

FACT SHEET: James Ross and Maxwell Quartet Release “Landscape to Light” on June 21

APRIL 12, 2024 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Phenotypic Recordings release marks a rare opportunity to experience Scottish literature, folklore, and the natural beauty of Caithness and the Flow Country, through a classical music lens… Read more

ARTIST BIO & STATEMENT

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 day dreams, 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

“The grandeur of the far north of Scotland is something I have often tried to describe, but words so often fail to capture the temperament of the North Coast. These compositions, each wordless, are a series of portraits evoking both the natural and mystical worlds, and they bring full circle my career of melding classical music together with the Scottish traditional music of my upbringing. Through this musical storybook, I would like to invite you to experience Scottish literature, folklore, and the natural beauty of Caithness and the Flow Country that I grew up with, that I believe are a priceless heritage for all of us.”

~ James Ross

PHENOTYPIC RECORDINGS STATEMENT

Phenotypic Recordings is proud to present James Ross’ Landscape to Light, a musical storybook in which James Ross blends his profound understanding of Scottish traditions with his artistry in classical music to create innovative compositions with contemporary flair. His deep love for his homeland resonates in every note of his compositions, serving as both a treasure and a testament to the enduring beauty and resilience of Scottish identity, and the specialness of this land. We believe it is an important contribution that expands the horizons of classical music, as well as serves as a gateway to viscerally experience the beauty and uniqueness of Scottish traditions and land. Both are integral parts of the global cultural fabric and ecological system, and we hope this album inspires all of us to further appreciate, preserve and nurture them.

~ Stephen Prutsman, Creative Director

Phenotypic Recordings