Scottish Music Centre - Industry Directory

Artists | Classical | Composers and Arrangers

Born in Glasgow and brought up in Aberdeen. After graduating B.mus. (hons) from Aberdeen University he completed a PGCE at Jordanhill College in Glasgow and then moved to Edinburgh to teach.

As he did not study composition at University, his first experiences of composing and arranging were for school groups. Such opportunities were invaluable and he has been able to write choirs for different ages and voices, orchestra, ensembles, percussion group recorder consorts etc.

The encouragement to write more choral music came initially from the conductor, Christopher Bell, who generously 'tried out' some of Ken’s early pieces with the Aberdeen Youth Choir. This has led to performances of several pieces by the RSNO chorus and the National Youth Choir of Scotland, who have recorded six of his arrangements of Scottish songs. These appear on the most recent NYCOS cd, 'There's lilt in the song: Songs and ballads for highland or lowland or no! '

Commissioned in 1998 to write a work for double choir and organ ('Song for St. Cecilia') by the Hadley Court Singers. He subsequently orchestrated the organ part for performances in 2000. His second commission was from the Haddington music club. The instrumental chamber work, 'Going Nowhere Fast', was premiered in 2000 by the Edinburgh Quartet with four school students. Most recent commission, 'O Columba', is a 14-minute piece for unaccompanied choir, based on early Scottish plainchant. The Edinburgh choir, Cadenza, premiered this work in August 2003 and will record it for their next CD in 2004.

Artists | Folk and Traditional | Composers and Arrangers

Born in Glasgow and brought up in Aberdeen. After graduating B.mus. (hons) from Aberdeen University he completed a PGCE at Jordanhill College in Glasgow and then moved to Edinburgh to teach.

As he did not study composition at University, his first experiences of composing and arranging were for school groups. Such opportunities were invaluable and he has been able to write choirs for different ages and voices, orchestra, ensembles, percussion group recorder consorts etc.

The encouragement to write more choral music came initially from the conductor, Christopher Bell, who generously 'tried out' some of Ken’s early pieces with the Aberdeen Youth Choir. This has led to performances of several pieces by the RSNO chorus and the National Youth Choir of Scotland, who have recorded six of his arrangements of Scottish songs. These appear on the most recent NYCOS cd, 'There's lilt in the song: Songs and ballads for highland or lowland or no! '

Commissioned in 1998 to write a work for double choir and organ ('Song for St. Cecilia') by the Hadley Court Singers. He subsequently orchestrated the organ part for performances in 2000. His second commission was from the Haddington music club. The instrumental chamber work, 'Going Nowhere Fast', was premiered in 2000 by the Edinburgh Quartet with four school students. Most recent commission, 'O Columba', is a 14-minute piece for unaccompanied choir, based on early Scottish plainchant. The Edinburgh choir, Cadenza, will perform this work in August 2003.