Premiere of new Joe Stollery orchestral piece by the Aberdeen City Orchestra at St Machar’s Cathedral, Aberdeen on Saturday February 28th at 7.30pm conducted by his father Pete Stollery
Composer Joe Stollery has been commissioned by Aberdeen City Orchestra to create a new 15-minute orchestral piece. With the working title Apparitions from the Land Beyond the Mountains, it draws inspiration from the folklore and landscapes of Aberdeenshire, weaving together vivid musical tableaux in contrasting sections. Each scene is rooted in local legend: heavenly music drifting through Rathen Church near Peterhead; the distant thunder of war drums on Bennachie, recalling the Battle of Mons Graupius; the mysterious tale of a piper searching for treasure beneath Gight Castle near Ellon; even playful evocations of fairytale figures from Storybook Glen. A prelude introduces the sound of migratory birds - particularly the haunting calls of pink-footed geese - whose return between episodes creates the sense of a journey linking each place. The result is a work that blends myth, memory, and humour, offering a sonic portrait of a region where the natural and the supernatural are inseparably entwined.

The new work will be part of a programme conducted by Joe’s father, composer and former Head of Music at the University of Aberdeen, Pete Stollery and also includes an arrangement of Astor Piazzolla’s Concierto para Quinteto, arranged by him, as well as Sibelius’ 5th Symphony.

Tickets are available from: https://ti.to/aberdeen-city-orchestra/sibelius-five 

For further information, contact petestollery@gmail.com