Innovation

 

 

Innovation is a new and exciting fiddle group made up from top senior and former players of the Ayrshire Fiddle Orchestra. Specialising in contemporary arrangements of celtic music from around the world, the group has in its repertoire music from North America, Spain, Finland, Ireland and Scotland.

The group has already won rave reviews for its breathtaking, energetic performances in Scotland and North America.

Their first album 'Inferno' was launched in the summer of 2006 and is available to buy here.

Listen to Jim Connor's Welcome

This review of 'Inferno' appeared in the latest edition of 'Fiddle On' magazine:

This recording is of a group of fiddlers aged 16-21, all senior or former members of the Ayrshire Fiddle Orchestra, directed by Alistair McCulloch. The recording is energetic, innovative and full of life and I had to listen to it a few times to catch some of the familiar tunes played in a different style with a large group of musicains. The CD retains an orchestral sound of many musicians - fiddles, cellos, percussion, flutes - and the ten tracks cover musical styles from America, Spain, Finland, Ireland and Scotland. My favourite track was no. 5, 'Dancing with Rosina', a nineteenth century polka from Central Europe, played at foot tapping speed. The vocals on track 6, 'Say Old Man', are great, a fiddle shoot out between a young hotshot and a dishevelled old man. Guess who won? The album is bursting with musical ideas and full of life. Luckily 'Niel Gow's Lament for the Death of his Second Wife', a beautiful slow air on track 8, gave me a chance to catch my breath, before once again the orchestra launched at breathtaking speed into Finnish Polskas and Olympic reels. Listen and be inspired of the young musicians on this CD. 

Christine Ellis

 

Recent events have included a 6 date tour of the Scottish Highlands and Islands where they excelled:

"the audience was quite astounded at the quality and enthusiasm of the playing"

Duncan MacInnes, Sabhl Mor Ostaig

"the best concert we have had here in years"

Dave Shipman, Aros, Portree