The sixth Cumnock Tryst is ready to begin

Sir James MacMillan is opening the 2019 edition of The Cumnock Tryst festival today.

It’s the East Ayrshire festival’s sixth iteration and boasts its most diverse musical programme to date.

The festival takes place from 3-6 October in and around the village of Cumnock in Ayrshire, where James MacMillan grew up.

The most varied festival programme so far, this year’s concerts range from a solo recital from Scottish pianist Steven Osborne to new works from Jay Capperauld and Gillian Walker, and informal evenings at the Dumfries Arms Hotel this year including Barbara Dickson and the Farmers Choir.

As ever, The Cumnock Tryst welcomes a group of musicians as its resident artists, this year Mr McFall’s Chamber and also forefronts music education as part of the main programme including the chance for audiences to see inside the compositional process in a public masterclass.

Today the festival also announces The Cumnock Tryst Music Club, resurrecting the former success of the much-loved Cumnock Music Club run by RD Hunter in years gone by. This new project will bring fantastic, world-class musicians to East Ayrshire year-round, not just during the festival weekend.

Commencing on 1 December this year, the Music Club will welcome the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Piano Quartet. It will then bring the guitarists Knox and Ion Duo on 18 January, Scots folk duo Hannah Rarity and Luc McNally on 21 February and the Hebrides Ensemble with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Voices on 28 March.

The final concert of the season will see a very special trio from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra perform on 3 May in the splendor of Dumfries House, including their new Principal Conductor Maxim Emelyanychev on piano.

Tickets for the Music Club go on sale on Monday 14 October online at thecumnocktryst.com/musicclub. They will also be available to purchase in person from Words of Wisdom in Cumnock, and on the door at each concert from 30 minutes before the start. Check the website in advance for availability.

Scottish pianist Steven Osborne will perform on Saturday 5 October at Sir James MacMillan’s Cumnock Tryst Festival (Photo: Gemma Aldous)

Sir James MacMillan CBE, founder and artistic director of the Cumnock Tryst, said: ‘I love planning these festivals, and I always try to make them different and let them evolve and develop from year to year. The sixth festival will have its own unique character and mood again, and the quality of our performers will delight our audiences.

‘I’m also very excited about the launch of our first, all-year round Music Club programme which shows that The Tryst is determined to spread our presence throughout the whole year.’

The schedule is –

Thursday 3 October: 7.30pm, Trinity Church, Opening Concert, Mr McFall’s Chamber and Cappella Nova; 9.45pm, Dumfries Arms Hotel, Barbara Dickson and Nick Holland.

Friday 4 October: noon, Cumnock Academy, Flow Gently?; 4.30pm, Dumfries Arms Hotel, The Cumnock Hour; 7.30pm, Old Church, Majesty Cappella Nova; 9.45pm, Dumfries Arms Hotel, Festival Club: Sax Ecosse.

Saturday 5 October: noon, Cumnock Academy, On the Spot; 4.30pm, New Cumnock Town Hall, Afterlife; 7.30pm, Trinity Church, Steven Osborne; 9.45pm, Dumfries Arms Hotel, Festival Club: The Farmers Choir.

Sunday 6 October: 11am, Congregational Church, Festival Service; 2pm and 4.30pm, Dumfries House, Festival Promenade Concert; 7.30pm. St John’s Church, Festival Finale Chorus Concert.

Tickets are available on the door, 45 minutes before the start of each concert.

Keep up with developments at The Cumnock Tryst at www.cumnocktryst.com

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