Gubaidulina Glorious Percussion at Edinburgh Festival
Colin Currie Group, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra,
cond. Thomas Dausgaard
"Seeing them at work is like watching a ballet unfold before your eyes, the players weaving and ducking their way through their battery of percussion like dancers performing a ritual. It’s thrilling and, at times, utterly visceral... Five out of five for this quintet."
The Times, August 2019
"…the Colin Currie Group stole the show, darting from instrument to instrument, weaving under gongs, slipping silently into each new position, exchanging mischievous glances, responding to each other’s cues with practised synergy."
The Arts Desk, August 2019
"... they darted between instruments, sometimes only making it by the skin of their teeth. It was mesmerising to watch – five bass drums simultaneously signalling the explosive primeval high point – and thrilling to hear."
The Scotsman, August 2019
"[the Colin Currie Group] used an array of drums, gongs, blocks and chimes that occupied a huge area of the stage, but for which words like “rig” and “hardware” seemed entirely wrong, With brass, celesta, harps and timpani making crucial contributions from the orchestra, this was beautifully-calibrated music full of captivating small moments as well as great ensemble writing."
The Herald, Scotland, August 2019