Ailie Robertson: The Open Fund
Short Project Title: Sextet by Ailie Robertson on John Rae’s 1860 Telegraph Expedition
Project Description: Ailie Robertson will compose a sextet exploring how music and material traditions carry memory, identity and connection across generations as part of John Rae and the Northern Telegraph Route for the combined ensembles of Nordic Viola (Scotland) and Aldubáran (Faroes). Ailie’s piece will sit alongside three other commissions from Scottish/Nordic composers as well as poetry by Lesley Harrison. In 1860 Orcadian Arctic explorer Dr John Rae was commissioned to survey a new telegraph route via Shetland, Faroe, Iceland and Greenland. Rae was recently married when he departed and Ailie’s piece will explore absence, waiting, care and persistence: stories of women’s invisible labour alongside more masculine exploration narratives. The piece will be premiered at St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall on 9th September as part of Orkney International Science Festival before travelling to Shetland Museum on 12th September.
Bio: Ailie Robertson is an award-winning composer and harpist from Scotland who has been commissioned by BBC Proms, LPO, Scottish Ensemble, Red Note, RSNO, Cappella Nova, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Scottish Chamber Choir and Riot Ensemble. She was composer-in-residence with soundfestival 2019-2022 and Glyndebourne Opera 2020-2022. Awards include ‘Best Chamber work’ in the Scottish Awards for New Music. She holds a PhD in composition from Trinity Laban Conservatoire. Her work ranges from concert music to film scores, work with traditional choirs to collaborations on unusual,abstract, site-specific installations. She also has a passion of writing for amateurs, young people and theatre.
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