Lau, commissioned by Celtic Connections Festival

About the commission

Experimental folk trio Lau will write 15 minutes of new music for themselves and Elysian Quartet. Lau have forged new tracks for their native Scottish music and they will extend this exploration further with the Elysian, perhaps the most respected contemporary string quartet in England today.

“We are delighted to get the chance to make this music. We felt we have found kindred spirits in The Elysian Quartet, another band with a lust to create new sounds. As composers, this is one of the most exciting musical opportunities we could hope for, we can’t wait to get writing.” Lau

“Lau are flying a flag for modern Scottish music at present, and we wanted to team them up with a modern classical group on a similar footing. The Elysian Quartet were a perfect fit for this, open-minded and well versed in collaboration. We feel sure this meeting will result in a genuinely unique piece of new music.” Celtic Connections Festival

More about the composer

Lau are modern folk music’s most innovative band. Brilliant musicians, thrilling performers and free-thinking visionaries.

In 2007 their debut album ‘Lightweights and Gentlemen’ was soon followed by a staggering onslaught of awards that includes an unprecedented three consecutive wins as Best Group at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Having dramatically cemented their reputation as a blistering stage act, Lau followed their debut with the much loved ‘Lau Live’ album just a year later and in 2009 came the equally acclaimed ‘Arc Light ‘.

They have collaborated with rock legend Jack Bruce (Cream) Karine Polwart, Adem and created a vast new orchestral work ‘Strange Attractors’ with composer Brian Irvine and The Northern Sinfonia.