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A weave of words and music

Welcome to Scotland Unwrapped, the 16th edition of our award-winning year-long series. Celebrating Scottish music and spoken word culture, the series will highlight both its traditional and regional riches but also explore the diverse contemporary scene and the writers and composers which give Scotland its distinctive voice. As well as covering a wide range of musical genres from cutting-edge contemporary composers, folk musicians and Scottish classical ensembles, Scotland Unwrapped also embraces the heady literary scene and wealth of Scottish festivals.

Scotland Unwrapped features Artist in Residence Karine Polwart and Guest Curators Aidan O’Rourke and Jackie Kay.

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Aurora Orchestra with Robyn Stapleton and Sam Amidon: Outlanders

Classical / Aurora Orchestra

Travel with Aurora from Scotland to the shores of north America, alongside folk singer Sam Amidon.

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Jackie Kay

Words / Scotland Unwrapped

May Day is the long-awaited new poetry collection from Jackie Kay, former Makar (Scottish Poet Laureate) and Guest Curator for Scotland Unwrapped.

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Journeyman - The Art of Steve Dilworth

Words / Scotland Unwrapped

A special event celebrating the Hebridean-based sculptor Steve Dilworth, coinciding with his solo exhibition at Pangolin London, with contributions from his biographer, Georgina Coburn, and a screening of portrait film Stuff the World is Made.

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Chris Stout & Catriona McKay — Glenshee

Folk / Scotland Unwrapped

‘Best Duo’ award-winners at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2018, violinist Chris Stout and harpist Catriona McKay return to Kings Place as part of Scotland Unwrapped.

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Megan Henderson Trio

Folk / Scotland Unwrapped

Securely ranked among Scotland’s most skilled and imaginative contemporary folk acts, Breabach unite deep roots in Highland and Island tradition with the innovative musical ferment of their Glasgow base.

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Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas

Folk / Scotland Unwrapped

Kings Place welcomes Fraser and Haas to their Scotland Unwrapped programme, a fiddle and cello duo who blend a profound understanding of the Scottish folk tradition with cutting-edge string explorations.

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Julie Fowlis + Westward the Light

Folk / Scotland Unwrapped

Hailing from the Outer Hebrides and now based in the Highlands, singer Julie Fowlis, perhaps best known for her work with the Disney Pixar movie Brave, is widely heralded for championing traditional Gaelic.

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Julie Brook: The Scottish Landscape

Words / Scotland Unwrapped

We welcome artist Julie Brook as part of our newest series Scotland Unwrapped, for an evening of deep exploration on her sculptural works in response to each specific environment using materials found on site, through a visual presentation.

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John McCusker & Friends

Folk / Scotland Unwrapped

John McCusker, Scotland’s foremost fiddle player, gathers a who’s who of singer songwriters and traditional musicians at Kings Place for one night only, as part of Scotland Unwrapped.

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Evelyn Glennie and Trio HLK

Jazz / Scotland Unwrapped

Join Evelyn Glennie and Trio HLK in Hall One as they showcase their enthralling new album Anthropometricks.

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The Storm Watchers

Film / Scotland Unwrapped

Join us in St Pancras Room to watch a powerful and meaningful film inspired by Orcadian poet George Mackay Brown's piece The Storm Watchers.

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Musica Vitae: Storm Runes

Classical / Scotland Unwrapped

We welcome the Swedish string orchestra, Musica Vitae and director/cellist Robin Michael, to perform works of magnificent composers such as James Oswald, JS Bach, Lisa Robertson and two-ever popular works by Peter Maxwell Davies.

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Mànran

Folk / Scotland Unwrapped

Multi award-winning Scottish supergroup Mànran have been at the heart of the Scottish traditional music scene for over a decade. They return to Kings Place as part of Scotland Unwrapped after their sell-out debut in 2020. Support comes from singer songwriter Ainsley Hamill.

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Nur: Aidan O’Rourke with Brighde Chaimbeul, Bashir Saade, Graeme Stephen and Rachel Sermanni

Folk / Scotland Unwrapped

A project brought together by Guest Curator Aidan O’Rourke, celebrating the grit, calibre and charisma of Edinburgh’s grassroots music-making, featuring Brighde Chaimbeul, Bashir Saade, Graeme Stephen and Rachel Sermanni.

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Aurora Orchestra with Donald Grant

Classical / Scotland Unwrapped

As the days shorten and the year’s end draws nearer, journey with Aurora Orchestra and Donald Grant to the Scottish islands, where the winter nights are long and isolating.

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Lost Map Records: Pictish Trail + Afterlands

Contemporary / Scotland Unwrapped

Kings Place and Eat Your Own Ears are proud to present a very special label night for Scottish imprint Lost Map Records, featuring a headline set from label boss Johnny Lynch’s psychedelic outfit Pictish Trail, and support from new collaborative duo Afterlands (featuring members of The Phantom Band and Strike The Colours).

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Louise McMonagle: Ancient Modernity

Contemporary / Scotland Unwrapped

Join us for Riot Ensemble's cellist Louise McMonagle’s album launch Ancient Modernity, featuring Scottish composers from Anna Meredith to John Maxwell Geddes, plus works for cello and electronics spatialised in soundscape.

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Ali Smith & Jackie Kay

Words / Scotland Unwrapped

Author Ali Smith and former Makar Jackie Kay discuss the soundtrack to their lives – a shared passion for a wide range of music from Celtic folk to jazz, from blues to Bach, musicals to Mozart.

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The Marian Consort

Classical / Scotland Unwrapped

The award-winning voices of The Marian Consort present a programme of sumptuous Renaissance polyphony from some of Scotland’s few surviving sixteenth-century manuscripts.

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Kinnaris Quintet

Folk / Scotland Unwrapped

Based in Glasgow, MG Alba Trad Music Awards 2018 & 2022 Folk Band of the Year Kinnaris Quintet take influences of traditional Scottish, Irish, Bluegrass, Classical, Scandinavian and Appalachian music, creating technically dazzling and evocative arrangements. Expect uplifting and driving harmonies, intricate arrangements, and joy in abundance.

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Àrainn: Electroacoustic music from Scotland 

Contemporary / Scotland Unwrapped

Àrainn means ‘sound’ in Scots Gaelic, and this promises a captivating evening of spatialised performances of electroacoustic music, sound art and visuals from/of Scotland.

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Ensemble Hesperi

Classical / Scotland Unwrapped

Relive a musical evening in 18th century Edinburgh with the dazzling young Ensemble Hesperi and soprano Harriet Burns, where fashions combined the best of the Italian Baroque with the soaring melodies and dance rhythms of traditional Scottish music.

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Dunedin Consort & Hebrides Ensemble

Classical / Scotland Unwrapped

Two of Scotland’s award-winning ensembles join forces to present James MacMillan’s extraordinary setting – by turns intimate and dramatic – of the Resurrection story.

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