Live Music, Theatre & Comedy

Join local musicians - violinist, Simon Evans, and pianist, Ian Sharp - for a summer's evening of delightful repertoire in the Stables. Always popular in their many guises, Simon and Ian will play sonatas by Schubert (Sonata in A D574) and Beethoven (Sonata in G Op 30), plus shorter pieces by Boulanger, Elgar and Schostakovitch. Tickets: £10 and school kids go FREE! Book in advance: info@cromartyartstrust.org.uk / 01381 600354 or sales at the door. Tea/coffee available to purchase in the interval.

Scottish singer-songwriter and leading acoustic fingerstyle guitarist Simon Kempston has toured the world performing his highly original, contemporary acoustic folk/blues songs and music, and is a unique talent. His beautifully crafted folk-tinged material showcases his incredible, distinctive and intricate finger style guitar work – an exciting blend of the folk-baroque, blues and classical styles, and his gently nuanced, compelling tenor vocals. An inspiring, poetic lyricist, Simon’s live performances are intense and impassioned, the subject matter chiefly Scottish, yet with universal appeal. This first ever Cromarty concert is not to be missed. ‘One of Scotland’s very best singer-songwriters’ (Sunday Herald). ‘Stunning talent’ (STV). 'Beautiful tunes, infinitely talented’ (BBC Radio 3).     Doors open from 19.30. BYOB  Tickets:  £10 / £7 student/unwaged Purchase in advance by emailing info@cromartyartstrust.org.uk or tel 01381 600354. May be sales at the door if availability allows. We do not send out hard tickets but will have a record of your purchase to tick off on the door list.

“A breathtaking acoustic fusion of blues, jazz, classical and Spanish guitar from a stunning guitar virtuoso…” Altadena News, USA Ready for a unique and talented take on a wide range of musical traditions? Claude Bourbon is known throughout Europe and America for amazing guitar performances that take blues, Spanish, and Middle Eastern stylings into uncharted territories.  Claude’s inimitable style incorporates all five digits on each hand dancing independently but in unison, plucking, picking and strumming at such speed and precision that his fingers often seem to melt into a blur. Thousands of people in the UK, Europe and USA have enjoyed listening to this virtuoso and for the majority of his audience it is an experience that compels them to return again and again to hear and watch him play, as his fingers lightly dance over the strings of his guitar and create a unique sound that is ’Claude’. Some of this guitarists’ influences allow us a fascinating insight into this remarkable musician; Paco De Lucia: Deep Purple’s Richie Blackmore; Joaquin Rodrigo; JJ Cale; JS Bach…. Claude has played countless venues, including Glastonbury Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, Colne Great British & Blues Festival, Rock O'Z Arene, Avenches, Switzerland, among others. He has shared the stage in Europe and the USA with countless musicians, Calvin Russel, Charlie Morgan (Elton John, Gary Moore), Jan Akkerman (Focus), Steve Grossman (Miles Davis), Herbie Armstrong ( Van Morisson), Jose barrense Dias and many more. "Claude Bourbon weaved his songs through the audience as if on a journey through life taking in different flavours of Europe and beyond... from classical openings, across a whole continent of cultural roots, holding audience attention under a musical spell, his music would not have been out of place in the courts of Emperors and Kings." (G. Munn) “ Claude Bourbon is a unique figure today… his playing is almost indescribable“ The Hook, Charlottesville, USA www.claudebourbon.org   Doors open from 19.30. BYOB / tea & coffee on sale Tickets:  £12 / £8 student/unwaged Purchase in advance by emailing info@cromartyartstrust.org.uk or tel 01381 600354. May be sales at the door if availability allows. We do not send out hard tickets but will have a record of your purchase to tick off on the door list.      

The 16th and 17th Century Scottish Witch Trials were one of the darkest periods of Scotland’s history. An estimated 2500 people were executed, 80% of which were thought to have been women. In this new project, Rachel Newton and Lauren MacColl, both no strangers to performing in Cromarty, pay a humanising tribute to these women while also exploring historical beliefs in the supernatural and modern day parallels in our society. Each piece of music is based on specially commissioned works by celebrated author Mairi Kidd - tales inspired by and in remembrance of real women who were persecuted and tried as witches, and characters from the folkloric tales and mythology enshrined in our oral culture. Rachel (The Shee, The Furrow Collective, Spell Songs) and Lauren (Salt House, Rant) are firmly established as two of the country’s most celebrated folk musicians. They have collaborated on each other’s projects for many years, and this project is a perfect and timely opportunity to work together as a duo for the first time. Their performance will feature newly composed music with accompanying visuals to highlight this fascinating and important subject. Not to be missed! Please note there are some flashing images in the show. https://www.healandharrow.com/ Doors open from 19.30. BYOB / tea & coffee on sale Tickets:  £14 / £12 student/unwaged Purchase in advance by emailing info@cromartyartstrust.org.uk or tel 01381 600354. May be sales at the door if availability allows. We do not send out hard tickets but will have a record of your purchase to tick off on the door list.

Formed under the midnight sun in Lofoten in 2006, the Engegård Quartet has rapidly become one of Norway’s most sought after ensembles. Their bold, fresh interpretations of the classical repertoire combined with a deep attachment to their Scandinavian roots has attracted international acclaim, and inspired some innovative partnerships and programming. The quartet’s debut CD was praised as ‘breath-taking’ in The Strad, while their second release won Pizzicato magazine’s ‘Supersonic Award’. Their CD of works by Grieg, Sibelius and Olav Anton Thommessen was praised by Tully Potter in Music Web International as ‘what Grieg lovers have been waiting for’. Recent CD releases include Mozart’s ‘Prussian Quartets’ and the complete string quartets of Schumann.  The Engegård Quartet has a busy concert schedule throughout Scandinavia and further afield. They have performed in some of Europe’s finest venues including the Mozarteum in Salzburg and Prague’s Rudolfinum, and have travelled to South America for concerts in Bogotá and Sao Paolo. Festival performances include the Delft Chamber Music Festival, SoNoRo Festival in Bucharest, and Heidelberg’s Streichquartettfest. Members of the quartet are also deeply involved in bringing superb chamber music to Norway – Arvid Engegård as founder of the Lofoten International Chamber Music Festival, and Juliet Jopling as artistic director of the Oslo Quartet Series. The Engegård Quartet has had the honour to work with (among others) András Schiff, Leif Ove Andsnes, Christian Ihle Hadland, and Emma Johnson. They also love to collaborate with colleagues from different musical traditions, including a folk/classical fusion with Hardanger fiddler Nils Økland, a collaboration with jazz-violinist Ola Kvernberg, and a programme of Ibsen and late Beethoven with actor Bjørn Sundquist. The Engegård Quartet’s own ‘1-2-3 mini-festival’ has proven immensely popular and is now a regular event each fall. The Engegård Quartet is supported by the Norwegian Arts Council.  www.engegardquartet.com Programme for Cromarty: Mozart - String quartet no.20 in D major KV 499 “Hoffmeister” (1786) 1. Allegretto 2. Menuetto. Allegretto - Trio 3. Adagio 4. Molto allegro Grieg - String quartet no.1 in g minor op.27 (1878) 1. Un poco andante - Allegro molto ed agitato 2. Romanze. Andantino 3. Intermezzo. Allegro molto marcato - Più vivo e scherzando 4. Finale. Lento - Presto al saltarello Debussy - String quartet in g minor op.10 (1893) 1. Animé e tres décidé 2. Assez vif et bien rythmé 3. Andantino, doucement expressif 4. Tres modéré Doors open from 19.00. Tea/coffee on sale at interval. Tickets: £15 / £11 students/unwaged / school kids go FREE Book tickets via email or tel 01381 600354. 

The Mahler Players Wind Quintet is made up of the wind principal of The Mahler Players, a local orchestra founded in 2013 by Tomas Leakey. The quintet's members have been playing together for over 15 years in various Highland-based ensembles such as the Highland Chamber Orchestra, the Inverness Choral Orchestra and of course, The Mahler Players. www.mahlerplayers.co.uk  Information on the programme to be played coming soon! Doors open from 14.30. Tea/coffee on sale at interval. Tickets: £10 / £6 students/unwaged / school kids go FREE Book tickets via email or tel 01381 600354.