Learmont Drysdale & his music rediscovered

Music in Peebles

Learmont Drysdale (1866-1909)…..

• ‘One of the greatest and most prolific Scottish composers’
• ‘The Scottish Grieg’
• Contemporary of Hamish MacCunn, William Wallace and Alexander Mackenzie
• A composer who had his works performed at Henry Wood’s Promenade Concerts and Covent Garden…..

Clearly, a composer celebrated in his own lifetime, yet today the name of Learmont Drysdale will be known to very few, even here in Tweeddale, where his family was rooted and where he himself is buried, in Peebles cemetery.

Intrigued by a memorial to Drysdale on Damhead Rig, above Traquair Village, Robert England began researching the composer’s life and will share what he has learned in what promises to be a fascinating talk.

Glasgow University Library holds an extensive archive of Drysdale’s manuscripts, which has been researched for us by Marianna Abrahamyan from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.  The result is the programme for this concert, consisting of chamber music, piano music and songs, some unpublished and possibly never performed before.

The music will be brought to life for us by Marianna Abrahamyan (piano), our Patron and special guest for this concert, Gina McCormack (violin) and students from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.