New work premiering at the East Neuk Festival

This year, to celebrate its landmark 20th anniversary, the East Neuk Festival has commissioned four new pieces of work which will premiere this week.

Article Source: East Neuk Festival
Last Updated: 24 June 2025 13:03

The 20th East Neuk Festival begins tomorrow (Wednesday) and runs until Sunday
29th June. In addition to the festival’s outstanding programme of classical, jazz and world music on offer, this year, to celebrate its landmark 20th anniversary, the festival has commissioned four new pieces of work which will premiere this week.

• The Light, the Bell and the Burden – Sat 28 June, Sun 29 June (various
times)
Multi-disciplinary artist and designer Andy McGregor has teamed up with two of Scotland’s most exciting musicians, cellist Su-a Lee and fiddler/composer Donald Grant to create a compelling site-specific installation to be premiered in St Fillan’s Cave this festival. Commissioned by ENF with support from Event Scotland’s National Events Programme, The Light, the Bell & the Burden explores mysteries around belief, folklore, healing and ancient relics connected to St Fillan.

• Field of Stars – Sun 29 June, 3pm
The world premiere of Field of Stars by Sally Beamish performed by four of the world’s leading quartets (Belcea, Castalian, Pavel Haas and Elias) and inspired partly by pilgrimage, and the Santiago de Compostela or ‘Field of Stars’ – the navigational tool used by pilgrims over the ages.

• Zulu Voyage – Sat 28 June, 12pm
Celebrated harpist and singer Esther Swift returns to East Neuk with a new piece of music that explores the history of the Zulu boat. Inspired by the only remaining, first class Zulu boat in the UK – Research LK62 housed at the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther, Zulu Voyage will be performed by over 60 musicians drawn from community projects across Fife including the St Andrews Music Project (StAMP), Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra, and East Fife Community Ensemble. Joining them will be Andrew Robb on double bass, Tom Gibb on jazz piano, Juliet Lemoine on cello and Fife based storyteller David Hughes.

• Shibe Trail – Sat 28 June 11am, 2pm, 3.30pm
Star guitarist Sean Shibe, plays the Scottish premiere of Thomas Adès’ first major work for guitar, Forgotten Dances (written especially for him following collaboration at East Neuk Festival in 2022) as part of his Shibe Trail. The trail consists of three concerts spanning six centuries of music for lute, guitar and electric guitar.

Svend McEwan-Brown, Festival Director said: “New music of all kinds – and music new to us - is a thrill at every ENF and I look forward to hearing all these pieces alongside the most recent music of Kathryn Tickell, Tom Smith and Nizar Rohana, all being heard in Scotland for the first time.”

Further festival highlights include performances of all five of Beethoven’s late quartets by four of the world’s leading quartets (Belcea, Elias, Castalian and Pavel Haas), two of Schubert’s song cycles performed by Mark Padmore and James Newby and accompanied by Joseph Middleton on piano; and an incredible line-up of of jazz, folk, and experimental music performed by the legendary Kathryn Tickell with her band The Darkening; rising star of the London jazz scene saxophonist Tom Smith with his septet; jazz pianist Euan Stevenson; and celebrated Oud player Nizar Rohana.

East Neuk Festival is made possible thanks to support from Creative Scotland, EventScotland and the generosity of its patrons, partners, and various trusts and
foundations.

Image: The Light, the Bell and the Burden by Andy McGregor in St Fillan’s Cave, Pittenweem

Image credit: Neil Hanna

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