We have already posted about the new SFO album due for release in April 2025, based on recordings dating back to a weekend in Glasgow in November 2024.
Clockwork Studios occupies a former church, dating from the 1950s. It has two recording spaces. One (Studio A) capable of accommodating “symphonic-sized forces”; the other (Studio B) a much smaller, “drier” (sound-wise) studio but still capable of taking up to 15 musicians.
Clockwork has been described by one delighted artist as “A ‘gift’ to Scotland – and the UK, as a whole.”
We would be working primarily with Kobus Frick (Director / Producer) and David Donaldson (Recording Engineer).
In the weeks before the recording, our accompanist, Fiona Brodlie, took on much of the logistical work.
As orchestra members are spread over a wide area, though mostly within the UK, many ‘outliers’ stayed with friends, family or orchestra colleagues.
The recording schedule was to be Saturday and Sunday, 10-1 and 2-5 each day.
Players needed to arrive by 9:30am to give enough time to get everyone in position in time.
We booked outside caterers to provide sandwiches for lunch each day.
Blair visited the studio on 11 October 2024 to meet the Production Team.
A small group of players from the different sections of the orchestra had a meet-up about a week before the recording to play through the intended music to check that everything was fitting together in terms of entries, exits, dynamics, bowing and so on.
We set up specific email and WhatsApp groups.
The composition of the orchestra for the recording was finalised.
- 25 first fiddles,
- 18 second fiddles,
- 5 cellos,
- 5 basses,
- 5 accordions,
- 2 percussionists, and
- 2 flutes.
Featured fiddle soloists would be June Nelson and Amber Thornley.
Our piper would be SFO member (and fiddler) Martin Duncan.
The “stage” was set… (with seating coloured to match the SFO’s blue!).
NOTE: This article first appeared in the SFO Newsletter of March 2025 (No. 101). Should you be interested in subscribing to our quarterly Newsletter, which is issued firstly via email and then downloadable from the SFO website, please go to the “Friends” page on this website to sign up with your email address.