On 12th March 2027 we welcome Brass Tracks, one of Scotland’s most exciting and engaging brass quintets. Based across central Scotland, Brass Tracks describe themselves as being dedicated to making all music accessible, whether it be 500 years old or something a little more contemporary.
Brass Tracks appear courtesy of Classical Musicians Scotland, and their programme for the evening can be downloaded below:
The ensemble was formed in 2013 by Edinburgh trumpet players, Finlay Hetherington and John Sampson. The core members come from varied performing backgrounds including television, theatre, orchestral, chamber music, education and brass bands. Brass Tracks has performed in the usual conventional performing spaces – churches, cathedrals, concert halls and theatres – yet also enjoy playing in various less obvious locations such as Glasgow Central Station, launching Christmas at Gateshead’s Metrocentreand on a film set.
Finlay Hetherington studied trumpet at Manchester University and the Royal Northern College of Music, before completing a postgraduate degree in music education at Edinburgh University. In recent years Finlay has composed and arranged numerous works for solo trumpet and brass ensemble, including improvisations for an award-winning feature film soundtrack, producing music for BBC education at the Edinburgh Fringe, arrangements for BBC One’s Rillington Place and being commissioned to write several bespoke fanfares. Finlay remains dedicated to music education and coaching, and was the first musical director for the Edinburgh Military Wives’ Choir, tutored trumpet and brass chamber music at St Mary’s Music School and is head of the instrumental service in the Scottish Borders.
John Sampson studied at Napier College in the 1970s and has two diplomas in trumpet. As a freelance player his television credits include ‘Rab C Nesbitt’ and the South Bank Show. He was composer and musical director on numerous BBC radio plays including the five episode adaptation of the Bride of Lammermuir. He has been Musical director at the Edinburgh Lyceum, Traverse theatre, Wildcat theatre and Lung Ha theatre. As a session player he has performed across genres from folk to reggae and is a member of the Royal Society of Musicians. For the last 23 years he has collaborated with former Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and toured widely in the UK ,Hong Kong, UAE, Europe and New Zealand.
Born in Edinburgh, Fiona McLean-Williamson began playing the trombone at the age of 12, which in the fullness of time led her to graduate from London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama with a BMus Honours Degree on tenor and alto trombone. In 2006 she completed a MMus on bass trombone and in 2007 became a Guildhall Artist by undertaking a Masters in Musical Performance. Fiona’s freelance work spans from early music through jazz, including orchestral, theatre and soul band work. She currently works as a brass instructor for the City of Edinburgh Council and is the trombone specialist for Napier University and Edinburgh College.
Robert Newth graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2014 and enjoys a varied freelance career including chamber, orchestral and education work. He is the horn player for wind quintet Prismatic Winds, has recorded with rock band Mogwai, and has taught for North Lanarkshire Council. He has extensive musical theatre experience with credits in London’s West End, UK tours, Edinburgh Fringe shows, and work for Cambridge University and the National Theatre of Scotland. Robert also works as an organist, sound designer, and is an award-winning screen composer.
Originally from Penicuik, Robert Fraser gained a BEd in Music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). Since graduating in 2008 Robert has held posts as a Brass instructor in Glasgow, Aberdeenshire, West Lothian, South Lanarkshire and Clackmannanshire Councils. As a conductor he has directed many ensembles including Whitburn Heartlands to the 4th section Scottish Championship title and then in the National finals 2015. As a Tuba player Robert has played with Whitburn Band since 2004 where he has played at the National finals at the Royal Albert Hall over twenty times. Robert has performed internationally including Amsterdam, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Japan and Sweden.
Music in West Kilbride 