Arran International Festival
of Chamber Music and Song
18th to 24th August 2025
Hello and a warm welcome to our website - and to the Arran International Festival 2025.
We’re delighted to share this year’s programme with you - a week of inspiring concerts, live performance, and creative workshops, set in the midst of Arran’s extraordinary natural beauty.
Please have a look around. There’s still more to come and we’ll be updating the website regularly, so do check back in. And of course you can also follow us on our social media.
Wherever you hail from, we look forward very much to welcoming you this August!
AIF2025 - A word from the director:
It is with great delight and excitement that I welcome you to the 2nd Arran International Festival of Chamber Music and Song. Following the success of our inaugural year, AIF2025 builds on the vision at the heart of our festival: to bring exceptional music and inspiring artistry to the Isle of Arran - an island of extraordinary natural beauty, deep heritage and creative spirit. This year, our programme expands into three new villages and four new venues, fulfilling our growing commitment to accessibility, community and artistic diversity. We are thrilled to present a rich offering of concerts, including world-class chamber music, new commissions, traditional Scottish music, and free creative workshops for children and young people. At the centre of it all is connection - between genres, generations, cultures and communities. A particular joy of this year’s programme is the return of several artists who helped shape our inaugural festival. Lucy Walsh, originally from Whiting Bay, returns with members of the Rothko Collective to perform a world premiere by our brilliant Composer in Residence, Electra Perivolaris, herself from Arran. Pianist Iain Clarke, also an Arranach, joins us again at Whiting Bay Hall, and Gillian Frame and Findlay Napier return with their signature warmth and flair, following their sold-out traditional concert at Brodick Golf Club last year. We’re also thrilled to welcome back Arran’s master storyteller, Marty Ross, with a bold new piece for AIF2025. And we’re delighted to introduce new guests to the festival: the internationally acclaimed, genre-busting quintet ZRI “Zum Roten Igel”, bringing their exhilarating fusion of classical and folk traditions to island audiences for the first time. As before, our founding ethos - "getting across borders" - guides us. Whether crossing musical, cultural or geographic boundaries, the aim is simple: to bring people together through music. We believe in the unifying power of shared creativity and live performance - in village halls, churches, schools and wherever communities gather. It is a privilege to present this programme for you, and a joy to invite you to be part of it. Please explore, join us - and if you see me around the island, come and say hello! With warmest wishes, Richard Morrison Festival Director
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Tuesday, 19th August 2025
An Evening with Jackie Morrison
Cladach Beach House, Brodick | 7.00pm | Tickets £20
Jackie Morrison invites you to an evening of songs and stories exploring the many facets of love. With her signature warmth and flair, she brings poetry, music and humour together in an intimate, cabaret-style performance. Joined by Alan Kitchen at the piano, set in Cladach Beach House with its unique atmosphere and panoramic view of Brodick Bay, this will be an evening full of heart and charm - not to be missed.
Jackie Morrison is a celebrated actress and singer whose career spans leading roles with the RSC, the National Theatre, and London’s West End. She starred opposite Sting in his acclaimed musical The Last Ship on tour in the UK, USA and Canada, and most recently completed a UK tour of An Inspector Calls as Mrs Birling. Her many stage and screen credits include Coriolanus, Abigail’s Party, EastEnders, Coronation Street and Midsomer Murders.
Wednesday, 20th August 2025
The Passion of Tam Shanter
Marty Ross, Lucy Walsh flute, new music by Electra Perivolaris
The Wineport, Brodick | 7.00pm | Tickets £18
Arran writer and storyteller, Marty Ross, returns to the festival this year with his brand new piece, The Passion of Tam Shanter, a bold reimagining of the Robert Burns classic - less comic ballad, more eerie psychological thriller. Set in rural Ayrshire, Tam is now a swaggering property developer with plans to demolish a ruined kirk … until ancient forces rise to meet him.
With original music composed by Electra Perivolaris and performed live by flautist Lucy Walsh, this atmospheric, genre-blending tale promises an unforgettable night of storytelling, sound, and shadow.
Marty Ross is a celebrated Scottish storyteller and dramatist whose bold, gothic tales have captivated audiences on BBC Radio 4, Audible, and stages across the UK. He recently collaborated with Sam Mendes on a Dickens trilogy for Audible, starring Helena Bonham Carter and Miriam Margolyes. A long-time favourite on Arran, Marty returns to AIF2025 with The Passion of Tam Shanter—a new commission that reimagines Scots folklore as vivid, contemporary psychological drama.
Thursday, 21st August 2025
Opening Concert - A Warm Festival Welcome
Richard Morrison, Iain Clarke and festival friends
Whiting Bay Hall | 7.30pm | Tickets £20
The opening concert of AIF2025 again features an eclectic evening of music, song and good cheer. Festival Director Richard Morrison returns to the stage to take us on a musical journey in song, with a programme ranging from Finzi’s settings of Shakespeare, Let us Garlands Bring, to songs by Brahms, alongside favourites from Operetta, American musical theatre and a few much-loved Scots songs.
He’ll be joined again by outstanding young pianist, Iain Clarke, a native of Arran, and other festival guests will be dropping by to say hello.
Richard is widely respected for his warm, lyrical voice and versatility as a performer. His work spans opera, concert and broadcasting, with highlights including leading roles at Oper Leipzig, Staatsoper Hannover, and Staatstheater Nürnberg, as well as concerts at the Berliner Philharmonie, Royal Albert Hall, and Royal Festival Hall. His recordings appear on Deutsche Grammophon, Naxos, and Warner Classics, and he has appeared on BBC TV & Radio and Classic FM, both as a singer and presenter.
Friday 22nd August 2025
The Rothko Collective with Lucy Walsh
Electra Perivolaris, AIF Composer in Residence
Two Concerts | Two Perspectives
Matinee | Kilmory Hall | 3:00pm | £18
Candlelight Concert | Brodick Parish Church | 7:30pm | £18
Island Perspectives Ticket | Kilmory & Brodick | £30
Following the success of their sold-out concert at AIF2024, flautist Lucy Walsh and harpist Christopher Clarke return to the festival, this time joined by violist Dominic Stokes and percussionist Toril Azzalini-Machecler from the acclaimed Rothko Collective.
This vibrant ensemble of young, imaginative musicians brings sincerity, artistry, and bold creativity to the stage. Their 2025 programme spans both classical and contemporary works, including the world premiere of a new commission by Electra Perivolaris, our Composer in Residence, written especially for the festival. Her piece will be played at both concerts.
Electra, herself from Kilmory, draws deep inspiration from the island’s outstanding beauty. Her new composition is shaped by the natural world and the emotional connections between community, memory and environment. It’s a work that reflects both her heritage and her uniquely lyrical voice.
Lucy, originally from Whiting Bay, is a shining example of Arran’s wealth of homegrown musical talent. Her return with the Rothko Collective is a celebration of her artistic roots, creative ambition and musical connection.
Experience their music in two unique Arran settings, two distinct perspectives: the bright intimacy of Kilmory Hall, and the glowing warmth of Brodick Parish Church by candlelight.
If you'd like to enjoy both concerts with Electra, Lucy and the Rothko Collective, we have a combined ticket deal, the Island Perspectives two concert ticket - Kilmory & Brodick
Saturday 23rd August 2025
ZRI “Zum Roten Igel”
Making landfall this August – the world’s most dangerous quintet is coming to Arran!
ZRI - short for Zum Roten Igel, or The Red Hedgehog Tavern - is a genre-defying chamber ensemble like no other. Named after the legendary Viennese tavern where Brahms and Schubert once soaked up the vibrant energy of gypsy music, ZRI reimagines classical repertoire through the thrilling lens of folk traditions.
With a line-up of clarinet (Ben Harlan), violin (Max Baillie), cello (Matthew Sharp), accordion (Jon Banks) and santouri (Iris Pissaride), they blend world-class musicianship with joyful theatrical energy, improvisation and a fearless spirit of musical fusion. Authentic, dynamic, and full of heart, their performances are simply outstanding.
“The ZRI quintet demonstrated miraculous, joyfully versatile musicianship, zipping nimbly between styles so that you’d often end up somewhere new without even noticing”, The Scotsman
At AIF2025, ZRI presents two concerts in one exhilarating day - Front House and Back House - showcasing the full range of their vibrant, genre-blending artistry:
Front House
Corrie & Sannox Village Hall | 1:00pm | £25
"Schubert at the Red Hedgehog Tavern"
ZRI’s Schubert at the Red Hedgehog Tavern is a radical re-scoring of Schubert’s masterwork, his C Major Quintet D.956, weaving Hungarian and gypsy tunes into a piece deeply inspired by folk traditions. ZRI has performed it to great acclaim throughout the UK and beyond.
Back House
Shiskine Hall | 4:00pm | £25
"ZRI’s Cellar Sessions"
ZRI’s Cellar Sessions re-creates the atmosphere of the Red Hedgehog Tavern in Vienna from which the band takes its name. Prepare to laugh, dance, holler, and maybe even shed a tear with this mixed program which spans Bach to Donna Summer!
ZRI Front House/Back House Ticket | £40
If you're all-in, you can experience the full ZRI effect with our two concert deal - you'll have plenty of time between concerts to get over The String from Corrie to Shiskine - just follow the band!
Saturday 23rd August 2025
Findlay Napier & Gillian Frame
A night of traditional music with two of Scotland’s finest artists
Brodick Golf Club | 8:00pm | Tickets £18
Last year at AIF2024, Gillian and Findlay’s warmth, charm and musical brilliance transformed Brodick Golf Club into something that felt like a folk club of old. Well, it’s happening again - we’re thrilled to welcome them back for another unforgettable evening of Scottish traditional music.
Gillian, a native of Arran, was the first winner of BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year and has been listed in The Scotsman as one of twelve influential women in Scottish culture. Findlay, a former Scots Trad Music Musician of the Year nominee, is a gifted singer and songwriter, known for his storytelling flair, wit and charm.
Catch two of Scotland’s finest traditional artists in the heart of their own island community.
AIF Open Session at the Douglas Hotel – A Festival Farewell Get-Together
Sunday 24th August 2025 | 12pm–4pm | Free Entry
Join us for a relaxed, music-filled send-off to close the festival!
Our open session welcomes everyone - visiting musicians, local players, festival artists, and music lovers alike. Bring an instrument, bring a song, or just bring yourself and soak up the atmosphere.
Set in the Douglas Hotel against the backdrop of Brodick Bay, it’s a chance to share tunes, have a wee drink, and celebrate a wonderful week of music and connection.
Good company, good music, and good cheer. All welcome – come and be part of the music!
More festival events announcing soon!
Please watch this space! We'll be adding more details and information soon, including our programme of music and art workshops for children and young people.
You can also follow us on our social media for ongoing updates about our artists and events.
Festival supporters
The Arran International Festival is made possible through the generosity, encouragement and shared belief of those who support us. From individual patrons and benefactors to local businesses and community partners, we are deeply grateful to all who contribute to the life of the festival.
Funded by Cockaigne Fund, administered by Foundation Scotland
Dear Richard and Trustees of the festival, The Arran International Festival of Chamber Music and Song looks fantastic and you’ve clearly put in an enormous amount of work to get to this stage. As you know I’ve always been a huge fan of arts festivals of any kind, not least because my first professional job in the industry was at the Edinburgh Festival. Whilst organising and participating in festivals requires huge commitment, many regard festivals as the lifeblood of our industry, they allow artists to get together to share and celebrate their work and enrich their skill and talent, but more importantly they offer audiences the opportunity to experience creativity, entertainment and work that is usually difficult for them to access, it looks like The Arran International Festival fulfils all of these things. Having spent many happy times on Arran over the last 20 years, I believe your festival will be embraced wholeheartedly by local people and business, and will add to the many existing attractions on the island for visitors. PW Productions is delighted to be able to support the festival, congratulations for getting this far and we wish you every success with it this year and well into the future, With very best wishes, Iain Gillie CEO, PW Productions, London.