Elsewhere, Elsewhen features new music for chamber ensemble inspired by another time and place. It links Orkney and Iceland through the sagas, stretches further back into prehistory with music inspired by the ancient peoples of Orkney and shines a light on important historical figures from the past, giving new voice to their stories. It also explores issues of migration, human and avian, and reflects on the beauty and wildness of nature from Shetland to Greenland.

Katherine Wren, founder of Nordic Viola, said, “I am incredibly proud to have commissioned this music by composers who share our deep, emotional connection with the Far North. Through their mysterious and evocative music, we are transported to the islands of the North Atlantic and the stories of people, ancient and modern, connected by the sea.”

Nordic Viola, described by The Scotsman as a “quietly pioneering project,” was founded in 2016. They are renowned for their thoughtful approach to drawing out the inspiration and poetry of place evoked by the musical and cultural connections of the Far North and have performed extensively in the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland as well as throughout Scotland and the Northern Isles.

In 2022 Nordic Viola’s Sagas and Seascapes, a multimedia production with music, art and film, was selected as part of the Made In Scotland Showcase at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The ensemble has been shortlisted twice for the Scottish Awards for New Music  and founder Katherine Wren was highly commended in the 2020 Royal Philharmonic Society/ABO Salomon Prize.

Available on CD from nordicviola.wordpress.com, Bandcamp and Birnam CD

Available from all major download & streaming platforms