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22 Jan 2020

Chicago Scots greet Gregg violin

Written by David Hopes
A lady in a long tartan skirt holding a violin sits with a young girl in a tartan dress to her right, a man standing behind her holding a violin, and a man to her left with a cello.
Rachel Barton Pine, Sylvia Pine, Alistair McCulloch and Timothy Paul Sutton
The Gregg violin flew into Chicago for one night only to star in a unique celebration of Robert Burns curated by one of the world’s leading violinists, Rachel Barton Pine.

The concert took place in the historic University Club, which overlooks Lake Michigan. With freezing temperatures (-15C outside) and snow falling, it made a thrilling venue.

The evening, hosted by the Chicago Scots (an organisation which seeks to nourish Scottish identity through service, fellowship and celebrations of Scottish culture), was attended by 150 guests who enjoyed over 2 hours of world-class music inspired by Burns and the tradition in which he wrote.

Burns violin in Chicago

Musical pieces by McGibbon, Reid, Oswald and others were interspersed by readings from the works of Robert Fergusson and Robert Burns. Rachel Barton Pine, her daughter Sylvia, cellist Timothy Paul Sutton, Noisemaker, and our very own Alistair McCulloch provided an invigorating programme to an audience who were ‘Scottish by birth, by heritage or simply by inclination’.

We’ll return to Chicago in just under two weeks. Off now to Boston!

A video showing the itinerary for the Gregg violin tour

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