The Cumnock Tryst

03/09/2026

🎶📸 Last week, we brought together a group of young singers from across the three Ayrshire local authority areas for a fantastic day working with the magnificent Andy McTaggart and some professional singers, with Hebba Benyaghla at the piano. They sounded absolutely magnificent 😍

Thanks so much to everyone who made this day possible.

You can hear the group performing at this year's festival on Saturday 3 October at 7:30pm, alongside The Cumnock Tryst Festival Chorus and The Wallace Collection Ensemble.

Full details via the link in the comments ⬇

East Ayrshire Council
North Ayrshire Council
South Ayrshire Council
South Ayrshire Instrumental Music Service

29/08/2026

🆕🎶🎉 A wonderful afternoon yesterday as we heard eight world premieres performed by eight incredible musicians from the Scottish National Orchestra.

The concert rounded off our 2026 International Summer School for Composers at , led by James MacMillan and Brett Dean.

Thanks to everyone who attended, and to all our supporters including Creative Scotland, for making this course possible.

26/08/2026

🎼🖋️ It's been a fantastic week so far, with The Tryst welcoming eight incredible composers from across the world to our International Summer School for Composers 2026 at Dumfries House.

Having had individual lessons with Brett Dean and James MacMillan, the composers have each been working on an octet for a tremendous ensmble of players from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

You can hear the *world premiere* of all eight pieces this Friday at 3pm in Glasgow. Full details in the link below ⬇️

30/07/2026

🎶🌦 It was wonderful to welcome the nine Wind Soloists of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra to Cumnock's Barony Hall last night. They performed the perfect programme for a summer's night -- even if the weather didn't quite match the sunny nature of the music...

If you missed them, you can still catch the ensemble performing over the next three evenings in:

📍 Kirkcudbright
📍 Annan
📍 Kelso

23/07/2026

🎶📯 Just a reminder that we've got the fantastic Wind Soloists of Scottish Chamber Orchestra performing next Wednesday, 29 July, at Barony Hall in Cumnock. The programme includes music by Mozart, Jonathan Dove and Charles Gounod.

For full information and to purchase tickets, visit the link below!

26/06/2026

James MacMillan has written the fanfare for the official re-opening of The Scottish Parliament, taking place on Saturday 27 June (i.e. tomorrow!). The short work will be performed by brass players from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in the presence of King Charles III.

You'll be able to watch the ceremony live tomorrow on BBC Scotland and Scottish Parliament TV.

A special programme to mark the opening of the seventh session of the Scottish Parliament.

16/06/2026

🎵📸It was brilliant to welcome the fantastic Glasgow Chamber Choir to St John's Church, Cumnock at the weekend. Under conductor Michael Bawtree, they performed a beautifully curated programme featuring music by Robert Carver, Stanford, Judith Bingham and our very own Jennifer Martin and James MacMillan.

James guest-directed the choir for his 'Who shall separate us?', which was commissioned for the 2022 State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

11/06/2026

💓🎶🎻 It was wonderful for our songwriting group -- which has been taking place weekly at The Nest Wellbeing Group - Cumnock over the past few months -- to give their very first public performance yesterday at The Nest!

The group performed a set that included the premiere of some original songs they have written together, having been working with the fantastic Paul Brunton of Rock 'n' Role Models.

For several members, this was their first time performing in public, so it was all the more impressive to see just how much the group has learned and grown, and to hear all their creativity come to life.

08/06/2026

Following today’s news of James MacMillan’s appointment to the Order of the Thistle, there’s an opportunity to hear his music in his home town this week.

On Saturday, James will conduct his moving anthem 'Who Shall Separate Us?' as part of Glasgow Chamber Choir’s concert.

Written for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the work was heard by millions around the world and has since become one of James’s most cherished choral compositions.

Join us for an evening of beautiful and inspiring choral music 🎶

🎟️ Tickets available here: www.thecumnocktryst.com/glasgow-chamber-choir

08/06/2026

🎖️👏 Congratulations to our Artistic Director, Sir James MacMillan, who has been appointed by the King to the Order of the Thistle!

Widely regarded as Scotland's most prestigious award, the Order of the Thistle comprises just 16 knights and ladies, personally appointed by the King entirely through his own accord, without advice from government or any third party.

To have our founder honoured in this way is a source of immense pride — for us, for Ayrshire, and for the wider world of Scottish music. 🎶