James MacMillan on The Cumnock Tryst Music Club

“The original Cumnock Music Club saw its heyday in the sixties and seventies, where under the helm of the now legendary local music-lover R.D. Hunter it became known as one of the most active and exciting clubs of its kind in the country. He worked hard to get some brilliant musicians to perform in Cumnock, performances that had a profound effect on me as a young musician in my teens.

I have very fond memories of going to see the Berlin Octet, and even the first concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, Leon Spierer, perform a solo violin recital in the town. The famous Irish flautist James Galway was also one of the artists invited to the club. They performed in venues which the Cumnock Tryst still uses to this day, including the assembly hall at Cumnock Academy, the Dumfries Arms and the magnificent Dumfries House.  Having such high-calibre musical talent visit my home town was tremendously exciting and I got as involved as I could by volunteering to be a page turner for visiting pianists!

 It has always been a goal of the Cumnock Tryst to have a year-round presence in the local area and it has been clear from the fantastic support from the local community and from further afield that the appetite is there for music-making throughout the year. The new Cumnock Tryst Music Club will provide the same welcoming and fun atmosphere and innovative programming that audiences know and love from our annual festival. 

On the 1 December we’re tremendously excited to welcome the Piano Quartet from the RSNO to the beautiful tapestry room of Dumfries House for an afternoon of Mahler, Schumann and Brahms. On 18 January the dynamic Knox and Ion duo will bring a mix of Latin, world and jazz music to the Dumfries Arms Hotel. We’ll also be at the Dumfries Arms on 21 February for the return of Scottish folk duo Hannah Rarity and Luc McNally – Tryst-goers might remember their spellbinding performance at the Festival Club in 2018. Our friends at the Hebrides Ensemble join forces with the RCS Voices for what is set to be a very special evening in St John’s Church on the 28 March, while the season will close with a thrilling afternoon of clarinet duos (TRIOS) from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra on 3 May. They’ll be joined at Dumfries House by the SCO’s newly instated Principal Conductor Maxim Emelyanychev on piano.

We do hope to see you at the concerts and share in the joy of music making in our home town.”