Delphian Records is to be congratulated for producing this powerful recording of contrasting quartets by Scottish composers – such a disc is long overdue. All the works except for the Judith Weir piece are première recordings. The most recent quartet is Kenneth Dempster’s The Cold Dancer (2005), inspired by a George Mackay Brown poem. It’s a more substantial piece than its 12 minute length would imply, with forceful, weighty episodes interwoven with lyrical melodies and echoes of psalm tunes and dances – a collage of atmospheres and memories associated with the drowned fisherman. The Clapperton piece is entirely different, a landscape of muted greys imbued with delicate Scottish-inspired rhythmic motifs, its single movement never rising above mezzo-piano, reminiscent perhaps of Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus. The Weir, like the Clapperton, dates from 1990, and is in three movements, the first gutsy and tension-filled, its harmonic core in the higher registers of the instruments, quite different from the second movement, which swaggers along in a slightly tipsy, out-of-kilter fashion. The Sweeney (written in 2004) is the longest work, boasting substantial solos for viola and cello and a violin duet in the course of its three movements. The Edinburgh Quartet gives committed, even bold performances, but never at the expense of lyricism. This disc has made a profound impression on me. Take a risk: try it!

Reviewed by Anne McAlister