From the Soundcheck Podcast series, Scottish composer Erland Cooper brings an ensemble to play ambient classical works that celebrate nature. Plus, early music band, Ruckus. Both ensembles perform in-studio. Scottish composer Erland Cooper writes ambient classical works that celebrate nature and create a strong sense of place. These days there are lots of musicians doing that sort of thing, but Cooper has gone all-in. His piece Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence was composed and recorded in 2021, and then the only copy of the master tape was buried in the Scottish soil, to be recomposed, Cooper says, by the earth itself. There followed a kind of treasure hunt with Cooper leaving clues every solstice or equinox until a year and a half later the tape was discovered - and there’s a lot more to the story. Erland Cooper and his ensemble play excerpts from Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence, in-studio. Then, there’s music also rooted in Scotland from New York-based Ruckus, an early music ensemble that plays with the energy of a rock band. Most early music groups feature instruments like the harpsichord and the viola da gamba, and Ruckus does too, but you’ll also hear synthesizer, guitar, bassoon, bass, and near Eastern frame drums. And on their new album, The Edinburgh Rollick, they focus on traditional Scottish folk songs and dances. Ruckus featuring Keir GoGwilt plays in-studio. - Caryn Havlik Program #4996, From Soundcheck, Erland Cooper and Ruckus (First aired 4/15/2025) ARTIST: Erland CooperWORK: Carve the Runes (Mvt 1): Pt 2 “through that yellow spindrift” [1:41]RECORDING: Carve The Runes Then Be Content With SilenceSOURCE: Mercury ClassicsINFO: www.mercurykx.com ARTIST: Erland Cooper, Freya Goldmark, Adele SteinWORK: With Silence Mvt 3, part 2 [2:54]RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, Oct. 2024SOURCE: This performance not commercially availableINFO: The work is part of Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence, available at www.mercurykx.com ARTIST: Erland Cooper, Freya Goldmark, Adele SteinWORK: Music For Growing Flowers (radio edit) [5:22]RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, Oct. 2024SOURCE: This performance not commercially availableINFO: The work is part of Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence, available at www.mercurykx.com ARTIST: Erland Cooper, Freya Goldmark, Adele SteinWORK: Shalder [3:41]RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, Oct. 2024SOURCE: This performance not commercially availableINFO: Is part of the the album, Solan Goose, available at Bandcamp ARTIST: Ruckus featuring Keir GoGwiltWORK: The Gigg Set (Cairngoram Mountain, The Gigg, Lady Charlotte) [4:37]RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, March 2025SOURCE: This performance not commercially availableINFO: The work appears on The Edinburgh Rollick ARTIST: Ruckus featuring Keir GoGwiltWORK: The Forrests Set (Lord Elcho, Dunkeld House, Forrest’s) [5:01]RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, March 2025SOURCE: This performance not commercially availableINFO: The work appears on The Edinburgh Rollick
From the Soundcheck Podcast series, Scottish composer Erland Cooper brings an ensemble to play ambient classical works that celebrate nature. Plus, early music band, Ruckus. Both ensembles perform in-studio.
Scottish composer Erland Cooper writes ambient classical works that celebrate nature and create a strong sense of place. These days there are lots of musicians doing that sort of thing, but Cooper has gone all-in. His piece Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence was composed and recorded in 2021, and then the only copy of the master tape was buried in the Scottish soil, to be recomposed, Cooper says, by the earth itself. There followed a kind of treasure hunt with Cooper leaving clues every solstice or equinox until a year and a half later the tape was discovered - and there’s a lot more to the story. Erland Cooper and his ensemble play excerpts from Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence, in-studio.
Then, there’s music also rooted in Scotland from New York-based Ruckus, an early music ensemble that plays with the energy of a rock band. Most early music groups feature instruments like the harpsichord and the viola da gamba, and Ruckus does too, but you’ll also hear synthesizer, guitar, bassoon, bass, and near Eastern frame drums. And on their new album, The Edinburgh Rollick, they focus on traditional Scottish folk songs and dances. Ruckus featuring Keir GoGwilt plays in-studio. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4996, From Soundcheck, Erland Cooper and Ruckus (First aired 4/15/2025)
ARTIST: Erland CooperWORK: Carve the Runes (Mvt 1): Pt 2 “through that yellow spindrift” [1:41]RECORDING: Carve The Runes Then Be Content With SilenceSOURCE: Mercury ClassicsINFO: www.mercurykx.com
ARTIST: Erland Cooper, Freya Goldmark, Adele SteinWORK: With Silence Mvt 3, part 2 [2:54]RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, Oct. 2024SOURCE: This performance not commercially availableINFO: The work is part of Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence, available at www.mercurykx.com
ARTIST: Erland Cooper, Freya Goldmark, Adele SteinWORK: Music For Growing Flowers (radio edit) [5:22]RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, Oct. 2024SOURCE: This performance not commercially availableINFO: The work is part of Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence, available at www.mercurykx.com
ARTIST: Erland Cooper, Freya Goldmark, Adele SteinWORK: Shalder [3:41]RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, Oct. 2024SOURCE: This performance not commercially availableINFO: Is part of the the album, Solan Goose, available at Bandcamp
ARTIST: Ruckus featuring Keir GoGwiltWORK: The Gigg Set (Cairngoram Mountain, The Gigg, Lady Charlotte) [4:37]RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, March 2025SOURCE: This performance not commercially availableINFO: The work appears on The Edinburgh Rollick
ARTIST: Ruckus featuring Keir GoGwiltWORK: The Forrests Set (Lord Elcho, Dunkeld House, Forrest’s) [5:01]RECORDING: Live for the Soundcheck Podcast, March 2025SOURCE: This performance not commercially availableINFO: The work appears on The Edinburgh Rollick