Burns Night 2023
‘The Wren’s Nest’
Scottish composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Erland Cooper has composed a new score inspired by the national bard of Scotland's work for this year's Begg x Co Burns Night commission.
Watch the accompanying film and stills by Alex Kozobolis shot on location at the Begg x Co mill and Ayr seafront on the West Coast of Scotland.
The Wren's Nest Erland Cooper
Referencing Robert Burns’ poem of the same name, ‘The Wren’s Nest’ by Erland Cooper was produced and recorded between Ayrshire and London whilst the accompanying film was shot in and around the Begg x Co mill by filmmaker Alex Kozobolis. The moving images capture glimpses of the Ayrshire coastline as well as the rhythmical activity of our craftspeople. The score echos the repetitive sounds of the mill’s looms and finishing machinery, as if choreographed by momentum into a dance - a syncopated tempo and pace between craftwork, people and place, embracing the rhythm of the everyday, like the busying bird of the titles’ namesake.
Erland Cooper About
Erland Cooper is a Scottish composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist originally from Stromness, Orkney. As a solo artist, he has released eight acclaimed albums, including a trilogy of work inspired by his childhood home, as well as themes of nature, people, place and time. His work combines field recordings with traditional orchestration and contemporary electronic elements. Cooper also works across mixed media projects including installation art, theatre and film. Most recently he’s widely known for burying the only existing copy of the master tape of his first classical album in Scotland, deleting all digital files and leaving only a treasure hunt of clues for fans and his record label alike to search for it.
Erland wears the Wispy Hanover Square in Navy White. Discover last year's Burns Night Film by Ayrshire-based poet Leyla Josephine.