Dà Chòmhlan Ciùil De Cheathrar – Watch the performance!
The world premiere of Dà Chòmhlan-Ciùil De Cheathrar — “Twa Quartets” — composed by Simon Thoumire, performed live at the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention (NAFCo) in the Cowdray Hall, Aberdeen.
The piece brings together eight musicians — the Thistle String Quartet and the Cuan Quartet (a folk quartet of piano and three fiddles) — in four connected sections: all eight together, then the string quartet alone, then the folk quartet alone, before everyone reunites for the finale.
At its heart is a Highland lament, ‘S trom leam an àirigh (“I find the shieling a difficult place”), collected by Elizabeth Jane Ross at Raasay in 1812. The melody becomes common ground between the two quartets, passed between classical and folk voices, transformed as it travels.
Written from a belief that we share far more as human beings than divides us — and that music shows what’s possible when we choose to listen, share, and learn from one another.
🎻 Thistle Quartet: Coralie Usmani & Megan Cormack (violin), Laurie Rominger (viola), Emily De Simone (cello)
🎻 Cuan Quartet: Rachel Henderson, Kathleen MacDonald & Ruby Whitaker (fiddles), Ally Forsyth (piano)
🎼 Composed by Simon Thoumire
📍 Cowdray Hall, Aberdeen
🎪 North Atlantic Fiddle Convention (NAFCo) 2026
With thanks to Laura and Kirsty at NAFCo for believing in this piece.