Breather

Breather is inspired by the Companion Stones along the West Highland Way — carved waymarkers that invite travellers to pause and reflect on their journey. The piece imagines two friends meeting at one of these stones and spontaneously sharing a ceilidh, echoing a story of two musician friends who encountered each other while walking through the Himalayas and stopped to play together.

Through the conversation between two fiddles, the work celebrates those unexpected moments of connection and joy that arise when travellers catch their breath and discover music as their shared language.

Here, that conversation is brought to life by two of Scotland’s finest fiddlers, Patsy Reid and Kristan Harvey, in a recording that captures all the warmth and spontaneity the music calls for.

Composed by Simon Thoumire
Performed by Patsy Reid & Kristan Harvey
Recorded at Berkley 2 Rehearsal Studios, Glasgow, May 2026