Alastair Stout - Composer

Alastair’s music is influenced by a variety of interests and experiences. The paintings of Francis Bacon and Mark Rothko inspired the orchestral work Black on White and his string trio Black Summer Heat. The eastern poems of Rabindranath Tagore and Foroogh Farrokhzad are set to music in his Motets and song-cycle City of Passions and Poetry.

Closer to home, the beautifully economic writing of George Mackay Brown is the source material for his chamber pieces Empty Fathoms and The Darkling Heave.

Alastair’s roots in the far north of Scotland have inspired many of his aquatic-themed pieces, Deep In Your Coral Caves, Between Blue Mirrors and all isles excelling to name a few.

His more recent exploration of North America has given rise to more nature-based work such as Pange Lingua for viola and piano which depicts the heat-twisted wood found in the canyons and deserts of Utah and Arizona and Cave Paintings for two pianos which explores the depths of Kentucky and South Dakota.

He is a keen advocate of writing for all ages and is proud of his work for younger audiences. Natalie’s Book for violin and piano was written for a younger member of his church choir and Dragon at a Party, songs for orchestra and high voice, are dramatic musical settings of children’s Halloween poetry.

“...progressing upwards to an almost unbearable intensity before plunging to the depths of bassoon and bass clarinet sound, leaving the difference tones ringing around our heads, ending with a growling crescendo breaking up in a series of menacing snorts.”

The Orkadian, 1996

“...somewhere between heavy metal for organ

and Marcel Dupré in a

mild rage...”

Organists’ Review, 1993

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