Innotet Featuring Harriet Davidson, Innes Watson, Seonaid Aitken and Feargus Hetherington
Harriet Davidson studied Modern History at Oxford University before postgraduate studies on the cello at the Guildhall School of Music. She returned to Scotland in 2005 after 8 years freelancing in London. Harriet has toured with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and works regularly with their education department delivering outreach programmes in schools, hospitals and community settings. Harriet also tours with her chamber group, ‘Trio Ecossaise’ and has performed on stage for cabaret and theatre projects including Fringe shows with ‘Meow Meow’ and ‘Le Gateau Chocolat’. Harriet does regular session work and has played at the Glastonbury Festival and the Mercury Music Awards.
Innes Watson
Innes Watson, from Glasgow, is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist with over 21 years of contemporary and traditional Scottish music performance, recording, teaching and producing experience cumulatively. He grew up in the Scottish Borders in very supportive musical surroundings encouraging an extremely eclectic mix of skills, abilities, interests and accolades that combine to make Innes one of the most highly-regarded and sought-after musicians on the folk scene today.
He has taught at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (having graduated from there with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Scottish Music in 2006) and is a firm favourite for adult and youth learning organisations up and down the country. He has appeared on at least 42 albums released in Scotland in the last 16 years and has worked with some of the most notable performers in the country. In 2011 he won the title of “Instrumentalist of the Year” at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards and has featured heavily therein with bands and as accompanist to dozens of performers.
A composer of fiddle tunes, string arrangements, guitar music, songs and much more Innes now has a lockdown inspired passion for solo performing, live streaming and home recording including use of electronic music and sampling. Always keen to explore new avenues and put his professionalism to work in more new and interesting projects.
Seonaid Aitken
Seonaid Aitken is a versatile, award-winning violinist and vocalist, pianist and composer/orchestrator from Fife, Scotland. Classically trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London), Seonaid has played regularly for 19 years with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera. She was awarded ‘Best Vocalist’ at the 2017 & 2018 Scottish Jazz Awards and, specialising in Gypsy Jazz, she performs extensively with her Scottish Jazz Award-winning ‘Best Band’ (2018) Rose Room, and as a guest with the Tim Kliphuis Sextet, Tokyo Django Collective, Swing 2020 and top jazz fingerstyle virtuoso, and former guitarist of Stephane Grappelli, Martin Taylor MBE. As a busy session musician, playing in classical/folk/country/jazz styles, Seonaid has recently appeared with Scottish artists Deacon Blue, Carol Kidd MBE, Hamish Stuart (Average White Band), Blue Rose Code, The GRIT Orchestra, James Grant and Eddi Reader and played violin/viola in the 2019-2020 touring production of Disney’s ‘The Lion King’.
As an accomplished arranger and orchestrator, Seonaid’s work is featured in the BBC/Richard Curtis film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s ‘Esio Trot’ (starring Dame Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman), the National Theatre of Scotland’s production ‘Dragon’, and has been commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, English Rock and Roll Orchestra, Capella String Quartet, Clockwork Sessions, Blue Rose Code, Roddy Woomble, John Goldie and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers.
Violinist/violist and composer Feargus Hetherington has developed a wide-ranging career as an orchestral and chamber musician, concert artist and teacher. He studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Cleveland Institute of Music USA and continued his studies under conductor/composer and violinist, Joseph Swensen.
Feargus works regularly with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in a diverse repertoire, including much contemporary music. He performs with the Kentigern Quartet and is a former member of the Live Music Now scheme. From 2010 – 2022 Feargus taught violin and chamber music at the University of St Andrews’ Laidlaw Music Centre, Scotland. He has also worked with leading chamber ensembles and orchestras including the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (under Mackerras, Zacharias, Anderszewski etc.) and with Scotland’s flagship new music ensemble, Red Note.
He has developed international collaborations with pianists including Olga Gorelik and Adam Golka and in Scotland with Geoffrey Tanti, giving recitals in Germany, Poland and New York City. With composer/pianist Lliam Paterson, he has performed music by Scotland’s foremost composers. He is the dedicatee of works by Paterson, Robert Ghillies and Iain Matheson.
As a soloist, Feargus has performed concertos by Beethoven, Bruch, Brahms, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and Elgar (Glasgow Chamber Orchestra/Glasgow Sinfonia etc.) In 2017 he premièred the Violin Concerto by Tom David Wilson (St Andrews Chamber Orchestra). He has play-directed from the violin in the Vivaldi Four Seasons concerti.
Feargus gives recitals featuring works by Eddie McGuire, Stuart MacRae, Iain Matheson, Rory Boyle, Oliver Searle etc. He recorded ‘Ness by Gareth Williams for the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland, and has recorded and performed for BBC Radio 3, BBC Scotland and BBC Ulster. He can be heard with classical accordionist Paul Chamberlain, on the artist’s CD release Accordion Sensations in the Piazzolla/Gubaidulina Le Grande Tango. His CD recording A Highland Ballad was released in 2012 to critical acclaim. As a guest of American pianist and J.S Bach maestro Evan Shinners, Feargus appeared at The Bach Store, New York City.