Our SV_Diaspora Project is an on-going project to perform and record new works in the many languages, taking advantage of the possibilities afforded by the presence in Scotland — and in Glasgow in particular — of: 

(1) communities of native-speakers from diasporas from many different ethnic, immigrant and faith communities, and of several different generations, and

(2) native-speakers of many languages based in the Language Centres of several different teaching and research institutions in Scotland, and their relationship with similar national and international institutions in the European Union and elsewhere.

These communities include: 

  • Glasgow University staff members from beyond the Anglophone World
  • Diasporas based in the Language Centres of Scottish Universities, especially Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen
  • Diasporas drawn from the communities of St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow
  • Diasporas drawn from various bi-lingual Glasgow familes, including several of Scottish Voices‘ singers
  • Diasporas drawn from the many communities of native-speakers of Eastern European languages in Glasgow: inter alia one of the outcomes from Scottish Voices‘ collaboration with Glasgow’s Russkaya Cappella choir

French Language Projects

Here we list projects conducted with the assistance of French native-speakers from the Arts Faculty language departments (and/or the Language Centres) of Scottish Universities and with native-speakers from the French Diaspora in Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland. We acknowledge especially: the assistance of Professor Emeritus Kenneth Varty and French composer Théo Krosi-Douté (pictured).

Many of these projects have been entrepreneured by Graham Hair, Scottish Voices Musical Director (cf  the “Director & Administrator” and other pages of this website).

Works created, and/or performed, and/or recorded, or in preparation include:

  • Graham Hair: Couleurs (to a text by Arthur Rimbaud)
  • Théo Krosi-Douté: New Work (to a text by Charles Baudelaire)
  • Margaret McAllister: Phantom of the Clouds (to a text by Guillaume Apollinaire)

German Language Projects

Here we list projects conducted with the assistance of German native-speakers from the Arts Faculty language departments (and/or the Language Centres) of Scottish Universities, as well as with native-speakers from the German Diaspora in Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland and abroad. We acknowledge especially: the assistance of Dr Bernd Porr (School of Electrical Engineering, University of Glasgow: pictured); and also valuable assistance from time to time from Dr Jane Mallinson (Honorary Research Fellow, Music Department, University of Glasgow).

Works created, and/or performed, and/or recorded, or in preparation include:

  • Graham Hair: Creation (to a text by Yvan Goll)
  • Margaret McAllister: Wendung (to a text by Rainer Maria Rilke)
  • Hans Gal: Drei Lieder (to texts by Rainer Maria Rilke)
  • Luigi Dallapiccola: Goethelieder (to texts by Goethe!!)

Italian Language Projects

Here we list projects conducted with the assistance of Italian native-speakers from the Arts Faculty language departments (and/or the Language Centres) of Scottish Universities, as well as with native-speakers from the Italian Diaspora in Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland and abroad. We acknowledge especially: the assistance of Dr Emanuela Ponti (Language Centre, University of Glasgow: pictured).

Works created, and/or performed, and/or recorded, or in preparation include:

  • Luigi Rossi: Cantatas (to texts by 17th-century Italian poets)
  • Graham Hair: Mediterranean Songs (to texts by Salvatore Quasimodo)

Spanish Language Projects

Here we list projects conducted with the assistance of Spanish native-speakers from the Arts Faculty language departments (and/or the Language Centres) of Scottish Universities, as well as with native-speakers from the Spanish-speaking Diaspora in Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland and abroad. We acknowledge especially: the assistance of Dr Luz Caceras (Language Centre, University of Glasgow), Glasgow resident Maite Gomez, Spanish translator Juliet Haydock (pictured), and graduate students in the Translation Programme of the Glasgow University Language Centre, including Sophie Ramsdale, Joshua Robey and Robyn Munby.

Works created, and/or performed, and/or recorded, or in preparation include:

  • Graham Hair: Latin American Carols 1 (to anonymous 17th-century Mexican texts)
  • Graham Hair: Latin American Carols 2 (to texts by Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz)

Greek Language Projects

Here we list projects conducted with the assistance of Greek native-speakers from the Arts Faculty language departments (and/or the Language Centres) of Scottish Universities, as well as with native-speakers from the Greek-speaking Diaspora in Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland and abroad. We acknowledge especially: the assistance of Professor Costas Panyotakis (Classics Department, University of Glasgow: pictured) and multi-lingual translator Kim Bastin (Melbourne, Australia).

Many of these projects have been entrepreneured by Graham Hair, Scottish Voices Musical Director (cf the “Director & Administrator” and other pages of this website).

Works created, and/or performed, and/or recorded, or in preparation include:

  • Graham Hair: Lament for Hagia Sophia (to an anonymous 16th-century Greek text)

Russian Language Projects

Here we list projects conducted with the assistance of Russian native-speakers from the Arts Faculty language departments (and/or the Language Centres) of Scottish Universities, as well as with native-speakers from the Russian-speaking Diaspora in Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland and abroad. We acknowledge especially: the assistance of Frances Banciewicz and Robin Munby (from the Translation Programme, Glasgow University Language Centre), and Dr Svetlana Zvereva (Institute of Musicology, Moscow, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Director of the Glasgow Russian Choir Russkaya Cappella: pictured).

Works created, and/or performed, and/or recorded, or in preparation include:

  • Graham Hair: Zvezdolikiy (to a text by Konstantin Balmont)
  • Alexander Kastalsky: Requiem for Fallen Brothers (to traditional texts in Latin and Church Slavonic)
  • Igor Stravinsky: Cat’s Cradle Songs (to traditional Russian folk texts)

 

Hebrew Language Projects

Here we list projects conducted with the assistance of Hebrew native-speakers from the Arts Faculty language departments (and/or the Language Centres) of Scottish Universities, as well as with native-speakers from the Hebrew-speaking Diaspora in Glasgow and Hebrew in Scotland and abroad. We acknowledge especially the assistance of American composer Judith Shatin (pictured) and Michael Kubovy, Professor Emeritus, University of Virginia.

Works created, and/or performed, and/or recorded, or in preparation include:

  • Judith Shatin: Selah (to texts from the Hebrew Book of Psalms)
  • Graham Hair: Yigdal (to the text of the Thirteen Articles of the Jewish Faith by Maimododes (1138-1204)).

Arabic Language Projects

Here we list projects conducted with the assistance of Arabic native-speakers from the Arts Faculty language departments (and/or the Language Centres) of Scottish Universities, as well as with native-speakers from the Arabic-speaking Diaspora in Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland and abroad. We acknowledge especially: the assistance of Ms Noorah al Gailani, Curator of Islamic Culture at the Burrell Museum in Glasgow: pictured).

Works created, and/or performed, and/or recorded, or in preparation include:

  • Graham Hair: Asma al Husna (to a traditional Arabic text)

Sanskrit Language Projects

Here we list projects conducted with the assistance of scholars from the Sanskrit Society of America, as well as with individuals with a knowledge of Sanskrit in Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland and abroad. We acknowledge especially the assistance of Australian composer Prof Greg Schiemer (pictured).

Works created, and/or performed, and/or recorded, or in preparation include:

  • Graham Hair: Sanskrit Fragments (to traditional Sanskrit texts)
  • Greg Schiemer: Vedic Mass (texts from the Shantivaanam Liturgy)

Persian Language Projects

Here we list projects conducted with the assistance of Persian native-speakers from the Arts Faculty language departments (and/or the Language Centres) of Scottish Universities, as well as with native-speakers from the Persian-speaking Diaspora in Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland and abroad. We acknowledge especially: the assistance of Mr Hossein Masty, of the Iranian Christian Community).

Works created, and/or performed, and/or recorded, or in preparation include:

  • Graham Hair: Quatrains from the Persian (to texts by Jallaludin Rumi)

Scots Gaelic Language Projects

Here we list projects conducted with the assistance of the folks at Global Language Services in Glasgow (Fraser Brown, translation manager), including Gillebride (Gilbert) Macmillan (Gaelic native-speaker, featured Gaelic singer in the TV series Outlander and Lecturer, Department of Celtic and Gaelic, University of Glasgow).

Works created, and/or performed, and/or recorded, or in preparation include:

  • Graham Hair: Hebridean Verses (12 songs for voices and vibraphone to texts from Alexander Carmichael’s celebrated early 20th-century collection, the Carmina Gadelica); a second version of this work in the English version by Kathleen Jones (2004) is in preparation.