The innovative combination of the Bardic Trio consists of Scottish Tenor, Jamie MacDougall, Guitarist Matthew McAllister and Welsh Harpist Sharron Griffiths. The genesis of the trio was inspired when Jamie met with the renowned Mexican Harpist, Angel Padilla Crespo for a concert tour of Mexico. In 2013, the line-up changed to include Sharron and the new trio were very positively received by audiences and critics alike during their inaugural concert tour of Scotland. With effortless, informative presentation coupled with passionate, soulful performances this new chamber ensemble is fast growing in popularity.
The trio commissioned eminent Scottish composers, Eddie McGuire and Alasdair Nicolson to arrange new settings of Welsh, Scots and Orcadian traditional songs including Burns and the Balfour Song Book. Recent performances include the St Magnus Festival in Orkney, Passauer Saiten Festival in Germany, Three Choirs Festival in Worcester, broadcast live on BBC Radio Scotland during Celtic Connections in Glasgow and the Classical Guitar Retreat on the Isle of Cumbrae.
Born in Glasgow, Jamie MacDougall, since 2001, has been the ‘nation's voice’ for classical music on BBC Radio Scotland presenting Grace Notes and Classics Unwrapped. His voice can be heard regularly presenting for BBC Radio 3 and for 15 years he’s anchored the BBC Proms in the Park as part of the Last Night of the Proms Festivities. Away from broadcasting Jamie continues to enjoy a busy singing career that takes him around the world from Australia to Mexico. On the concert platform he has worked with some of the world's top baroque, chamber and symphony orchestras, including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the St Louis and Houston Symphony Orchestras and most recently the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in Australia. As a recitalist, Jamie has performed with pianists Malcolm Martineau, Graham Johnson, Roger Vignoles and Julius Drake, appearing at the Edinburgh International Festival, the Perth Festival, Australia, the Salzburg and Aldeburgh Festivals. He has also appeared in the Wigmore Hall. In 2014 he took his one man show ‘Inspirations’ to the Wintergarten in Berlin and subsequently to Mexico and America. Jamie's extensive discography of over 45 titles, covers baroque and classical, German, Scottish and English song as well as 20th century music. With the Haydn Trio Eisenstadt he released the 20 cd collection of Haydn Folksong arrangements.. This 5 year project to record all 429 songs was completed to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Haydn. It culminated with concerts in Milan, New York, Washington DC, Vienna, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow as well as at numerous European festivals.
Welsh born harpist Sharron Griffiths is in great demand as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician in recitals both on the concert platform, recording and TV & radio broadcasts, playing at many prestigious concert halls all over the World. Along with being a member of several successful chamber ensembles, Sharron works regularly with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Opera, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. She is a lecturer in pedal harp at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, St Andrews University and a regular harp tutor for the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland.
Matthew McAllister is widely regarded as one of the most exciting and talented Classical Guitarists in Europe. Matthew has been delighting audiences worldwide with his insightful performances and effortless presentation in a concert career spanning well over a decade. Matthew has performed at major venues across the world such as The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, The Purcell Room, London, Teatro Britanico, Lima, The Sage, Gateshead, Cenart, Mexico City, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Eugene O’Neil Theater, San Jose and Dom Armije, Sarajevo to name a few.
The trio commissioned eminent Scottish composers, Eddie McGuire and Alasdair Nicolson to arrange new settings of Welsh, Scots and Orcadian traditional songs including Burns and the Balfour Song Book. Recent performances include the St Magnus Festival in Orkney, Passauer Saiten Festival in Germany, Three Choirs Festival in Worcester, broadcast live on BBC Radio Scotland during Celtic Connections in Glasgow and the Classical Guitar Retreat on the Isle of Cumbrae.
Born in Glasgow, Jamie MacDougall, since 2001, has been the ‘nation's voice’ for classical music on BBC Radio Scotland presenting Grace Notes and Classics Unwrapped. His voice can be heard regularly presenting for BBC Radio 3 and for 15 years he’s anchored the BBC Proms in the Park as part of the Last Night of the Proms Festivities. Away from broadcasting Jamie continues to enjoy a busy singing career that takes him around the world from Australia to Mexico. On the concert platform he has worked with some of the world's top baroque, chamber and symphony orchestras, including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the St Louis and Houston Symphony Orchestras and most recently the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in Australia. As a recitalist, Jamie has performed with pianists Malcolm Martineau, Graham Johnson, Roger Vignoles and Julius Drake, appearing at the Edinburgh International Festival, the Perth Festival, Australia, the Salzburg and Aldeburgh Festivals. He has also appeared in the Wigmore Hall. In 2014 he took his one man show ‘Inspirations’ to the Wintergarten in Berlin and subsequently to Mexico and America. Jamie's extensive discography of over 45 titles, covers baroque and classical, German, Scottish and English song as well as 20th century music. With the Haydn Trio Eisenstadt he released the 20 cd collection of Haydn Folksong arrangements.. This 5 year project to record all 429 songs was completed to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Haydn. It culminated with concerts in Milan, New York, Washington DC, Vienna, London, Edinburgh and Glasgow as well as at numerous European festivals.
Welsh born harpist Sharron Griffiths is in great demand as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician in recitals both on the concert platform, recording and TV & radio broadcasts, playing at many prestigious concert halls all over the World. Along with being a member of several successful chamber ensembles, Sharron works regularly with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Opera, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. She is a lecturer in pedal harp at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, St Andrews University and a regular harp tutor for the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland.
Matthew McAllister is widely regarded as one of the most exciting and talented Classical Guitarists in Europe. Matthew has been delighting audiences worldwide with his insightful performances and effortless presentation in a concert career spanning well over a decade. Matthew has performed at major venues across the world such as The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, The Purcell Room, London, Teatro Britanico, Lima, The Sage, Gateshead, Cenart, Mexico City, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Eugene O’Neil Theater, San Jose and Dom Armije, Sarajevo to name a few.
Our repertoire:
Mexican set:
Songs of Francisco Pichardo
- Flores Del Alma
- Al Triste Arullo
- Mis Lagrimas
Por ti mi Corazón by Manuel Maria Ponce [voice & guitar]
Milonga para amar by Rolando Ortiz [harp solo]
Julia Florida by Agustin Barrios [guitar solo]
Sobre de las Puerto by Marquez [voice & harp]
Selection of popular folk songs by De Falla [voice & guitar]
Scottish set:
Songs of Robert Burns - arranged by Eddie McGuire
- Winter it is Past
- Ae Fond Kiss
- The De’il’s Awa
- Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie
- Slave's lament
- A Man’s a Man
Balfour song book arranged by Alasdair Nicolson
- In his skiff bounding lightly
- The early cock
- High in his glory
A Birthday Hansel by Benjamin Britten [tenor & harp]
Farewell to Stromness - Peter Maxwell Davies [guitar solo]
Bucks of Oranmore - Traditional Scots [guitar & harp]
Welsh set:
Welsh folk songs - arranged by Eddie McGuire
- Suo gan
- Ar hyd y nos
- linked by a reading from Dylan Thomas 'Under Milk Wood'
Clychau Aberdyfi - arranged by McAllister & Griffiths [guitar & harp]
Bugeilio'r gwenith gwyn by John Thomas [harp solo]
Welsh Folksongs by Benjamin Britten [tenor & harp]
- Bugeilo’r Gwenith Gwyn
- Dafydd y Garreg Wen
Irish set:
Thomas Moore songs [voice & harp]
- Minstrel boy
- The meeting of the waters
- Belive me for all those endearing young charms
Thomas Moore: My gentle harp [guitar solo]
English set:
English Folksongs by Benjamin Britten [tenor & guitar]
- Soldier and Sailor
- I Will Give My Love an Apple
Interlude for harp from a Ceremony of Carols - Britten [solo harp]
