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mother tongues
mother tongues is a 6-piece string ensemble that plays folk and roots music from around the world. We hail from all over the globe: Finland, Argentina, the USA, Scotland, and England, and each of us brings a unique musical background to the band. United by a deep respect for our roots, a love of a good tune, and classical training, mother tongues creates a unique and dazzling landscape of harmony, texture, and rhythm that is both intricately constructed and passionately intuitive.
COMING FROM
Scotland,
Argentina,
Finland,
Luxembourg,
England
& the USA
based in GLASGOW
where it all started...
mother tongues is made up of recent graduates of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and was established in the spring of 2024, whilst we were students. Our Classical training is something we all have in common and has a big influence on our style of arranging and rehearsing, giving us a unique approach to folk music. Why not take a listen?
our philosophy...
Our name comes from Béla Bartók's principal of using folk music as a 'mother tongue' with which to create a new compositional palette. Each of us have our own relationship with folk music from different parts of the world and it's through reconstructing and merging these traditions that we create our unique sound. It’s our goal to let our audience into the little world each tune inhabits and keep the pieces we play alive and changeable and free.
who are mother tongues?
Lee Young
Rhona MacDonald
Double Bass
Scotland |
Thea Wilson
Violin / Mandolin / Piano
| England / Scotland
Santiago Gil Duarte
Cello / Piano
| Argentina
Lee Young
Violin
| Finland / Luxembourg / UK
Isla Hallewell
Harp / Voice
| England
Eldon Bradfield
Violin / Viola
| Chicago, USA
get in touch
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