HippFest on Tour
HippFest regularly commissions new music to accompany silent films in our festival programme and for touring. If you are interested in arranging a presentation of one of our HippFest commissions please contact us: hippfest@falkirk.gov.uk.
Previous tours of new commissioned work that has premiered at the festival:
Photo credit: Kat Gollock
The Rugged Island: A Shetland Lyric (1933)
A new accompaniment for The Rugged Island: A Shetland Lyric was commissioned with funding from Creative Scotland and premiered at the 14th edition of HippFest (20 March 2024). This undisputed hit of the 2024 programme is now available to book for touring to venues across Scotland. An extraordinary film from the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive directed by Jenny Gilbertson, The Rugged Island is a beautiful ‘story documentary’ made by pioneering Scottish filmmaker Jenny Gilbertson showing life, love and work in Shetland’s rural crofting communities.
Presented with a live performance of newly commissioned music HippFest commissioned one of Scotland’s most in-demand composer producers Inge Thomson to create a new live score for this remarkable film. The premiere met rapturous response and requests for further performances. Thomson, herself from one of Scotland’s most remote crofting communities, brought in multi-award-winning Shetland fiddler Catriona Macdonald, and between them they make a soundtrack both ancient and modern. The perfect foil to Gilbertson’s feminal work. Download the tour package here.
Journey to the Isles: Marjory Kennedy-Fraser
A new Commission for 2022, this special performance travelled to seven venues across Scotland. Joining audiences on this enchanting journey, were acclaimed live performers Marion Kenny, one of Scotland’s leading storytellers, musician and multi-instrumentalist, and award-winning musician, singer and songwriter Mairi Campbell.
Marjory Kennedy-Fraser began collecting Hebridean songs in 1905, fired by a desire to preserve the musical riches of the islands' people. Two disarming films, made by Kennedy-Fraser herself, provide a snapshot of her work and the culture of the people she devoted her life to studying. Weaving together words, music and song alongside Kennedy-Fraser’s enchanting films, Marion and Mairi conjure the sounds and landscapes captured by this key figure of Scotland’s Celtic Revival.
This tour was supported by the BFI Film Audience Network with National Lottery funding as part of CURIOUS.
Image credit: Kat Gollock
See the short trailer below to hear from the performers on the process of working together on Journey to the Isles: Marjory Kennedy-Fraser, including composing and arranging the musical accompaniment, experimenting with elemental sounds and instruments, and delving deeper into this remarkable woman's history.
Video produced by Strange Boat
The Fall of the House of Usher (1928) Barbican London April 2022
Musicians: Stephen Horne and Elizabeth-Jane Baldry Photo credit: La Chute de la Maison Usher de Jean Epstein © Collection de La cinémathèque française.
Rob Roy (1922) - 7 venue tour to Shetland, Dumfries, Stirling Castle, Inverness, Dunoon. Edinburgh and Glasgow, 2019/20.
Musician: David Allison “David Allison’s terrific live score, which combines pipes and drums and flutes and strings to create a contemporary soundtrack which hints at but far from replicates the tartan and twee romanticism of the Highlands.” Reviewsphere
Together (1956) - 4 venue tour to Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff and London’s Barbican, 2017/18.
Musicians: Raymond MacDonald and Christian Ferlaino
By the Law (1926) - 7 venue Scottish tour 2017
«««« “Mesmerising” The Skinny.
Musician: RM Hubbert
Stella Dallas (1925) Official selection Cinema Ritrovato, Bologna 2016.
Musicians: Stephen Horne and Elizabeth-Jane Baldry
Salt for Svanetia (1930) - 6 venue Scottish tour. Official selection Creative Scotland
‘Made in Scotland’ 2015/16 “Impresses with bitingly melodic and richly textured music
matching the film’s mighty scenic grandeur.”«««« The Scotsman.
Musicians: Moishe’s Bagel
Wunder der Schopfung (1925) - 7 venue Scottish tour.
Official selection Cambridge Film Festival 2016. “A bold but beautifully judged reappraisal of a ground-breaking movie from almost a century ago.” ««««« The Scotsman. Musicians: Herschel 36
Annie Laurie (1927), Barbican London 2015.
Musicians: Shona Mooney, Alasdair Paul, Amy Thatcher
The Lost Art of the Film Explainer on Tour - 4 venue community tour, 2015.
Performers: Andy Cannon, Frank McLaughlin and Wendy Wetherby.
Photo credit Tom Duffin
Dragnet Girl (1933) - 7 venue Scottish tour 2014.
“One of Ozu’s most enjoyable
departures now complemented by Jane Gardner's sensual, sumptuous, shape-shifting
score.” Scotland on Sunday.
Musician: Jane Gardner
The Black Pirate (1926) Official selection 2014 Commonwealth Games Cultural Programme.
Musicians: Jane Gardner and Hazel Morrison
