CUMNOCK is at the heart of a brand new classical music festival this week.

The Cumnock Tryst, from Thursday October 2 to Sunday October 5, marks the fruition of years of planning by local composer, the world famous James MacMillan. The exciting festival has community at the heart of all its activities and features some of the finest international classical artists including festival Patron, violinist Nicola Benedetti, who is also from Ayrshire.

James MacMillan grew up in Cumnock and it is thanks to his early musical experiences here that led him in the direction of becoming one of the most successful composers of our time. Over the course of his career, James MacMillan has worked with some of the most wonderful musicians in the world, and experienced many great music festivals. Through The Cumnock Tryst, James MacMillan would like to bring something of his own experiences back home to Cumnock.

The Cumnock Tryst (pronounced like 'priced’) features six local venues: the church of St John the Evangelist, where James MacMillan played the organ as a young man; Cumnock Old Church; The Assembly Hall of Cumnock Academy; the Dumfries Arms Hotel, which as well as being a concert venue will serve as the late night Festival Club; the Boswell Centre in Auchinleck and Dumfries House.

The festival opens this Thursday at 7.30pm in St John’s Church, recognising one of the strong musical traditions of the area, choral singing. It is given by one of the finest choirs in the world, The Sixteen, under their director, Harry Christophers. This concert is generously supported by The Genesis Foundation and although it is sold out, there is a waiting list.

On Friday, the Festival takes to the streets of Cumnock from 2.45 - 4.30pm with performances from Barshare and Netherthird Primary Schools and Auchinleck Academy in Cumnock’s Town Square. (There will be a wet weather alternative) The Scottish Chamber Orchestra comes to Cumnock Academy on Friday October 3 with one of their Masterworks concerts, which they perform all over the country. The performance is at 12.30pm for school children across East Ayrshire; unique to The Cumnock Tryst, the concert will be open to the public, with a number of free tickets available. Friday evening at the Festival opens with The Cumnock Hour at 5pm in The Dumfries Arms hosted by special guest, BBC presenter, author and journalist, James Naughtie, who will be joined for a lively chat by three prominent locals: composer and our Artistic Director, James MacMillan; Scots poet Rab Wilson, from New Cumnock; and Cumnock Tryst board member, former professional footballer-turned-lawyer, Derek Stillie. More Cumnock musical talent is on the programme with the extraordinary musicianship of violinist Ian Peaston, who grew up in the town.

Ian has an international career and returns home to The Cumnock Tryst with his unique solo show, Violin Variations, playing music from Bach to Massive Attack, and film music by Hans Zimmer to Brazilian electro-samba. From a solo violin, he produces the sounds of a string trio to twenty-piece band with string, guitars, drums and bass or a string ensemble, with live looping and sampling of sounds. Violin Variations is in The Dumfries Arms Hotel at 8pm on Friday, and will be in an informal concert-setting. In the run-up to the performance, Ian led a series of his popular and successful workshops in Cumnock schools earlier in the week.

Saturday brings singers from all over to take part in a Come and Sing Day in the Boswell Centre, Auchinleck from 10am. A day’s rehearsal with Eamonn Dougan and other members of The Sixteen, will culminate in a short public performance at 5.00pm including James MacMillan’s own O Radiant Dawn, Purcell’s Miserere and Boyce’s Alleluia. Anyone who enjoys singing and has some experience of reading music and singing in parts can apply for a place.

Scotland boasts a great wealth of talented young musicians, and among these are the members of the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland. Brass music is another great, musical tradition in Ayrshire, which is still thriving. Under conductor Russell Gray, the NYBBS perform music including works by Elgar, MacMillan, Howells and Wagner at 7.30pm on Saturday 4 October in Cumnock Old Church. The concert features more young talent involving Cumnock Academy’s own Brass players, and a short spot with the Primary 7 string orchestra of Greenmill Primary School, Cumnock, who will give the premiere of a new work specially written for them by James MacMillan. Greenmill Primary School has been running a music education programme since 2011 where every single pupil and classroom teacher from P4 - P7 has been learning a stringed instrument. This concert is taking place thanks to funding from The Cumnock and Doon Valley Minerals Trust.

On the final day of the festival, Sunday, a quartet of singers from The Sixteen will sing in a Festival Mass at St John’s Church, Cumnock at 11am. All will be made welcome.

The final performances will be in the exquisite setting of Dumfries House, set in beautiful grounds just outside the town. These will be three short Promenade Concerts with the audience moving between three rooms, but these performances have long been sold out.

Each evening after performances, there will be more informal music-making at The Festival Club, in the relaxed setting of The Dumfries Arms Hotel. There will be a special menu at The Dumfries Arms throughout the festival, including late-evening meals served after concerts.

See www.thecumnocktryst.com for more details