Concerto Caledonia - Fiddler Tam - The Independent on Sunday

Thomas Erskine, 6th Earl of Kellie, took an unusual path for an 18th century nobleman; flogging off family property in Fife and travelling to Mannheim to study with Johann Stamitz. A famous bon viveur and committed Freemason, the talented violinist and composer gave many of his scores away. Most of these have been lost, but David McGuinness's charming programme of orchestral and chamber music reveals a composer of distinction. Vivaciously played, with full use of the fashionably extreme dynamics of the Mannheim style, Fiddler Tam is an attractive tribute to an unusual talent.