After a successful partnership with Clio Gould on the soundtrack for Peter Mullan’s Orphans, Craig Armstrong teamed up with the violinist again on a new piece for the BT Scottish Ensemble.

If Time Must Pass (1999) evolved from ideas of permanence and change, after a visit to New York left Armstrong reflecting on the way buildings and landscapes remain the same despite life’s many revolutions. It is made up of six contrasting movements, with the solo violin supported by a core theme from cellos and basses. ‘I wanted the piece to focus on the beauty of tone created by Clio with the Ensemble accompanying her,’ says Armstrong. ‘If Time Must Pass developed from this, the title being reflected in its sound.’