365: Stories and Music

365: Stories and Music is major new collection of modern Scottish short stories by James Robertson, and music from Aidan O’Rourke.

In 2013, one of Scotland’s leading authors, James Robertson, decided to write a short story every day of the year – each story was 365 words. Scottish fiddler and composer Aidan O’Rourke (of Lau) then wrote a tune every day in response.

All 365 stories and tunes have been recorded, and the interactive collection is touring Scotland in a beautifully designed sound installation. The diverse stories encompass fairy tales, politics and crime; the music is sparse and emotive fiddle accompanied by harmonium, piano, guitar and harp.

Spoken word versions of the stories can be heard, with James reading many himself, and other surprise storytellers adding a range of accents from Scotland today. Sitting at a specially built table, the user scrolls through the calendar, maybe stopping at their birthday or a day with special meaning. Wearing headphones, users can listen to the story and tune together, or enjoy them separately.

What has emerged from James Robertson’s original New Year’s resolution is a rich patchwork of fiction, woven-in with stunning melody, now evolving into a multimedia piece of free public art. Bold, tender, full of old truths and distilled modern wit, 365: Stories and Music is an epic built on the beauty of the miniature.