Stuart MacRae

In the artist’s words: Describe one of your earliest musical memories in detail. When I was about 6, I donned some headphones and listened to one of Dad's cassettes. Immediately I was immersed in the haunting, sustained, giant minor chords of Pink Floyd's 'Shine on you Crazy Diamond'. It seemed eternal somehow: music got me then. What are your top 3 all-time favorite albums on Apple Music, and why? Why did you choose these three albums in particular? Miles Davis, On the Corner Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here Sir Andrew Davis, Birtwistle: The Mask of Orpheus Those minor chords in Shine on You Crazy Diamond, analogue synth melodies - spellbinding, and I never get tired of it. Maybe Birtwistle's greatest work, complex, strange and arresting; Miles Davis at his dark-funkiest - edgily controlled chaos. Find a song of yours on Apple Music that you love and tell us what makes it special. Tell us why you chose this song. “Ursa Minor” This piece came about during Winter 2020. I would go for long night-time walks during lockdown and saw the tiny constellation of Ursa Minor, reassuringly circling around the Pole Star. Hebrides Ensemble perform it here with such beautiful care.