Cauld Blast Orchestra

The Cauld Blast Orchestra’s reunion concerts at the Traverse in September 2025 and Celtic Connections in Glasgow in January 2026 were both sell-out successes.

The current line-up includes Anne Wood, Karen Wimhurst, Iain Johnstone and Steve Kettley from the original band; Rick Bamford and Alex Hudson Craufurd from the second incarnation; occasional members Robin Mason (cello) and Andy Cooke (African xylophone, perc); and exciting new young recruits from the Scots folk tradition, Gillie O’Flaherty (gtr) and Sam Mabbett (melodion).

More about the original The Cauld Blast Orchestra
The Cauld Blast Orchestra were orginally formed by clarinettist Karen Wimhurst in 1989 to play her music for the show Jock Tamson’s Bairns by Communicado Theatre Company. The success of this production, and the strength and beauty of Karen’s music, inspired the band to continue.

Over the next 15 years the group built up a cult following, based on their heady mix of jazz, folk, classical and rock, not to mention the odd tango or march for good measure. Iain Johnstone and Steve Kettley were soon to become the Orchestra’s most prolific writers, with the others also contributing regularly. For the vastly different composers, the incredible array of instruments played by the eight (later nine) musicians provided a fantastic palette to work with.

The promo phrase “unchartered territory, born in Scotland, but without frontiers” was validated with every performance. These included WOMAD, Celtic Connections, Stockholm Koncerthuset, London Qu.Elizabeth Hall, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, BBC R3 Hear and Now and a feature on BBC2 The Late Show. Two CDs were recorded for the Eclectic label, Savage Dance and Durga’s Feast.

As the members  became busy with their own projects, concerts became fewer and fewer, and their last performance was at the Edinburgh Festival 2005. However they have never officially disbanded, and who knows, may rise again. Despite a few personnel changes and periods of inactivity, the trademark eclecticism and virtuosity of the Cauld Blast Orchestra remained as ever – music of the spirit.

Karen Wimhurst – Clarinets; Steve Kettley – Saxophones, flute, percussion; Iain Johnstone – Piano, accordion, tuba, tenor horn; Anne Wood – Violin; Ron Shaw – Cello; Norman Chalmers – Concertina, whistles; Jack Evans – Guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, whistles; Mike Travis – Drums, percussion (1990 – 96); Rick Bamford – Drums, percussion (1996 – 2005); Alex Hudson Craufurd – Double bass (1998 – 2005).