Ayton Castle

Summer Music began at the instigation of the late Mr David Liddell-Grainger, who invited Music-Makers to organise a series of concerts and summer school at Ayton Castle, his family seat in Berwickshire. An imposing baronial-style castle (the last major work of James Gillespie Graham, Scotland’s leading Gothic-revival architect) with sumptious interiors, Ayton has, nevertheless, the charm and intimacy of a family home.

The first Summer Music at Ayton Castle in July 1995 combined a daytime summer school for young musicians with a festival of evening concerts. The summer school offered classes in violin, cello, piano and chamber music to advanced music students and aimed to foster learning in a climate of relaxed openness, free from competition and examinations.

The intimacy of the Drawing Room of Ayton Castle provided the ideal setting for small-scale chamber music, while first-class artists ensured performances of the highest standard. Add to the formula fine food and a relaxing, rural location within easy reach of major centres and the magical experience of ‘Summer Music’ was born.

Summer Music's artistic reputation and popularity rapidly grew under the direction of Gusztáv Fenyő and Susanne Stanzeleit. After three festivals, from 1995 to 1997, it was reluctantly decided that another venue should be sought, preferably within Berwickshire, which would meet the need for increased audience capacity while retaining the ambience which had proved so appealing.

Paxton House, just ten miles south, with its elegant Picture Gallery, proved to be the perfect solution. A small ‘pilot’ event was held in 1998, with the first full-scale Summer Music at Paxton House staged in July 1999.