Hamilton Mausoleum Suite @ Hamilton Mausoleum, 19 Feb

It’s a cold damp night as we arrive at Hamilton Mausoleum, though getting milder than it’s been over the last few weeks. The phallic tower is visible over the trees, a testament to the ego of the 10th Duke of Hamilton who had the strange structure built to house his remains; for years they would be placed in an Egyptian sarcophagus in the main chamber of the building. We enter the small hall lit by purple electric lights and candles. Inside it's even colder; you can see your breath. Francis Macdonald, whose Hamilton Mausoleum Suite we are here for tonight, has brought hot water bottles for his shivering musicians, the crowd having to make do with thick coats and a sense of anticipation.

The main reason for composing music for this building is its world-famous echo. Whispering Walls is about the phenomenon of hearing someone whisper at the other end of the tomb; humorously translated into a call and response arrangement it’s more enjoyable once you know the story, and even more so in the strange sonic landscape the song is set it in. Another song which really exploits the echo is the first of two nocturnal themed tracks. Half Past Midnight's violins ring out effortlessly and the staccato harp has a sustain which twinkles like stars in this beautiful picture of a night time world, all assisted by the tomb’s reverb.

Influences from Macdonald’s eclectic career can be heard throughout tonight’s performance, from the pop sensibilities of Bellshill pop band BMX Bandits and Teenage Fanclub to his work in film and TV scoring, it's impossible not to allow the music to create images in your mind as we sit here tonight. Macdonald claims he didn’t focus on his childhood memories of the mausoleum, instead on the history of the building, but a sense of nostalgia is apparent throughout.

In opening song Sarcophagus it's as easy to picture Macdonald's childhood wonder at this place as it is to imagine the 10th Duke riding about his huge estate. Macdonald’s music respectfully celebrates the legacy of the Duke and in the piece Folia, the solo harpist brings to life an intriguing vision of an eccentric life that created this beautiful oddity, a kind tribute to the man and the monument that many think is a crass folly.

Although all the pieces performed tonight flow together seamlessly, there is a huge palate of sound and feeling. The suite's most austere piece – One Foot Then Another, with its dissonant violins – creates a grasping, desperate and claustrophobic atmosphere; after its intensity the more mellow tone of the closing two pieces is welcome. Stone Lions Lullaby is the second last of the night, another night time ballad in this dreamy collection. In the album's finale, The Mausoleum, Macdonald tries to recreate the chords of a church organ with his string ensemble, fittingly for the building which he calls a tiny cathedral. When it's all over we feel privileged to have been in this unique building on such a special (if chilly) night.