Allt a’Choileachain
The Allt a’Choileachain burn flows through a relatively remote corner of the North-East Scottish Highlands. On an overcast October day I made the two-hour trek into the hills to find the stream, which flows close to the site of a 16th-century battle. The Battle Of Glenlivet has a second name taken from this flowing water, The Battle of Allt a’Choileachain. I expected there to be a tangible heaviness, a memory of violence that could be felt by a visitor. Instead, I was struck by a sense of peace. I spent some time exploring the open areas amongst the trees where the battle was said to have been fought, noticing wild flowers while climbing grassy hillocks.

The name of the stream has become associated with war and yet it continues to fill the hillside with its quiet tune, as though softening the past. The music, which I composed after returning from my walk, is inspired by the power of peace and considers its capacity to reclaim wounded places.

Aillte Glas
Aillte Glas means ‘Green Cliffs’ in Irish Gaelic. It was inspired by a story that was shared with me of two people’s journey along the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland. I have never been to Ireland, but I could imagine high, green cliffs and the swell of the sea. I pictured clouds rolling in from the ocean and moments of sudden sunlight on the path. It’s a piece that honours our beautiful earth and those moments when we are inspired by its wild, green heart.

Into the sky
This is a composition that meanders slowly towards a destination. It has a narrative, a repeating motif that dreams of a better world. It is an anthem that gently urges us, figuratively, ‘into the sky’, to a place of wider vision and deeper peace.

Peace (solo piano version)
In 2020, I rediscovered this melody sketched on manuscript paper. Tucked away in a folder, I originally composed it when I was eighteen. Arranging it for strings, I included it on my 2021 album, For the love of life. With the release of Towards peace, I saw an opportunity to share the music as it was originally composed for the piano.

Alexander Chapman Campbell © 2026