Camac Blog
A Creative Whirlwind: Lauren Scott and Night Lotus
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September 3, 2025
The lotus flower carries rich symbolism across many cultures. From Ancient Egypt to Hindu Cosmology, where the blue lotus represents the magical transition from night to day. It is no wonder that its enigmatic connotations inspire musicians and composers like Lauren Scott.
Night Lotus, Lauren’s third album, will be released in full starting 5 September and marks a burst of creative spontaneity for the artist. When solo performances of her music at two harp festivals this summer—the 41st Rencontres Internationales de Harpes Céltiques in Dinan and a duo performance with Amy Turk at An Chúirt Chruitireachta in Ireland—resulted in two new compositions and a fully developed programme, Lauren decided to go into the studio to record as soon as possible.
Lauren performs at the 41st Rencontres internationales de harpe celtique at Dinan ©Brigitte Costa Léardée
“I recorded Night Lotus in a whirlwind, a stark contrast to my previous albums.” Lauren explains “Beyond the Horizon (March 2020) took 18 months from recording to release, disrupted by the UK’s first COVID lockdown. Sea of Stars (April 2024) was even more arduous, recorded amidst intermittent lockdowns starting in September 2020, leaving me reluctant to record again. Night Lotus’s rapid creation, from conception to release, was a satisfying shift, streamlining a process I’d previously found draining.”
As someone passionate about CDs and vinyl, Lauren couldn’t resist creating a physical copy of Night Lotus, even though she first thought about going digital-only. A key benefit of physical media is the ability to craft intricate cover art, and for Lauren, it also enabled a meaningful collaboration close to her heart:
“My compositions, often inspired by nature and described as cinematic, prompted a visual counterpart. I was delighted when my daughter, Ruby Scott, created two stunning collage panels reflecting the album’s themes. To honour her artwork, I designed the CD to showcase her collages inside, free of text, creating a dreamworld to complement the music […] so that the listener can immerse themselves in both sound and art.”
Lauren performs at an-chuirt-chruitireachta © Kieran Cummings
We are especially thrilled to note that Lauren has found an ideal partner for her writing and performing in our Excalibur harp:
“I first played a Camac Excalibur at the 2022 World Harp Congress in Cardiff, and it was love at first sight […] as a contemporary classical player, the Excalibur meets every demand of my extended techniques. Other lever harps struggled with my experimental approach, but the Excalibur excels.”
In what ways does Lauren, a composer and performer who invests a great deal of time and energy into creating unique yet accessible (to the player) timbres, utilise the Excalibur for these purposes?
“ In “Solar Pulse,” paper woven between the strings creates the fizz of solar flares, while “White Grey Blue” uses superball mallets dragged across the soundboard and wire strings to evoke whale songs and cracking ice. These pieces, including the title work, Night Lotus, were written especially to exploit the Excalibur’s full range. This latest album embodies my current voice as a composer and performer.
My sincere thanks go to my producer, Rob Buckland, for capturing the Excalibur’s sound with such clarity.”
Night Lotus is available now on Spotify & Apple Music and from September 5 on Bandcamp. Limited edition CDs are available exclusively from https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/laurenscott2/night-lotus
P.S. We would also like to inform our readers, that Lauren spent the first half of 2025 composing Modern Etudes; 22 etudes suitable for both lever and pedal harps. These technical studies, suitable for both lever and pedal harps, showcase the author’s commitment to advancing harp education and provide valuable resources for students and teachers alike.
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