Starting with a crowdfunded gig in London just over two years ago, Through The Noise has quickly evolved to put on noisenights in iconic grassroots venues across 21 UK and European cities. From an impressive roster of artists, Scotland scores well, with May’s line-up of up-close classical events including composer, pianist and singer Errollyn Wallen at The Caves with some of the best-loved songs from The Errollyn Wallen Songbook.

Each noisenight has a one-hour set at its core. ‘It’s very intimate,’ says Wallen, ‘and while it’s important that this is for a range of ages, I think that there is a particular connection with younger people.’ For someone who has written 20 operas and a huge volume of orchestral, chamber and vocal music, including a BBC Proms commission, a night of just Errollyn and her songs offers a pure and honest evening of artist and audience directly engaging with each other. Originally, the songbook wasn’t deliberate. ‘I just sat down at the piano one day and a song popped out. I am very enamoured with how much you can create in a three-minute song.’

The collection is ongoing, now numbering about 150, with the Edinburgh performance featuring some new and some old. ‘They’re all written for myself to sing and play. There’s something about playing and singing together that’s really satisfying, but really hard too. Although when I write songs, it’s almost as if I go on a musical holiday.’

Errollyn Wallen, The Caves, Edinburgh, Thursday 16 May.