MUSIC CELTIC CONNECTIONS
CELTIC CONNECTIONS: THE SECOND GATHERING
British Lion gives a talk entitled Celts of the Five Nations — Unite.
I University of Strathclyde Master Classes Strathclyde Suite. 2.30pm. Free. Piano accordion class with Phil Cunningham.
I Scots Ballads Buchanan Suite. 2pm. £5 (£3). Bob Blair gives a limited numbers workshop for all.
I Mr Anderson’s Fine Tunes Exhibition Hall. 3pm. Free. See Mon 16.
I Youthtest Exhibition Hall. 4.30pm. Free. See Mon 16.
I Loreena McKennit and Christie IIennessy Main Auditorium. 7.30pm. £8.50—£10.50 plus concessions. A Canadian vision of Celtic. medieval and Moorish music. performed by the singer/harpists and some fine musicians. See Music preview. lrish songwriter Hennessy has become an overnight success after twenty years.
I The Pearltisheis and Bed Vans Strathclyde Suite. 8pm. £7.50 (£5.50). Two approaches to contemporary Scottish rock music. The Pearlfishers are the more inventive and reflective. while Shetland‘s Vans are determined to get you on to the sweaty dancefloor.
I De Dannan Grand Ballroom. Hospitality Inn. 8pm. £8.50 (£6.50). Support from Edinburgh duo Cast. Fiddler and flute player Frankie Gavin has led De Dannan round the world since the late 70’s. first converting and then preaching to the converted on the subject of Irish traditional music. its vitality and relevance. From unalloyed hornpipes. airs and jigs. ballads from singers like Mary Black and Dolores Keane. to a virtuoso arrangement for traditional instruments of Handel‘s ‘Entry ofthe Queen of Sheba‘ in reel time. they are always a delight. and a favourite band of other musicians. The Edinburgh-based Cast are Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis who play Scots and Cape Breton-style fiddle. with songs. viola and guitar.
WEDNESDAY 18
I Gaelic language Class Terrace Foyer. All day. Free. See Mon 16. I Fiddle School Strathclyde Suite. 10am. £40 (£30). Day one of a three-day fiddle course targeted at those who wish to learn to play by ear. The classes are taken by Iain Fraser. I Gave Francis and Mairi Campbell Exhibition Hall. 11am. £1 in advance. £1.50 on the day. See Tue 17. I Linda Unniston Strathclyde Suite. lpm. £1.50 in advance. £2 on the day. Continuing the Celtic Conversations series. the opera singer. radio presenter and winner of the 1994 WAG's Speaker of the Year competition. gives a talk entitled ‘From Strathaven to Salzburg‘. I Fiddle Course Buchanan Suite. 2pm. £40 (£30). See above. I University of Strathclyde Master Classes Strathclyde Suite. 2.30pm. Free. Fiddle class with Aly Bain. I Mr Anderson’s Fine Tunes Exhibition Hall. 3pm. Free. See Mon 16. I Youthtest Exhibition Hall. 4.30pm. Free. See Mon 16. I Kathy Mattea and Dougie MacLean Main Auditorium. 7.30pm. £10.50—£l2.50. plus concessions. Both with their bands. Two friends from opposite sides of the Atlantic. Mattea is a major country star in the States and moving into that Celtic/country world inhabited by so many of the Irish women singers. She has recorded at Dougie MacLean’s Perthshire studio and will join the Scots songwriter. fiddler and guitarist on stage for some
vocal duetting.
I Carol Laula and The Journeymen Ballroom. Hospitality inn. 8pm. £8.50 (£6.50). Now rarely heard at home btit making a name for herself. and selling thousands of CDs in the States. Glasgow‘s Carol Laula is a powerful singer and guitarist whose songs with her band retain a rootsy feel. More cheerful roots/rock from the seven Journeymen.
I Melanie O’Reilly Trio and Somotherland Strathclyde Suite. 8pm. £7.50 (£5.50). Singer ()‘Reilly is looking back lately to her lrish upbringing and incorporating some traditional songs and idioms in her cool jazz treatments. Jim Sutherlaiid‘s big band is an eclectic. explosive confrontation ofjazz soloists. girlie vocals. fast folk idioms. African percussion. relaxed humour and disciplined structure. At its best it creates and reveals new sounds and directions.
THURSDAY 19
I Gaelic Language Class Tet-race Foyer. All day. Free. See Mon 16.
I Fiddle School Strathclyde Suite. 10am. £40 (£30). See Wed 15.
I Footworks Exhibition Hall. 1 lam. £1 in advance. £ 1.50 on the day. Formerly the
I Fiddle Puppets. one of the most astonishing. absorbing and entertaining
dance and music ensembles ever. They specialise in all forms of step dancing. including variants from Appalachia. lreland. Cape Breton and the Afro-
American tradition. There will be a discussion and workshop after the concert.
I Fiddle Couise Buchanan Suite. 2pm. £40 (£30). See Wed 15.
I Professor David Daiches Strathclyde Suite. lpm. £1.50 in advance. £2 on the day. The distinguished author. poet and academic gives a talk entitled ‘The Invention of Romantic Scotland‘.
I Mary Ann Kennedy Exhibition Hall. 2.30pm. Free. The BBC Radio Scotland presenter broadcasts live.
I University oi Strathclyde Master Classes Strathclyde Suite. 2.30pm. Free. Song with Dougie Mac1.ean. The composer of the beer anthem Caledonia is also a fine singer of Scots song.
I Mr Anderson’s Fine Tunes Exhibition Hall. 3pm. Free. See Mon 16.
I Youthtest Exhibition Hall. 4.30pm. Free. See Mon 16.
I Cauld Blast Orchestra and Triskell- Servat Strathclyde Suite. 8pm. £7.50 (£5.50). In dramatic. complex and lyrical compositions that include improvised passages on jazz and traditional instruments. the eight members of the Cauld Blast are creating a vital new music from a Scottish base. Brittany‘s great singer Giles Servat joins with Breton band Triskell to great effect in a fusion of ancient traditions and modern instruments and sensibility.
I Maura O’Connell Band and Ian Bruce Grand Ballroom. Hospitality Inn. 8pm. £8.50 (£6.50). A gorgeous voice. once in the vocal chair of De Dannan. and now
one of the brightest Irish country and Celtic stars. ()‘Coniiell is now resident in Nashville. Support from leading Scottish folk performer and songwriter Bruce.
I The Ceilidh Collective Exhibition Hall. 10.30piii—lam. £5 (£3). Late night dance with top Edinburgh band; dances called by guitarist Dave Francis.
FRIDAY 20
I Gaelic Language Class Terrace Foyer. All day. Free. See Mon 16.
I Fiddle School Strathclyde Suite. 10am. £40 (£30). See Wed 15.
I Triskell-Servat Exhibition Hall. 11am. l £1 in advance. £1.50 on the day. Singer
joins top Breton band. fronted by two harps w ith electric guitar and percussion. See Thurs 1‘).
I Sir Nicholas Fairbairn 0C MP Strathclyde Suite. lpm. £1.50 in advance. £2 on the day. The flamboyant politician gives a talk entitled ‘The Contribution of Scotland to the World'.
Fiddle Course Buchanan Suite. 2pm. £40 (£30). See Wed 15.
g I Travelling Folk Exhibition Hall. 1 2.30pm. Free. Archie Fisher broadcasts live on BBC Radio Scotland.
I University of Strathclyde Master Classes Strathclyde Suite. 2.30pm. Free. Clarsach (small harp) class with Savourna
Stevenson.
I Youthtest Exhibition Hall. 4.30pm. Free. See Mon 16.
I Luka Bloom and Sharon Shannon Band Main Auditorium. 7.30pm. £l().50—£l2.50 plus concessions. Held in higher esteem
by many than his older and better known . brother Christy Moore. Bloom‘s
songwriting sincerity and minimalist poetic creativity is a shot in the arm for those who tire of the ever-increasing staginess of what was once folk music. The elfin joy in Sharon Shannon‘s fleet- fiiigered accordion playing is well matched by the challenging fiddle style of Mary Custy. accompanied by guitar and acoustic bass in an all-Ireland evening.
I Rock, Salt and Nails and
Strathclyde Suite. 8pm. £7.50 (£5.50). Bet ya won't be able to sit still. Shetland‘s famous young iconoclasts throw away the traditional rule book and set fire to their fiddles. Footworks get the sparks going with their feet. See Thurs l9.
Footworks
I ' SATURDAY 21
I Open Workshop Exhibition Hall. 10am. Free. Dougie Pincock. Corrina Hewat and
~ Bruce McGregor invite you to try your
hand at the pipes. fiddle. harp or bodhran. I Ceilidh Workshop Exhibition Hall. 12.30pm. £3.50 (£2). Bob Blair gets the toes tapping with the legend ‘ceilidh dancing isn't a hobby. it's a disease‘.
I Dancers from the Celtic Nations Main Auditorium. 1.30pm. £5. Featuring the Ballochleam Highland Dance School. Rinceori Magh Life from Ireland and the USA’s Footworks/Percussive Dance Ensemble.
I The Iron Horse and Ross Kennedy and Archie McAllister Strathclyde Suite. 2pm. £3.50. The Horse are one of the most
I consistent bands to have emerged over the | last five years. with an unusual
instrumentation and an original style in their arrangements of traditional dance tunes and songs. and their own original material. From Kintyre. ex-lron Horseman Kennedy sings well in a Gaughanesque style and accompanies the tremendous young fiddler McAllister.
I Group Work Session Buchanan Suite. 2pm. £5 (£3). With ex-Battlefield pipers and multi-iiistrumentalists Dougie Pincock and Duncan McGillivrav.
I University of Strathclyde Master Classes Strathclyde Suite. 2.30pm. Free. Gaelic singing with Barra traditional singer Flora MacNeil.
I An Teallach Ceilidh Band Exhibition Hall. 3pm. £3.50. Top band from the East of Scotland.
I The Rankin Family and Triskell-Servat Main Auditorium. 7.30pm. £8.50-£10.50 plus concessions. 'l‘i‘emendously popular after only a few visits from Canada. The Rankin Family (live from a dozen siblings) are polished entertainers who perform a broad mix of folk. country and contemporary song. Beautiful harmony singing. some step dancing and occasional Cape Breton Gaelic song are at the heart of their appeal. Canadian 'l‘riskell-Servat. see Thurs 1‘).
I Deanta, Martin and Aine Furey and Gavin Manvick and Johnny Hardie Strathclyde Suite. 8pm. £8.50 (£6.50). ()ne male in a group of six makes Deanta unusual in traditional music circles. even lrish ones. They do play beautiful. fully textured music and their lead singer. Mary Dillon. is a delight. Finbar Furey‘s offspring are following their own path. creating their own musical landscape of vocal harmony and the haunting and hollow-voiced low whistle. Marwick and Hardie represent the energetic explosion of interest in traditional-based music in young Scotland. They are both key fiddlers and instrumentalists in leading contemporary bands.
I Loose Moose Ceilidh Band Exhibition Hall. 10.30pm. £5 (£3.50). Late night dance to Dundee‘s finest.
SUNDAY 22
I Fiddle Session Strathclyde Suite. -pm. £2. lan Fraser leads the pack in this stringed extravaganza.
I The Silencers and The Humplt Family Main Auditorium. 7.30pm. £10.50—£12.50 plus concessions. A night for traditionalists. Not. Having included yet another version of Wild Mountain Thyme on their latest album. requested by the Scottish Tourist Board for use on a video selling Scotland. Francophile rockers The Silencers are now ‘Celtic‘. Humpff is a verb meaning to have an energetic good time and humpff any stupid musical definitions.
I Dervish and Tannas Strathclyde Suite. 8pm. £7.50 (£5.50). Great music. great spirit from the Sligo band who celebrate the ‘let‘s get wasted approach‘ to the apres gig sessions. Fluent flute. whistle. accordion. bouzouki. mandola and the captivating vocals of bodhran player Cathy Jordan make them one of Ireland's most enjoyable bands. Tannas. formerly Fire in the Glen. have talent and a considered approach to Scottish music and Gaelic song.
I All Day Ceilidh Whirl Grand Ballroom. Hospitality Inn. 4pm. £8.50 (£6.50). Featuring the Ceilidh Collective and as many bands as possible from the last seventeen days. Save some energy. this will keep on reeling until the wee hours of Monday morning.
FDR CELTIC CDNNECTIDNS VENUE AND TICKET DETAILS, SEE PANEL ON PAGE 45
46 The List 13—26 January 1995