Music FOLK
■ Ceilidh Improvers/Intermediate Dance Base, 14–16 Grassmarket, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £6.50 (£5.50). Prepare for a reel mix, all in an authentic ceilidh style. Part of Ceilidh Culture ■ Gallagher & Lyle The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk St, 668 2019. 7.30pm. £27.50. Homecoming tour for the Scottish duo whose career together has spanned five decades. ■ Rory Butler, Mairi Campbell and davesnewbike Maggie’s Chamber, Three Sisters, 139 Cowgate, 622 6801. 7.30pm. £6 (£5). Solo show from guitarist Butler, Scots singer Campbell and rootsy pop from davesnewbike.
Friday 30
Glasgow ■ Deoch’n’Dorus Glasgow University Union, 32 University Avenue, 339 8697. 8pm. £8. Ceilidh from the young band comprising members from Portree, Jura and Fort William who met on the RSAMD’s traditional music course. FREE Wing & A Prayer Tchai-Ovna House of Tea, 42 Otago Lane, 357 4524. 8pm. Folk/blues duo. Edinburgh FREE Adam Holmes Captains Bar, 4 South College St. 4pm. Folk. ■ The Burly Ceilidh Club Ghillie Dhu, 2 Rutland Place, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £25. Join in the weekly Burly Ceilidh Club to be energetically entertained with one of the finest live ceilidh acts. Part of Ceilidh Culture ■ Guid Crack Waverley Bar, 1 St Mary’s St, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £3 suggested donation. Monthly storytelling session hosts an open floor Ceilidh Culture special. Part of Ceilidh Culture. ■ Patrick Ball and Rachel Hair Trio Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Rd, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £14.50 (£12.50). Patrick Ball presents O’Carolan’s ‘Farewell to Music’, a one person theatre piece on the life, turbulent times and captivating music of this celebrated Irish artist. Part of Ceilidh Culture ■ Scots Music Group: Tutors’ Concert Teviot Row Union, Bristo Square, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £10 (£7). A fundraising concert. Tutors appearing include songstress Wendy Carle Taylor and top young fiddlers Paul Murray and Lucy MacRae. Part of Ceilidh Culture ■ Luath Off the Page Live City Café, 19 Blair St, 228 1155. 8pm. £3 (£2). An evening of performance poetry, prose and music organised by Luath press. Writers appearing include Catriona Child and Alistair Findlay. Part of Ceilidh Culture. ■ Movings of the Spirit Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High St, 228 1155. 8pm. £10 (£7). Mairi Campbell and David Francis explore the story of Mairi’s grandfather, Duncan Campbell, Highlander, seanachaidh and itinerant preacher, through storytelling and music. Part of Ceilidh Culture. ■ Nuala Kennedy: A Suite of Scottish Industry The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk St, 228 1155. 8pm. £15 (£12). The Irish folk singer performs a new collaboration with several Scottish musicians/composers and a filmmaker. Part of Ceilidh Culture. FREE Tom Oakes & Kathryn Nicoll Captains Bar, 4 South College St. 9pm. Traditional folk on flute, guitar and violin.
Saturday 31
Glasgow ■ Leabhar ‘s Craic CCA, 350 Sauchiehall St, 352 4900. 10–midnight. £10 (daytime only £5; evening only £8). One-day festival of Gaelic literary culture, with highlights including a celebration of poet and songwriter Aonghas MacNeacail, the launch of Margaret Callan’s new book and a headline show from Gaelic folk band The Seedboat (Bàta an t-Sìl), alongside much more theatre, music, film, workshops and readings. 104 THE LIST 29 Mar–26 Apr 2012
■ Gallagher & Lyle Pavilion Theatre, 121 Renfield St, 332 1846. 7.30pm. £25–£27.50. See Thu 29. Edinburgh ■ Find the Lost Cave of Harps: Story Walk/Come and Try Harp Session Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Rd, 228 1155. 10am & 2.15pm. £9. Join Heather Yule, storyteller and harpist in exploring stories, riddles and rhymes. Children will have a chance to try the harps. Ages 5–8 (10am) and 9–14 (2.15pm). Part of Ceilidh Culture ■ Telling Scottish Folktale Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High St, 228 1155. 10am. £30 (£26). Get back to the roots of Scotland’s oral storytelling heritage by exploring folktales and their contexts. With storyteller and writer Janis Mackay (Intermediate skills). Part of Ceilidh Culture ■ Traveller Traditions Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High St, 228 1155. 2pm. £30 (£26). Discover the story tradition of Scotland’s Travelling people, and pick up some tales and tips for re- telling, with storyteller and writer Jess Smith. Part of Ceilidh Culture ■ An Audience with Catriona McKay Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Rd, 228 1155. 3pm. £9. McKay will present, celebrate and talk about three influential harp recordings from her collection. Part of Ceilidh Culture FREE Allan Johnston & Mike Slessor Captains Bar, 4 South College St. 4pm. Folk music. ■ Portobello Fun Fiddle and Linten Adie: Singin and Fiddlin at the Wash House Portobello Community Centre, 3 Adelphi Grove Portobello, 228 1155. 4.30pm. £6 (£4). A meeting of voices and fiddles. Original compositions and arrangements with musicians and singers from age seven to 86. Part of Ceilidh Culture ■ Anne-Marie O’Farrell & Cormac De Barra and Rhodri Davies Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Rd, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £14.50 (£12.50). O’Farrell and De Barra perform music for two Irish harps, reflecting Ireland’s oral musical heritage and the classical tradition. Part of Ceilidh Culture ■ The Edinburgh Highland Reel and Strathspey Society’s 130th
Anniversary Concert The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk St, 668 2019. 7.30pm. £12 (£8). Compere Jim McColl (The Beechgrove Garden) plus guests Colette Ruddy (mezzo soprano) and Martin Duncan (piper). Part of Ceilidh Culture. ■ Sangstream & Friends Stockbridge Parish Church, 7b Saxe Coburg St, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £6 (£4). Choir singing Scots traditional song and are joined by Voices in Common, a folk choir from Devon; Scott Gardiner, the bothy ballad singer; Tanteerie and The Cast. Part of Ceilidh Culture ■ Khyam Allami The Pleasance Theatre, 60 Pleasance, 650 4673. 8.30pm. £7 (£6). A modern take on Middle Eastern music on the oud (Middle Eastern lute). FREE Cauldstane Slap Captains Bar, 4 South College St. 9pm. Accordion led folk
Sunday 1
Glasgow FREE The Blokes Slouch, 203–205 Bath St, 221 5518. 9pm. Blues and folk residency. Edinburgh ■ Music of Two Nations Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Rd, 228 1155. 3pm. £11 (£9). Yi Dong and Eddie McGuire mix classical and traditional Chinese sounds, and are joined by established performer and harpist Hannah Phillips. Part of Ceilidh Culture FREE Kenny Herbert & Rab Howatt Café Grande, 184 Bruntsfield Place, 228 1188. 7pm. Much loved local musicians playing traditional Scottish to soul and R&B. ■ The Merry Muses of Robert Burns with The Five Freens Edinburgh Folk Club, Cabaret Bar, 60 The Pleasance, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £8 (£6). Bawdy funny and upbeat Burns. Adults only. Part of Ceilidh Culture ■ Ancience Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Rd, 228 1155. 7.30pm. £12.50 (£14.50). Harpers Mary Macmaster, Gwenan Gibbard, Northumbrian piper Andy May and Uillean piper Tiarnán Ó Duinchinn play music from their own traditions, plus Joe Acheson’s computer to create something
Trembling Bells with Bonnie Prince Billy
new. Part of Ceilidh Culture ■ Chris Rogers Wee Folk Club, Royal Oak, Infirmary St, 228 1155. 8.30pm. £5. Chris Rogers has been on the Scottish folk club scene for ten years now. Part of Ceilidh Culture
Monday 2
Glasgow ■ Alkinoos Ioannidis Òran Mór, 731- 735 Great Western Rd, 357 6200. 7pm. £17.50. Greek-Cypriot singer/composer. FREE Michael Simons Tchai-Ovna House of Tea, 42 Otago Lane, 357 4524. 8pm. Glasgow-based guitarist playing folk, blues and beyond. Edinburgh ■ Dimitri Boekhoorn and Susan Enochsson Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Rd, 228 1155. 3pm. £9. Boekhoorn plays up to seven different modern and early harps such as hybrid Celtic baroque harp, modernised Romanesque harp, bray harp, Galician medieval harp with horse hair and medieval wire-strung clairseach. Part of Ceilidh Culture ■ A Gaelic Partnership: The Clàrsach at National Mod Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Rd, 228 1155. 7pm. £11 (£9). Featuring two accomplished Gaelic singers, National Mòd Gold Medallists Wilma Kennedy and James Graham, along with multi-talented harpists Màiri and Calum Macleod, this concert celebrates 120 years of unbroken links between the National Mòd and the clàrsach. Part of Ceilidh Culture ■ Family Ceilidh with Bella McNab’s Dance Band Merchiston Castle School, 294 Colinton Rd, 228 1155. 8pm. £8 Under 12s free. Don’t worry if you don’t know the steps – dances will be expertly called. Dance away the evening with fun friendship – meet old pals and make new ones. Part of Ceilidh Culture.
Tuesday 3 Glasgow ■ An Appointment with The Waterboys Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall St, 353 8000. 8pm.
Folk rock quartet Trembling Bells have only been in existence for three years, but in that time they’ve managed to impress people from both sides of the divide. Belle and Sebastian’s Stevie Jackson produced their second album; coincidentally, they also popped up at the B&S-curated ATP Bowlie Weekender in 2010. From the folkier end of the spectrum, songwriter Alex Neilson has previously worked with Texan outsider Jendak and the regal Will Oldham – so it’s no surprise that the latter’s joining them for a jaunt round the UK. Support comes from eclectic Glaswegian five-piece a capella group Muldoon’s Picnic. ■ Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Wed 25 Apr.