MUSIC | Folk Thursday 24
Glasgow ■ Ceilidh on the Ship The Tall Ship at Riverside, 150 Pointhouse Pl, 357 3699. 7–11.30pm. £8 (£5). Shipboard ceilidh presented by Deoch ‘n’ Dorus. ■ Otis Gibbs The Admiral, 72a Waterloo St, 221 7705. 7.30pm. £11. Rural folk music from Nashville.
Friday 25
Glasgow ■ Battlefield Band Òran Mór, 731–735 Gt Western Rd, 357 6200. 7pm. £18. See Thu 24. Edinburgh ■ Norloch Ceilidh Band Old St Paul’s Church, 39 Jeffrey St, 556 3332. 7.30–11.30pm. £6 (£5; family £15 before 9pm). Monthly evening ceilidhs. BYOB. ■ Ceilidh Counting House, West Nicolson St, 667 7533. 8pm–midnight. £8 (£6). The Annasach Ceilidh Band provide the live music at this ceilidh dance with a caller. Under 18s are welcome but must be accompanied by two adults over 25. FREE James Connolly Songbook Launch Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny St, Leith, 555 7101. 8.15pm. A celebration of Songs of Freedom, Connolly’s 1907 book of US songs, including a performance of some of the works by US musician Mat Callaghan, Part of Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair. ■ Balkanarama Studio 24, 24–26 Calton Rd, 558 3758. 9.30pm–3am. £8 before 10.30pm; £9 after. A blend of klezmer, Balkan, gypsy punk and electronic beats with bellydancing & VJs.
Saturday 26
Glasgow ■ James Connolly Songbook Launch Glad Café, 1006a Pollokshaws Rd, 636 6119. 8pm. £8. See Fri 25. ■ Fiach Moriarty Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. 8.30pm. £6.50. Dublin singer-songwriter Moriarty plays new material plus tunes from his first LP. ■ Balkanarama Glue Factory, 22 Farnell St, Garscube Industrial Estate, Maryhill, 10.30pm–2am. £8. See Fri 25. Edinburgh ■ Scots Music Group Ceilidh St Bride’s Centre, 10 Orwell Terr, 346 1405. 7.30pm. £8 (£6) advance; £10 (£8) on door. Fundraising ceilidh. Canongate Cadjers provide the live music. FREE The Sounds of a Thousand Tongues Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny St, Leith, 555 7101. 8.30pm. Tarantella, dances, songs and stories from the Badwills. Part of Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair.
Sunday 27 Edinburgh ■ Ne3Folk Wee Folk Club, Royal Oak, Infirmary St, 557 2976. 8.30pm. £5. Modern folk trio combining Shetland and Scandinavian fiddle, accordion and driving guitar.
Monday 28 Glasgow ■ Watt Nicoll Òran Mór, 731–735 Gt Western Rd, 357 6200. 7pm. £14. Winner of Best Motivational Speaker in the World, Nicoll goes back to his musical roots with a night of folky goodness.
Tuesday 29
Glasgow ■ Pete Coe The Admiral, 72a Waterloo St, 221 7705. 7.30pm. £8. A modern-day travelling bard, Pete Coe plays narrative folk songs, ballads and rural yarns. Edinburgh ■ Rod Paterson Leith Folk Club, Victoria Park Hotel, 221 Ferry Rd, 07502 024852. 7.30pm. £9. One of the finest folk
100 THE LIST 17 Oct–14 Nov 2013
Singer songwriters and poets perform on the first Monday of the month.
Tuesday 5
Glasgow ■ Anna Massie & Mairearad Green The Admiral, 72a Waterloo St, 221 7705. 7.30pm. £9. Leading young Scots duo with multi-instrumentalist Massie and border pipes from Mairearad Green. Edinburgh ■ Cafe Ceilidh Gorgie City Farm, 51 Gorgie Rd, 337 4202. 1.15pm. Donation. Relaxed daytime traditional music session hosted by Linten Adie, for Scots Music Group. ■ The Coal Porters Leith Folk Club, Victoria Park Hotel, 221 Ferry Rd, 07502 024852. 7.30pm. £9. Melodic bluegrass originals from this outfit, fronted by Sid Griffin. ■ Ceilidh Club Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, 0845 874 3001. 8pm. £6. Ceilidh dancing, furious fiddlers and callers to lead you through the steps. Featuring the Occasionals.
Wednesday 6 Glasgow ■ Ceilidh Dance Classes St Andrews in the Sq, See Wed 23.
Edinburgh ■ Martin Simpson Edinburgh Folk Club, Cabaret Bar, 60 Pleasance, 650 2458. 7.30pm. £12 (£10; members £8). Brilliant mix of English tradition and American music from the virtuoso fingerstyle guitarist and singer. Thursday 7
Edinburgh ■ Anna Massie & Mairearad Green 42 Royal Park Terrace, soundhouse.org. uk 7.30pm. £tbc. See Tue 5. ■ Jimmie Macgregor Edinburgh Folk Club, Cabaret Bar, 60 Pleasance, 650 2458. 7.30pm. £15 (£13; members £10). Jimmie appeared every weeknight on the BBC’s Tonight show for over ten years, and also hosted The White Heather Club with a night of ‘songs, stories and famous folk’. Part of Carrying Stream Festival. ■ Hugh MacDiarmid’s Haircut The Merlin, 168-172 Morningside Rd, Southside, 447 4329. 8pm–midnight. £6. Ceilidh to celebrate the album launch of Airs from your Elbow.
Friday 8
Glasgow ■ Ceilidh at Saints St Andrews in the Square, 1 St Andrews Sq, 559 5902. 8–11pm. £8 (£6). A ceilidh in St Andrews in the Square, in aid of the venue itself. Edinburgh ■ Rokia Traore Liquid Room, 9c Victoria St, 225 2564. 7pm. £17.50. The Malian guitarist and singer plays blues- flavoured world music. ■ Cathal McConnell, Duncan Wood, Dave Swarbrick & Martin Macdonald Edinburgh Folk Club, Cabaret Bar, 60 Pleasance, 650 2458. 7.30pm. £12 (£10; members £8). Legendary Irish flute/whistle player McConnell. Part of Carrying Stream Festival.
Saturday 9 Glasgow ■ Omar Souleyman The Arches, 253 Argyle St, 565 1000. 7pm. £15. St level folk-pop and world beats from Syria. See interview, page 81. ■ SecondHand Marching Band Glad Café, 1006a Pollokshaws Rd, 636 6119. 7.30pm. £tbc. 18-piece folk dance party. ■ The Coal Porters Woodend Tennis & Bowling Club, 10 Chamberlain Rd, 959 1428. 8pm. £10. See Tue 5.
Y E L S R E T T A H N L O C
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CHEMISTRY-THEMED OPERA BREATHE FREELY Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, Thu 24 Oct
Apparently, listening to music releases a chemical in the brain that puts us in a good mood. How apt then that Edinburgh University’s School of Chemistry celebrates its 300th birthday with a brand new short opera. Scottish composer Julian Wagstaff’s Breathe Freely is, however, linked to chemistry teaching in Edinburgh in a way that is not only tangible in the history of its students and staff, but tells a fascinating tale that has previously lain undiscovered.
Polish independence fighter Stanislaw Hempel came to Edinburgh during World War II to undertake scientific research in support of the Polish Armed Forces in the west. Edinburgh extended hospitality to the revolutionary Hempel that included the use of a laboratory from the top professor at the time, James Kendall, a key character in the opera, along with Dr Chrissie Miller, the first female scientist to be a member of the prestigious Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Given 300 years from which to choose his subject, Wagstaff decided to focus on a period of confrontation and turmoil to provide him with suitably dramatic material. ‘There was a page of research produced by a Polish student on a number of Poles who had studied at Edinburgh through the Second World War,’ he explains. ‘What exactly they were doing is not clear.’ Wagstaff, who has written the text as well as the music, researched thoroughly, but the trail kept going cold. ‘It is my job as librettist to pick up from where the known facts tail off,’ he says. What these Polish scientists may have been doing is, therefore, left to the imagination. The fact that Kendall was an expert on poison gas may be the clue to the direction Wagstaff took to complete his story. Not quite as happy as that chemical in the brain. (Carol Main)
singers of his generation playing unique interpretations of Scottish songs. ■ Ceilidh Club Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, 0845 874 3001. 8pm. £6. Ceilidh dancing, furious fiddlers and callers to lead you through the steps. Heeliegoleerie play live. Wednesday 30
Glasgow ■ Ceilidh Dance Classes St Andrews in the Sq, 1 St Andrews Sq, 559 5902. 7.30pm. £5.50. See Wed 23. ■ John Smith Broadcast, 427 Sauchiehall St, 332 7304. 8pm. £8. The well-travelled, Devon-born artist plays music of unashamed romanticism and warm lyricism on the acoustic guitar. Edinburgh ■ Pete Coe Edin Folk Club, Cabaret Bar, 60 Pleasance, 650 2458. 7.30pm. £10 (£8; members £6). See Tue 29.
Thursday 31 Glasgow ■ Karine Polwart St Andrews in the Sq, 1 St Andrews Sq, 559 5902. 7.30pm. £15. Songs from the award-winning singer-songwriter.
Friday 1 Edinburgh ■ Aly Bain, Ale Möller & Bruce Molsky Pleasance, 60 Pleasance, 650 4673. 8pm. £16. Traditional Celtic and Nordic music with US fiddling.
■ James Yorkston, Jon Thorne Suhail, Yusuf Khan Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk St, 668 2019. 8–10.30pm. £15 (£13). Saturday 2
Glasgow ■ James Yorkston, Jon Thorne & Suhail Yusuf Khan Òran Mór, 731–735 Gt Western Rd, 357 6200. 7pm. £15. ■ Police Dog Hogan Woodend Tennis & Bowling Club, 10 Chamberlain Rd, 959 1428. 8pm. £12. Seven-piece folk band with high energy fiddle/drums/banjo/ guitars. Part of Woodendstock.
Sunday 3
Glasgow ■ Eleanor McEvoy Woodend Tennis & Bowling Club, 10 Chamberlain Rd, 959 1428. 8pm. £12. Top selling Irish singer/ songwriter plays material from her latest album Alone. Part of Woodendstock. Edinburgh ■ Sharon Shannon Electric Circus, 36–39 Market St, 226 4224. 7pm. £17.50. The Ruan-born accordionist combines traditional Celtic music with modern folk. ■ The Wolfe Tones Malone’s Irish Bar, 14 Forrest Rd, 226 5954. 7pm. £20. Folk veterans with a strong political slant.
Monday 4 Edinburgh ■ Foakies The Royal Oak, 1 Infirmary St, 557 2976. 8.30–11pm. £5–£8 (£3–£5).