So I arrived
early as people are setting up their stalls – of accordions, pipes and folk CDs.
Roddy Hart and a camera crew were in the concert hall foyer and the Press
office has wine and nibbles set out. Someone was playing piano and they were
setting out equipment for the open mic. And so #ccfest begins for another year
to celebrate live music, special collaborations, brilliant musicianship and perfect
singers who perform quality songs. On the stage the orchestra limbers up tuning
their instruments.
Sometimes
Celtic Connections offers some gems and there were several tonight. The first
set for this evening’s celebration of women and song, included six talented
artists backed by the Scottish national orchestra (RSNO).
Scottish songwriter
Karine Polwart performed songs from
her Wind Resistance. She read a poem of new president Trump. ‘’I am worn but I
am not consumed,’ a message from the rocks of Lewis to the son of Mary MacLeod.
She also sang ‘Cover Your Eyes’ and ‘Half A Mile’. Karine
wrote a performance piece, Wind Resistance, for the Lyceum Edinburgh which will
be performed at the Tron theatre during Celtic Connections. While the orchestra
added rich depth and resonance.
Adam Holmes and Rachel Sermanni sang with lilting country harmonies.
There was a moving and colourful performance from Aziza Bahim from the Sahara and her quality band. Her joy of music
has brightened her life in an Algerian refugee camp. An important part of
Celtic Connections is to bring different cultures together and to look at the
plight of those suffering great hardship.
Cara Dillon has recorded with an orchestra, so
this was a familiar setting and she sang the traditional song ‘She Moves Through
the Fair.’ Lindsay Lou and the flatbellys entertained with their fun rhythmic American tunes.
While Declan O’Rourke was another hit with his large voice he sang ‘Who puts
the rainbow sin the sky’ with the song Slieve Bloom and Galileo.
**For the
second half of this quality concert Laura
Marling gave a still, introspective, both fragile and strong performance. She
stood centre stage with the orchestra behind her and sang her journey in song,
with words such as ‘I will not be a victim of romance.’ On one song she tells
herself to ‘Breathe!” She shuns celebrity trappings, a child of nature with no
make-up. She sang ‘I love England in snow… I ’m on my own and I feel like
running.’ Her songs of winter, romance and memories. There was also a nod to
Leonard Cohan with the song Avalanche.
She is an
accomplished, moving artist. She performed a stunning suite of her songs ‘Take
The Night Off’, ‘I was and Eagle’, ‘You know’ and ‘Breathe’, composed by Kate
St John. She also sang – ‘What He Wrote’, ‘Sophia’, ‘Hope in the Air’, ‘Goodbye
England’.
Her voice is
both gentle, doubting and questioning with the nuanced voice of Joni or the
hard edge of Dylan. Marling has spent time in LA – has she had time to live
though? Laura began her career at the young age of 17. She is an award-winning
English folk singer songwriter and at 26 she has been prolific with the release
of five studio albums.
This concert
offered tasters of some of the outstanding artists who will perform at Celtic
Connections this year.
II On the Radio on the way home I heard the young
band Rura (who perform at the Barrowlands at Celtic Connections) who talked of
their fun on the road touring. Is that really why Dylan got a band and went
rockier In my view some of the greatest art is about collaboration with other
artists, both past and present.
SUITE of Take the Night
Off/ I was an Eagle/ You know
What He Wrote/ Sophia/
Hope in the Air/ Avalanche/ Goodbye England.
Celtic Connections is a major folk and roots festival
running over 19 days and 19 Glasgow venues (begun in 1994) celebrates its 23rd
year.
