Its usually hard to decide, as there are so meny concerts on over the festivals weekends, which concerts to attend. The opening night this year celebrated the over 200 artists form Europe and worldwide who will perform at Celtic Connections. Through diverse, contmepoary, traiditonal, electic, national and roots music. The festival brings people together people from different places, cultures, backgorunds, tarditions – to explore and expand our musical horioznes.
This year I decided to attend Friday’s concert which brought together the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and outstanding singers with new orchestral commissions by Pippa Murphy, Kate st John and conductor-arranger Greg Lawson. For a celebration of Scots traditional ballads, brought to a deeper resonance.
Tonight the singers of traditional ballads were acclaimed Scots folk singers - Karine Polwart, Kris Drever, Lori Watson, Janice Burns with Jon Doran, Emily Smith, Fiona Hunter. Backed by House band – Duncan Lyall (double bass), David Mulligan (piano), Calum MacCrimmon (whistles & pipes), Anna Massie (guitar).
Drever performed two of Dick Gaughan’s favourite Burns songs – Westlin Winds (written when Burns was only fifteen) and Parcel of Rogues. One is about nature and love, while the other is about deceit and betrayal. Celebrating Burns many varied writings – from satire, humour, reform, political, nature, equality and rights for all. And he also sang his own story telling song Scapa Flow.
Emily Smith sang with her clear, intimate voice the ballads Clerk Saunders and King Orfeo. Janice Burns impressed along with guitarist Jon Doran, the dramatic bothy ballad, Johnny My Man, and the popular song She Moved Through The Fair.
Lori Watson sang two older ballads: Thomas the Rhymer and Flooers O the Forrest, about Flodden and the loss of James IV’s army. Fiona Hunter sang Maccrimmons Lament, about the loss of a piper during the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Karine Polwart sang her own poignant song, Let Earth and Stone Still Witness Bear.
To finish their set all five singers sang the well kent song Wild Mountain Thyme and the Final Trawl. For their finale they sang the heartening In Friendship’s Name and the poet Hamish Henderson’s Freedom Come all Ye. The ballads ranged from poignant haunting traditional songs, to songs of protest, and ballads of renewals and friendship. While I would have enjoyed more stories around the choice of these ballads.
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra added a broader depth to these traditional ballads. This was a hugely enjoyable evening of quality performances, musicianship and top song choices. The traditional ballads taken to a new level.
(The BBC SSO, Scotland’s national broadcasting orchestra, is celebrating its 90th anniversary season – testament to its pioneering spirit.)
Set List
1st half
Westlin Winds – Kris Drever
Clerk Saunders – Emily Smith
King Orfeo
Johnny My Man – Janice Burns
Let earth and stone still witness bear – Karine Polwart
Winter cheer - Lori Watson
Flooers o' the forest
Sailors life – Fiona Hunter
Maccrimmon’s lament
2nd half
Thomas the Rhymer – Lori Watson
Song of the Fishgutters – Janice Burns & Jon Doran
She moved through the fair
The Cruel Mother – Fiona Hunter
Parcel of Rogues – Kris Drever
Scapa flow
Craigie hall – Karine Polwart
Wild mountain Thyme - ALL
Final Trawl
Encore
In Friendship’s Name - ALL
Freedom come all ye
