Duncan Chisholm at Celtic Connections 2023

Transported us with his engaging playing

 Chisholm has performed at every Celtic Connections since 1993. Duncan Chisholm engaged us with beautiful videos of his violin during the isolation of Covid, often shot on perfect locations on the Western Isles. His music has range of tone and atmosphere, transcends time and space. He has composed music of the Western Isles – of the swift-changing skies of Scotland’s western coastlines and dramatic mountain ranges; often foreboding but illuminating and hopeful as light breaks through.

 

**Tonight he played compositions from his new 2022 album Black Cullins –  the ragged range of jagged rocky mountains on the Isle of Skye. He was backed by an impressive line-up of award-winning Trad musicians - Jalath Henderson on uilleann pipes, Ross Ainslie on low whistle, Hamish Napier on keyboards and piano, Innes Watson on rhythm guitar, and Ross Hamilton on electric bass and guitar. Along with a string section led by Greg Lawson.

 

He began with the tender and forlorn Black Cuillin Theme with accompanying strings; Born on the Wind of Chaos soared with the full band, bass and electric guitar. The band took the energy and vibe up further with piano, pipes, whistle, percussion and rhythm guitar for the tune, To the High Mountain. Beneath the Fortress about the Skye bridge was majestic, as was the intimacy of Donald Shaw’s A Precious Place, who played piano on this tune, and the drama of pipes on Islands on the Edge.

The tune The Blue Cuillins of the Islands was Inspired by a poem of Sorley McLean’s. Followed by a touching performance of Donald Shaw’s Constellations. Chisholm played Phil Cunningham’s subdued, haunting When the Snow Melts, with only piano for his finale. Heart-warming.    https://www.duncanchisholm.com

 

Music of Resolutions.

Chisholm was supported by the excellent Gaelic singer Kim Carnie - Review and Photos here - 

 

Black Cuillin’ tells of a dream journey through this landscape over a day and a night.” 

Duncan Chisholm, Scottish fiddle player and composer, has released six solo albums. He tours with the Scots Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis and has toured with the folk rock band Wolfstone and the band Runrig.

 

 

Celtic Connections first online festival 2021!

Transatlantic Sessions 2020

At this cold and dark time of year the accomplished and melodic fires of music light up our hearts and the evening skies

 

Celtic Connections, the world's biggest winter folk festival, first online festival will celebrate the musical connections, accomplished musicians, perfect melodies, musical traditions and much more. Its hard to explain what its like to miss the buzz that surrounds folk festivals and the importance to our lives of live music. So I'm looking forward to seeing some top class Celtic concerts online and on the BBC

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MUSICIANS IN THESE DARK TIMES 

Celtic Connections has now listed their first online digital festival. 

Some photos for the Danny Kyle stage.

The festival will run from Friday 15^th January to Tuesday 2^nd February 2021. Follow the conversation at @ccfest

TICKETS AND PROGRAM - : www.celticconnections.com

SOME HIGHLIGHTS

Monday 25th January

*BBC Scotland channel: BURNS NIGHT with the BBC SSO, EDDI READER and KAREN MATHESON 7pm - 8pm.  

 

*Some of CELTIC CONNECTIONS festival will be on BBC Alba

Friday 15th January - Celtic Connections 2021 Online Celebration Concert (Various Artists) 7.30pm - 9pm £10.  On BBC ALBA: EP1 Cuirm@Celtic Connections: Duncan Chisholm 9pm 

Monday 18th January - Come Away In with Karine Polwart, Eddi Reader, Rab Noakes, Siobhan Miller & Finlay Napier 7.30pm - 9pm £7

 

Wednesday 20th January   Blue Rose Code - Karen Matheson - LYRE - Rory Butler 7.30pm - 9pm £7

 

Friday 22nd January - Blazin Fiddles - Xabier Diaz - Gnoss - Deirdre Graham 7.30pm - 9pm £7. On BBC ALBA: EP2 Cuirm@Celtic Connections: The Staves 9pm

Sunday 24th January - The Secret Sisters - Kinnaris Quintet - An Tobar Presents 7.30pm - 9pm £7

Friday 29th January -  Transatlantic Sessions with Special Guests 7.30pm - 8.30pm £10

Saturday 30^th January - Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi - Kris Drever - Dean Owens with Joey Burns (Calexico) 8pm - 9.30pm £7

Musical Director Donald Shaw - “The resounding feeling that has come out of the recording days is a space for musicians to come back, to play again, to feel part of the community that they helped to create. The last time a lot of the contributing artists performed was at Celtic Connections 2020 and now they are back playing as part of the festival one year on after what has undoubtedly been the hardest year of their careers. We feel incredibly proud that as a festival, along with our funding partners, we have allowed for this safe space for them to play again, embrace their creativity and ultimately give them hope that there is a future for them within this industry.”

Aly Bain

 The Celtic Connections online festival will begin one week today. Across 19 days, the festival will present over 30 online performances between Friday 15^th January and Tuesday 2^nd February 2021.

World class concerts will be available to view online with some of the biggest names on the Scottish music scene and beyond appearing on screens across the world as part of the winter festival. Celtic Connections has created unique digital content from specially commissioned projects and performances filmed across many of Glasgow’s much-loved venues. International artists have also contributed to the eclectic line-up by recording performances remotely.

Traditionally, the festival welcomes over 100,000 attendees to Glasgow, a UNESCO City of Music, and on announcing the digital-first festival organisers hoped it would appeal to the wide international audience they usually see attending the festival. The 19-day event undoubtedly has caught the attention of music fans across the world with festival passes purchased in 35 countries already. With the festival’s global audiences in mind, they have allowed for all shows to be available for a week after they are first streamed to alleviate any restrictions for different time zones enjoying the range of content.  

Donald Shaw, Creative Producer for Celtic Connections, said: “The announcement of the full festival programme today marks a huge moment for me and the wider team. The concept for a digital-first Celtic Connections was borne out of a desire to promote wellbeing and optimism amongst fellow musicians as much as it was about still being able to offer entertainment to our loyal Celtic Connections audiences during the dark nights of January. 

John Paul White

Rab Noakes

Eddi Reader and the RSNO

Nicola Benedetti performed Opening concert Celtic Connections 2014

Nicola Benedetti 

This night proved an eclectic wide-ranging night of exemplary world class music. The Celtic Connections opening concert showcased several of the artists performing at this year’s festival and offered an interesting taster of the three weeks ahead.

Duncan Chisholm and Wolfstone

Joy Kills Sorrow

Fiddler Duncan Chisholm and Wolfstone, who performed at the very first CC opening night, opened the concert with some well played reels and one lament – Big Archie, Irish Air, Flooded Meadow set.  Folk roots dig deep. Then Boston based string band Joy Kills Sorrow, with strong vocals from singer Emma Beaton in a red dress, played progressive bluegrass with a rocking energy and close harmonies.  

Next there was a real treat for festival goers with Scottish classical violinist and world class music star Nicola Benedetti who has been working on Scottish material for her forthcoming album with Shetland fiddler Aly Bain and accordionist and composer Phil Cunningham. Bain makes it all look effortless and Cunningham is a talented pianist and composer. She performed 6 tunes – Hurricane, Chan & Chanaidh, Dean Brig/ Banks, Gentle Light, Coisich, Puirt.  Nicola played a song with Julie Fowlis’s clear vocal tones, which was a delight to hear. Then fiddler Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham on piano both joined her on stage. It appeared Aly had been coaching her on folk music techniques – he is trained in traditional Shetland style with its shifting rhythms and defined edge. 

The tune Gentle Light, written by Phil Cunningham, provided interweaving pure melodies that offered subtle flights – a joy. After which they took the tempo up with some energetic reels. After the set Aly, who is a quiet unassuming man, gave Benedetti a big hug and it was evident his joy of working with the younger accomplished player. Master craftsmen easily make their instruments soar with layers of melody and harmony.  Collaborations may take us out of our comfort zones thorugh challenging raise us up. 

Julie Fowlis &Nicola Benedetti 

Second Half :  Peter Mawanga & The Awaravi movement provided colourful Malawi culture with dance rhythms followed by beautiful Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis who sang Smeorachb and An Roghainn, Puirt. She told us the moving song The Choice was about the wish for second chances. 

Yves Lambert trio

Montreal’s Yves Lambert trio took the tempo up with rollicking Cajun style songs and they have a deep rich sound. Yves Lambert, accordionist and singer, has been is a driving force in Québécois music for 30 years and a lead singer with the trio La Bottine Souriante with multi-instrumentalists Olivier Rondeau and Tommy Gauthier.
The surprise for the night was American country singer songwriter Beth Neilson Chapman, who has written may hit songs for pop and country artists and she sang Pray and Nothing I can do About it (a hit for Willy Nelson).  The concert was aptly finished by Benedetti and Phil with the fine tune Aberlady.   

Beth Neilson Chapman,

I am pleased to see the festival go from strength to strength and raise its game each year with the standard, quality and range of musicianship and artistry. It is a huge boost for Glasgow to host this world class music festival that celebrates not only the folk traditions but also contemporary and world music. A heart warming uplifting note to start the festival on!   Photos and Review Pauline Keightley.

All Photographs are copyrighted Pauline Keightley and are taken with the permission of the artists, the festival, and the venues involved. Please respect my copyright. Photos at Celtic Connections since 2008. http://pkimage.co.uk/celticconnections

Benedetti  studied violin from age 4, she attended the Yhudi Menuhin school of music and she was BBC Young Musician of the Year 2004. She has performed solo with Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra,