CELTIC CONNECTIONS 2017 review

This year Celtic Connections music festival celebrated the contributions to music by women, with concerts this year by top women musicians – intimate Laura Marling, heart-warming Mary Chapin Carpenter, the star quality of Olivia Newton John and also the talent of, Beth Neilson Chapman, Eddi Reader and Julie Fowlis. Celtic Connections is the world's largest world, folk and roots music festival with over 2,000 musicians, 300 events, 20 venues.

My concerts this year also included rhythmic songwriter King Creosote, storyteller Rab Noakes and accomplished fiddler John McCusker. A special mention for Rose Code Blue’s concert at City halls, with his full band and as always some exciting new songs. Check him out!  Many of the most exciting younger folk musicians like to mix up the genres (cletic fusion) – King Creosote, C Duncan, Rose Code Blue. A prime example was Martyn Bennett who mixed the piping traditions with modern dance grooves to great effect.

Altan

Kathleen McInnes with Rab Noakes

John McCusker

I enjoyed a quality concert from Rab Noakes, when he sang both his classics (landmark songs) along with his more recent work – songs such as Gently Does It, I’m Walkin Here, Tramps and Immigrants. I remember singing his classics with other folk singers – Edens Flow, Clear Day, Together Forever, Branch. Happy Days! Noakes too mixes his Scottish roots and American influences.

Rab Noakes

Jim Lauderdale

Jerry Douglas

Music at Celtic Connections celebrates the benefits of our very diversity.

“One of the many true joys of CC is that within our tradition of Celtic music and international collaborations, we do not think about creative boundaries. Instead, we present on our stages some of the most brilliant musicians working today and explore the richness and diversity of the music we are celebrating.” Celtic Connections director Donald Shaw.

One of the joys of folk music is it live improvisation and collaboration. It is not about sheet music or the studio as much as sitting playing with others in a casual, relaxed way and the discovery old tunes and new. Its also about playing intimate, folk venues and clubs. Yes its about past a rich past tradition, but it also adds the new. As greats Burns, Yeats or Dylan knew and understood, artists need to build on the past and as Rab Noakes wrote , ‘A future with no past, has no future.’

John Paul White

Iona Fyfe

The climax of the festival is always the memorable Transatlantic Sessions concert, with its energetic Scottish tunes balanced with American rhythms. We left the Glasgow concert hall with the sounds of Scottish fiddles, American country, Trad and Gaelic ballads and engrossing rhythms, to take with us renewed into the winter night!

Next year Celtic will partner with Ireland. Many of Ireland's best musicians have performed at the festival – including Van Morrison, Clannad, Sharon Shannon, Karen Casey, Chieftains, Altan, Dervish, Damien Dempsey, Cara Dillon, more! Next year's festival promises to be a good one!

Showcase Scotland this year – C Duncan, Adam Holmes, Rachel Sermanni.

*BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2017 was won by fiddler Charlie Stewart. Other finalists included Dougie McCance (bagpipes), Ella Munro (Scots song), Grant McFarlan (accordion), Iona Fyfe (Scots song), Kim Cranie (Gaelic song).

*Danny Kyle Open Stage WINNERS (from 72 acts)

Doro Weber (drums) with the Magpies.

Marianne McGregor (Scottish singer songwriter),

An Dha ( English folk band), fiddle, cello)

Dope Sick Fly ( Scottish funk band)

Arocet ( Scottish trad )

“You have to be somebody before you can share yourself.” (online) Silcon valley apostate Jason Larnier

Laura Marling

Olivia Newton John

Julie Fowlis

Mary Chapin Carpenter at Celtic Connections 2017

Mary Chapin Carpenter

A positive energy and message in her songs, Carpenter sang resilience songs.

This was a concert in three sets - First up was the beautiful voice of Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis. She sang the Beatle’s ‘Blackbird’ and her set was far too short!  

Julie Fowlis

Next was the fun accomplished folk band the Altan from Donegal, who played energizing reels and jigs. Their lead singer and violinist Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh sang movingly in the Irish Gaelic. The group has collaborated with Dolly Parton, The Chieftains, Bonnie Raitt and others.

Altan

The main event was with the Grammy-winning Mary Chapin Carpenter who performed songs from her 2014 ‘The Things That we are Made Of’, such as the well crafted song ‘Something Tame, Something Wild.’ She hoped she might offer some balance to the freak show happening in America, which drew a loud clap!

She spoke of walking in the Blue Ridge mountains near her home and of how she was inspired to write a song ‘Oh Rosetta’, by the spirit of the celebrated gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who was the godmother of rock n roll and played rings around others. She also enjoyed being inside a perfect song with a intimate interpretation of Lucinda William’s ‘Passionate Kisses’.

We had only MCC’s husky, honey-toned voice and guitar for a tender ‘This Shirt’. Then she took the tempo and her voice up several notches with a rocky, blues songs – ‘Shut Up and Kiss Me’, ‘I Feel Lucky’ and ‘I Took my Chances’ backed by the full luxurious musicality of her band of grand piano, electric guitar and drums. The words of her songs often reach out and reflect on life’s extremes. MCC is also a talented guitarist.

The theme of Celtic Connections this year is women musicians and tonight certainly celebrated their contributions!  For a grand finale we had Julie, the Altans and a surprise appearance of dubro player Jerry Douglas on stage for ‘He Thinks He’ll Keep Her’. Certainly one of the treats of the festival!

Scottish female singer songwriters

Julie Fowlis

Karen Matheson

Karine Polwart

Emeli Sande

Eddi Reader

Here are my favourite Scottish female singer songwriters - Eddi Reader, Emeli Sande, Karine Polwart, Karen Matheson, Julie Fowlis - all very different and very special in their own unique ways. I have been to several concerts by all of them. They are also successful in different areas of music.  I have also seen some young new female singer songwriters here - Kate Tough, Genesee, Rachel Sermanni, Katie Sutherland. 

Please respect my copyright. Thanks. 

Celtic Connnections festival 2014

Nicola Benedetti and Phil Cunningham

#ccfest  Each cold January Celtic Connections brightens our dark evenings with warm, enriching ceilidh music, beautiful 

Gaelic song and exhilarating world music. It's a celebration of the folk song and traditions, dynamic collaborations 

of renowned Scottish musicianship alongside famous world artists - and more than that an introduction to new artists. 

Celtic is all about the live interaction with the audience and very much about the live bands. 

I have attended Celtic for many years now and the buzz at this festival is particularly infectious. The hub of Celtic is at the Glasgow Concert Hall which provides a fitting setting for the main concerts. Other venues range from the intimate Oran Mor to the atmospheric Old Fruitmarket in the Merchant city part of town - excellent for ceilidhs.

This year at Celtic 2014, its 21st year, I heard some wonderful musicians here for the first time  -  Lau, RM Hubbert, Mogwai, Imelda May, Nicola B, Del Amitri and from Greece Alkinoos Ioannidis. I also enjoyed artists I'd heard before - Dougie MacLean, Julie Fowlis, erry Douglas, Karine Polwart, Kris Drever, Capercaillie. I enjoyed several top concerts this year at Celtic and it certainly gets me through January!                          

Celtic sells out several big venues on the same night. When Celtic started back twenty one years ago in 1995 people wondered would they draw a crowd out at this quiet time of year in January to see folk concerts? It really is incredible how the festival has grown year on year to become the biggest folk festival gathering worldwide.

Julie Fowlis

Joy Kills Sorrow

Kris Drever

There was crossovers between folk and classical music at the festival with among others - Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain have been working with classical violinist Nicola Benedetti for her new Scottish themed album.  Also award-winning folk band Lau composed with the classical and experimental Elysian Quartet - 'The Bell That Never Rang'  for the New Music Biennial Glasgow 2014.

Julie Fowlis & Nicola Benedetti

Duncan Chisholm

The Big Dish

At Celtic's main event, the Transatlantic Sessions - and who are one of my all time favoruite bands - there are crossovers between Scottish traditional music and American country and bluegrass - it is a powerful combination!  When music making goes in new directions with challenging collaborations, that is often when the best music can develop.  

Capercaillie celebrated their 30 years together at the festival with a concert to mark the release of their album 'At the Heart of It All'.  The band are one of Scotland's most successful contemporary folk bands and are led by festival artistic director Donald Shaw and the beautiful voice of Karen Matheson.

Capercaillie 

Dougie MacLean Burns International concert Hydro

It is good to see and hear the confidence, creativity, pride and range in Scottish music these days.  It is a huge boost for Glasgow to host this international event each year.

I  particularly enjoyed -  Alkinoos Ioannidis, RM Hubbert, Del Amitri, Lau, and Julie Fowlis.  

There are often several wonderful concerts on the same night. One good thing is there is much encouragement given 

over the festival to new musicians – with the Late Sessions, Open mic and also Showcase Scotland.   

Lau at Glasgow City Halls

Aidan O'Rourke with Lau

Darrell Scott & Tim O'Brien

Jerry Douglas & Aly Bain Transatlantic Sessions

Shaw does a great job of pulling the festival together to offer diversity, breadth and quality. It’s clear he enjoys varied and interesting collaborations.  
The festival encourages playing live, ethnic traditions, vocal harmonies, unaccompanied singing, story telling songs and words with a message, real instruments and diverse collaborations. I look forward to next year's Celtic Connections festival!

Imelda May

Del Amitri

The Hydro

All Photographs are copyright Pauline Keightley and are made with permission of the artists, the festival, and the venues involved. Photos at Celtic Connections since 2008.

Rab Noakes -  with  Where Dead Voices Gather' - still relevant and even better than his younger days.... 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/rabnoakes